Authentic and traditional khaman dhokla from the scratch step-by-step recipe with photos.
Khaman dhokla is a Gujarati dish very similar to the south-
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About this recipe
The traditional khaman dhokla is slightly dense and crumbly than the instant ones but
The main difference between khaman dhokla and dhokla is the usage of rice. Khaman has chana dal (Bengal gram) as the main ingredient, whereas dhokla uses equal quantities of rice and chana dal.
Authentic versus instant dhokla
The health benefits of fermented foods are well-known. Fermented foods are rich in probiotics and are very helpful in gut healing. The process of fermentation also makes the grains easy to digest. You may miss out on this if you make instant dhokla. Instant dhokla has its own issues. They may not turn fluffy if you don't add soda. Again, adding more soda may compromise the taste. The batter has to be used immediately and cannot be stored. However, the fermented batter keeps good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Make the batter at night and let it ferment. You can have freshly steamed dhokla for breakfast the next morning.
Ingredients
Chana dal: Chanal dal or Bengal gram is the main ingredient used in making khaman.
Urad dal: A small amount of urad dal or black gram is used in khaman. I
Poha: The thick variety of poha (flattened rice) goes into making this dish.
Ginger and green chilli: These are ground into a fine paste and added to the batter. You may adjust the amount of chilli as per your preference.
Oil: Traditionally, peanut oil is used to make dhokla. However, you may use any cooking oil of your choice.
Tempering: For the tempering, I use mustard seeds, hing, and curry leaves.
Garnish: Fresh coconut, coriander leaves, and green chilli are used for garnish. Even though they are used for garnishing, I highly recommend not skipping them.
This authentic, traditional dish is great for breakfast, snacks, and lunch boxes. Do give this recipe a try and you will not want to go back to instant dhoklas again.
Bonus
This dish is:
- very healthy as the batter is fermented
- gluten-free
- vegan friendly
- perfect for lunchboxes as they stay soft and fresh for a long time
Click here for more Gujarati recipes.
Step by step instructions
1. Wash and soak chana dal, urad dal and poha
2. Grind into a smooth paste and mix well
3. Let the batter ferment overnight
4. Mix turmeric, salt, and ginger-green chilli paste
5. Add oil and mix
6. Pour into a greased plate
7. Place in a steamer
8. Steam until completely done
9. Prepare the tempering in a small pan
10. Pour tempering and garnish
11. Cut into squares and serve
Recipe card
Khaman Dhokla
Ingredients
- 1 cup Bengal gram chana dal
- ¼ cup split black gram urad dal
- ¼ cup flattened rice (poha)
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1-2 green chilli or as per taste
- 1 inch ginger
- ½ lemon optional
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp peanut oil or any regular cooking oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 8-10 curry leaves
- Small pinch Asafoetida (hing)
- Coconut fresh, grated, for garnish
- Coriander leaves for garnish
- Green chilli for garnish
Instructions
- Wash chana dal and urad dal separately and soak separately in water for 4-6 hours
- Wash and soak poha 30 minutes before grinding
- Once soaked, drain all the excess water from dals and poha
- Grind urad dal with very little water to a fine paste and transfer into a large bowl
- Next grind poha with very little water to a fine paste and transfer to the bowl
- Lastly, grind chana dal with very little water to a fine paste and transfer into the bowl
- Mix everything together
- Cover and leave it for fermentation overnight (10-12 hours)
- Next morning the batter is fermented and ready to be used
- Make a paste of green chilli and ginger
- To the fermented batter, add salt, turmeric powder, lemon juice, ginger-green chilli paste and 1 tbsp oil
- Mix gently. If the batter is too thick, add a little water (the consistency of the batter should be similar to idli batter)
- Boil water in a steamer
- Grease a deep plate or dhokla stand with a some oil
- Pour the batter into the plate and place in the steamer
- Steam for 12-15 minutes
- Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a small pan. Slit the green chilli and fry for a minute and set aside.
- Now add mustard seeds in the same pan
- Once it crackles, add curry leaves and hing. Set the tempering aside
- Once the dhokla is completely done, pour the tempering onto it
- Garnish with fresh coconut and coriander leaves
- Cut into squares and serve
This looks incredibly delicious and comforting! I totally love the colour and flavour.
Thank you so much! 🙂