Home
Snacks
Soft Khaman Dhokla
Soft khaman dhokla should be spongy enough to squeeze and spring back. Mine used to come out flat and dense until a Gujarati neighbor showed me what I was doing wrong. The water in the steamer has to be boiling before the batter goes in. The Eno goes in last, and then you move fast. No waiting around. Once it steams, a sweet and sour tempering soaks in and keeps every piece moist. It makes a great tea time snack.
Metric
Imperial
Keep screen on
Print
Share
Steps
1.
Get The Steamer Boiling
Pour 3 to 4 cups of water into a steamer, big pot, or pressure cooker base and bring it to a rolling boil. Grease a 7 or 8 inch round tin with oil. Everything should be ready before you add the Eno.
2.
Make The Batter
In a bowl, mix besan, semolina, ginger chili paste, turmeric, salt, sugar, lemon juice, and 1 tbsp oil. Add the water slowly and whisk hard for 2 to 3 minutes. You want a smooth batter with no lumps, about as thick as pancake batter. Rest it 10 minutes.
3.
Add The Eno And Move Fast
Sprinkle the Eno over the batter. Pour 1 tsp water right on top of it so it fizzes. Stir gently in one direction for 10 seconds, just until it turns pale and frothy and roughly doubles. Pour straight into the greased tin. Tap it once on the counter.
4.
Steam The Soft Khaman Dhokla
Set the tin in the steamer and cover. Steam on medium-high heat 15 to 18 minutes. Do not open the lid for the first 12 minutes or it can sink. A toothpick in the center should come out clean. Remove and cool 5 minutes, then cut into squares.
5.
Make The Tempering
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds and let them pop. Add sesame, curry leaves, green chilies, and asafoetida. Carefully pour in 150 ml water, it will spit. Add the sugar and bring to a boil until the sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat and stir in lemon juice.
6.
Soak And Serve
Spoon the hot tempering evenly over the cut dhokla, letting it sink in. It looks like too much liquid. It is not. Leave 10 minutes to absorb. Scatter coriander and coconut and serve with green chutney.
Ingredients
Steps
Print
Why this works
Eno is baking soda and citric acid that reacts the moment it gets wet, so the bubbles must be trapped in steam immediately. That is why the water has to boil first. Lemon juice in the batter adds acid for an extra lift and the sour khaman flavor. Whisking besan well builds a smooth batter that holds air. The sweet tempering water keeps the sponge moist and gives the classic sweet, sour, salty balance.
Substitutions
No Eno? Use 0.75 tsp baking soda plus 0.5 tsp extra lemon juice, added the same way. Citric acid (0.5 tsp) can replace lemon juice in the batter for a sharper tang. Leave out semolina and it still works, just slightly less firm. For less sweetness, cut the tempering sugar to 1 tbsp.
Storage and reheating
Best the same day. Keeps 2 days in an airtight box in the fridge. Bring to room temperature or steam 2 to 3 minutes to soften again. Avoid microwaving too long, it dries out and turns chewy.
Equipment
Steamer, large pot with rack, or pressure cooker without the whistle
7 or 8 inch round cake tin
Mixing bowl and whisk
Small tempering pan
Related recipes
More to cook next — up to eight, never including this recipe.
