The recipes posted here are very simple, with no hard & fast rule, as I love to cook a variety but with ease. My dishes are such that it is nutritious & easy to cook. Of course one can always change the ingredients according to one's taste & availability. Do let me know which type of recipes are preferred, or in case you've any queries too. Feel free to comment.
Friday, January 10, 2025
Khaman Dhokla
Dhokla vs Khaman
Khaman is popularly referred to as Khaman Dhokla but in actuality, a dhokla is made differently than khaman.
Dhokla is made with ground, fermented batter of rice and lentils like
chana dal or urad dal. It is also called Vati Dal Dhokla in Gujarati.
While khaman recipe is made instantly with gram flour batter which is
leavened by adding baking soda, citric acid or fruit salt. Khaman
batter is not fermented unlike a dhokla batter.
The batter is leavened instantly using any of the leavening
ingredients that you prefer. This leavened batter is then steamed in a
greased pan like a steamed cake.
In the taste department, fermentation gives dhokla a really complex flavorsome taste, but a khaman also tastes equally great.
The color of dhokla can range from cream to light yellow or yellow but a khaman always has a bright yellow color.
Choice of Leavening Ingredients
To make soft and fluffy khaman dhokla you can choose between three
leavening ingredients or a use a mix of two of them. Fruit salt, baking
soda and citric acid are these ingredients and let us know more in
detail about them.
Eno (Fruit Salt), Baking soda, Lemon juice- 1 tablespoon lemon juice = ¼ teaspoon citric acid (in the powdered form)
Ingredients
For khaman batter
1 1/2cupsgram flour(besan), 180 grams
1tbsprava(semolina) – optional
1tbspsugar
1 1/2inchesginger– crushed to a fine paste in a mortar-pestle
1 1/2 tsp green chilies – chopped and then crushed to a fine paste in a mortar-pestle
2 to 3pinchesturmeric powder(ground turmeric)
1 to 2pinchasafoetida(hing)
1tbspoil
1 1/2 to 2tsp Eno(fruit salt) or ½ to ¾ tsp baking soda
1tspsaltor add as required
1 1/2tbsp lemon juiceor ⅓ to ½ tsp pure food grade citric acid
1cupwateror add as required
For tempering khaman dhokla
2tbspoil
⅓cupwater
1tspmustard seeds
2tspwhite sesame seeds
1 sprigcurry leaves– about 10 to 12 curry leaves
1tspgreen chilies– chopped, optional
2tspsugaror add according to taste
For garnish
2 to 3tbspcoriander leaves– chopped (cilantro)
2 to 3tbsp fresh gratedcoconut optional
Prevent your screen from going dark while making the recipe
Instructions
Making khaman batterGrease 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 requiredStir 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 dhoklaPlace
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 if it is done, 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.
TemperingIn 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 SuggestionsThe sweet, savory, fluffy cakes pair great with any spicy or sweet Indian chutney.You can also serve it with your evening tea.
Storing SuggestionsIf
you plan to serve khaman after a few hours or next day, then I do not
recommend to add coconut or coriander leaves. Simply pour the tempering.Refrigerate the khaman in a covered container. While serving you can warm with a sprinkling of water in a microwave or an oven.If using the instant pot to warm, then steam for 1 to 2 minutes. While serving add the coconut and coriander leaves.
