Time Travel To Gujarat With A Twist, Instant Khaman Recipe In Steamer Pan

Gujarati Khaman, popularly known as Dhokla, is a beloved dish from Gujarat , renowned worldwide. This soft, fluffy delicacy is traditionally prepared using fermented rice and chickpea flour.

Why not bring a taste of Gujarat into your home this weekend? Even if you can’t travel to Gujarat, this special recipe will transport you there with every bite.

Dhokla recipe

Ingredients

For khaman batter—

• 1.5 cups gram flour (besan), 180 grams
• 1 tablespoon rava (semolina) - optional
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1.5 inches ginger - crushed to a fine paste in a mortar-pestle
• 1.5 teaspoons green chillies - chopped and then crushed to a fine paste in a mortar-pestle
• 2 to 3 pinches turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
• 1 to 2 pinch asafoetida (hing)
• 1 tablespoon oil - any neutral oil or peanut oil
• 1.5 to 2 teaspoons eno (fruit salt) or ½ to ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt or add as required
• 1.5 tablespoon lemon juice or ⅓ to ½ teaspoon pure food grade citric acid
• 1 cup water or add as required

For tempering khaman dhokla—

• 2 tablespoons oil - any neutral oil or peanut oil
• ⅓ cup water
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds - optional
• 2 teaspoons white sesame seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves - about 10 to 12 curry leaves
• 1 teaspoon green chilies - chopped, optional
• 2 teaspoons sugar or add according to taste

For garnish—

• 2 to 3 tablespoons coriander leaves - chopped (cilantro)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons coconut - grated and fresh, optional

Instructions

Making khaman batter—

• Grease a steamer pan with 2 to 3 teaspoons of oil.
• Take besan or gram flour in a mixing bowl or pan.
• Add turmeric powder, asafoetida, lemon juice, ginger paste, green chilies paste, sugar, oil and salt.
• Add 1 cup water or as required to make thick yet flowing water. The amount of water required depends on the quality of flour, so add as required.
• Stir and then add the rava or sooji (semolina).
• Stir to a smooth thick batter without any lumps.
• The batter should be thick yet flowing. A quick tip is that if the batter become thin, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons besan. 
• Bring to a boil 2 to 2.5 cups of water in a steamer pan or electric cooker or a stove-top pressure cooker. 
• The amount of water to be added depends on the size of the steamer or pressure cooker.
• Now add the eno or fruit salt to the batter.
• Stir briskly and quickly. The fruit salt should be mixed evenly with the batter. Or else you get uneven texture in the khaman.
• The batter would froth and become bubbly, so you have to be quick.
• Pour the batter in the greased pan.

Steaming khaman dhokla—

• Place the pan in a steamer or electric rice cooker or pressure cooker. The water should already be boiling or hot when you place the pan with the batter. When using pressure cooker, remove the vent weight/whistle from the lid and cover the cooker tightly with its lid.
• Steam for 15 to 20 minutes in an electric cooker. If using a pan or pressure cooker, steam for 12 to 15 minutes on a medium to high heat.
• To check the doneness, insert a toothpick and if it comes out clean, the khaman is done. If the toothpick has the batter on it, then you need to steam for some more time.
• When the khaman become lukewarm or cool, then with a butter knife gently slid along the edges. Keep a plate or tray on top of the pan.
• Invert the pan. If greased well, the khaman will easily get inverted on the plate. Slice and keep aside.

Tempering—

• In a small pan, heat oil.
• Add mustard seeds and let them to crackle.
• When the mustard seeds are crackling, add the cumin seeds (optional), curry leaves and chopped green chilies (optional).
• Stir and then add sesame seeds.
• Fry the sesame seeds for some seconds but do not brown them.
• Then add water. Be careful while adding water as the mixture sizzles. You can switch off the heat when adding water.
• Add sugar. Stir and allow the tempering mixture to come to a boil. Make sure that the sugar has dissolved in the water.
• Then pour this tempering mixture evenly on the steamed and sliced khaman.
• Garnish with chopped coriander seeds and grated coconut.
• Serve khaman dhokla straight away or you can store them in an air tight box and then serve later after some minutes or an hour.
• If serving khaman after many hours, then do not garnish with coconut and coriander leaves.

Serving Suggestions—

• The sweet, savory, fluffy cakes pair great with any spicy or sweet Indian chutney.
• You can also serve it with your evening chai.

(Recipe credit: Dassana Amit / vegrecipesofindia.com)