Khaman Dhokla Recipe

Step 1:

Grease the Khaman Dhokla steamer pan with 1-2 tablespoons of oil.

Step 2:

Add the 2-3 pinches of turmeric powder, a pinch of asafoetida, 1.5 tablespoons lemon or ½ teaspoon of pure citric acid, 1.5 teaspoons ginger paste, 1.5 teaspoons green chili paste, 1 tablespoon sugar or as per taste and 1 teaspoon salt or add as per taste.

Step 3:

Add 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of cooking oil to form a thick and consistent batter. Stir well until all the ingredients combine well.

Step 4:

Add 1 cup of semolina (rava) to achieve thick consistency and smooth texture. (Note: You can skip this step if you are gluten-allergic or want a gluten-free khaman)

Step 5:

Stir all the ingredients to form a thick and consistent batter. The batter should not have any lumps and must be smooth enough to flow off the whisk easily.

Step 6:

Bring 2 - 2.5 cups of water to a boil in a steamer pan or pressure cooker. The amount of water to be boiled depends on the size of the steamer or pressure cooker.

Step 7:

Add 2 tablespoons of Eno to leaven your khaman batter. Adding the leavening agent helps in making a soft and spongy khaman dhokla.

Step 8:

Stir the batter briskly and swiftly as Eno makes the khaman batter frothy. Ensure it is mixed thoroughly to achieve an even and consistent batter.

Step 9:

Place the batter in the greased steamer pan. Shake it a bit so that the batter evens out in the pan. The water must be boiling or hot when you place the batter in the steamer.

Step 10:

Steam the batter for 12-17 minutes in the steamer pan. If you are using an electric pan or cooker, steam for 20 minutes. You can start preparing the tempering mix while your khaman is getting ready in the steamer.

Step 11:

Insert a toothpick in the khaman to see if it is properly cooked. If the toothpick has some batter on it, you must steam it for another few minutes (1-2 mins.) Slide a butter knife on the edges of the pan and put the pan upside down to slide out the steamed khaman cake.

Step 12:

Slice out the khaman cake using a knife into equal square shapes and set them aside for tempering.

Step 13:

Tempering is done to add flavor to the gram cake, add moisture and enhance its sponginess. To prepare, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds when the oil gets hot.

Step 14:

As the mustard seeds crackle, add curry leaves, chopped chilies, and a teaspoon of sesame seeds and fry them all. Switch off the flame and add 1/3 cup of water to the hot pan. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar, and mix well until the sugar is dissolved.

Step 15:

Pour the tempering mixture evenly through the khaman dhokla so that it slowly seeps through its edges. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut, and roasted green chilies.