Instant Khaman Dhokla/Nylon Khaman Dhokla

Khaman Dhokla is a popular mouthwatering and nutritious Guajarati dish. Even though I tried this dish many a time, I was not satisfied with the results. I did not give up and succeeded in arriving at the correct method of achieving the perfect Khaman Dhokla. Follow this method carefully and I am sure that you would end up with the best homemade Dhokla.

I used Lemon Juice and Eno fruit salt initially. Another combination I tried was Lemon Juice and Soda (baking powder). My final conclusion is that Lemon Juice and Eno Fruit Salt gives the best result for this Khaman Dhokla.

Ingredients :

For Batter:

Bengal Gram Flour /Besan / Chock Pea Flour – 1 ½ cup

Semolina – 1 ½ tbsp

Sugar – 2 tbsp

Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp

Salt – 1 tsp (adjust to suit taste)

Citric Acid – ¼ tsp

Crushed Ginger – 1` tbsp

Crushed Green Chilli – 5 to 6

Oil – 1 tbsp

Eno Fruit Salt – 1 tsp

Water – 1 to 1 ¼ cup

For tempering:

Oil – 3 tbsp

Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp

Sesame Seeds – 1 tbsp

Green Chilli – 3 to 4 (slitted)

Curry Leaves – from 1 twig

Salt – small pinch

Sugar – 3 to 4 tsp

Lemon Juice – 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder – one pinch

Water – 1 to 1 ¼ cup

Finely chopped Coriander Leaves – 3 tbsp

For Garnishing:

Chopped Coriander Leaves – 1 tbsp

Grated Coconut – 2 tbsp

Method

Take Sugar, Turmeric Powder, Salt and Citric Acid in a large mixing bowl. (The volume will increase after adding Fruit Salt and so, take a large bowl).

Add ¾ cup of water. Mix them well and whisk for 4 to 5 minutes with a whisk or spoon.

Add Gram Flour. Mix well.

Add crushed Ginger and Green Chilli. Add 1 tbsp of Oil. Mix well. The batter may be too thick. Add little water (about ¼ cup) and whisk well for another 4 to 5 minutes. This process will make the batter airy and gives better result. Check the batter. It should not be too thick or too thin. Add water if required to get the right consistency.

Add Eno Fruit Salt to the batter and stir in a single direction (clockwise or anticlockwise) with a spoon – do not whisk it.

You will notice that the batter becomes fluffy and the volume increases almost double.

Meanwhile, grease a deep plate with Oil.

Boil 2 cups of water in a steamer or any vessel. Reduce the flame to medium. Keep the greased plate on the vessel (keep a stand inside the water and keep the plate on top of it. Water should not spill into the plate). Cover the vessel with a lid and continue boiling the water. The whole idea is to make the greased plate hot by steam.

Take the greased plate out from the vessel with the boiling water and pour the batter immediately into the greased plate. The batter will rise in thickness upon cooking, so ensure that you fill only the half the depth of the plate with the batter – may be 1 inch thick. Keep the plate with the batter again into the vessel with hot water.

Cover the vessel and steam the batter for 15 minutes. Open the steamer, take out the plate with the steamed batter and keep aside for 10 minutes. When it becomes warm for the touch, remove the steamed dhokla from the pan gently.

Get all the ingredients together for tempering.

Heat Oil in a pan. Add Mustard Seeds. When they crackle, add Sesame Seeds and Curry Leaves. Stir fry for 30 seconds. Add Green Chilli and stir for 30 seconds in low flame.

Add 1 cup of water. Add Sugar, pinch of Salt and Turmeric Powder. Allow them to boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Switch off the flame. Add Lemon Juice and Coriander Leaves. Mix well.

Pour this tempering mixture gently and evenly over the Khaman Dhokla.  Leave it to rest for an hour so that it becomes more soft and fluffy.

Before eating, you can microwave it for few seconds, if required.

Garnish with grated Coconut and the chopped Coriander Leaves.

Cut the dhokla into squares for ease in eating.

Serve the Dhokla with Coriander Chutney, if required, to add taste.

Notes:

Batter must be medium thick.

Add Eno Fruit Salt only when you are ready to steam the batter. After pouring the batter into the plate, tap the plate gently and then keep inside the vessel.

Time duration for steaming may vary depending on the thickness of the spread (Dhokla).

To check whether it has steamed well enough, insert a knife into the steaming Dhokla. If the knife comes out clean, then the Dhokla is properly steamed.

If you are going to steam Dhoklas in two portions, ensure to add the Eno Fruit Salt only to each portion when you are ready to pour each portion into the plate for steaming.