Gujarati Dhokla | Khaman Dhokla

Dhokla or khaman is a popular vegetarian Indian snack from the state of Gujarat. It is served as a teatime snack or ‘farsan‘ as they say in Gujarati with a variety of sweet and spicy chutney. Dhokla is mainly prepared with gram flour (besan), water, lemon juice, green chili, salt, and spices. Hence, it is a gluten-free and vegan snack. Every family has their own way of making dhokla from scratch. The traditional dhokla recipe requires a tedious, overnight fermentation process to make the batter airy, and spongy.

As a kid, we've always had dhoklas from snack shops. They would have a huge tray on the counter, cut into with big square shaped pieces. Often served with green chutney and fried green chillies, it tastes delicious.

How To Make Dhokla in Microwave?

Traditionally, a large steamer is used to cook the batter to perfection. For the microwave method, we will simply prepare the batter as suggested in the recipe below, pour the batter in a microwave safe bowl, place a cup of water in the microwave and steam dhokla for 5 minutes. No need of any gas stove steamer.

How To Steam Dhokla In Instant Pot?

To steam dhokla in an instant pot, fill the inner pot with 2 glasses of water. Place a tall trivet in the inner pot. Arrange the pan with the batter on the trivet (I prefer using a small-size round cake tin that will fit easily inside the instant pot). Close the lid. Set the pressure valve to the venting position. Set the Steam mode for 10 minutes. The IP timer does not work in steaming mode, hence you will need to set an external timer.

After the set cooking time, open the lid, and insert a toothpick to check dhokla for doneness. Before turning let dhokla sit in the pan for 10 minutes to cool down a bit.

How To Make Dhokla Without Eno?

Substitute 1 teaspoon of Eno fruit salt with a baking soda or cooking soda. Both of them act as a great instant fermenting agent to make a fluffy dhokla.

Serves - 4
Ingredients:
2 cups gram flour,
1 cup sour curds,
2 tsp ginger-green chilli paste,
1/4 tsp powdered asafoetida,
2 tsp sugar,
1 tsp turmeric powder,
1 tbsp oil,
1 tsp fruit salt,
1 tsp lemon juice,
1/2 cup warm water,
Salt as per taste

For tempering:
2 tbsp oil,
1 tsp mustard seeds,
1 tsp sesame seeds,
A pinch of asafoetida,

Method:

1. Combine the gram flour, sour curd, and 1/2 cup of warm water in a bowl and mix till smooth. Set aside for 45 mins. Use more water if required to get a cake batter consistency.
2. Add the ginger-green chilli past, asafoetida, sugar, oil, turmeric pdr and salt and mix well.
3. Grease a 7 inch diameter thali and set aside.
4. Just before steaming add the fruit salt and lemon juice. Fold the batter once bubbles form, very gently.
5. Pour the batter immediately into the greased pan and spread the batter evenly.
6. Steam for 15 to 20 mins or till a skewer inserted comes out clean.
7. For the tempering, heat the remaining oil. Add the mustard seeds and sesame seeds. Once the seeds crackle add asafoetida and 2 tbsp of water. Pour the tempering over the prepared dhoklas.
8. Cool slightly and cut into equal pieces. Garnish with coriander and green chilli and serve hot.

Tips:

• Add the fruit salt to the batter just before you are ready to steam the dhoklas, or they will not rise.
• The water in the steamer/cooker should be boiling before you put in the uncooked batter, so that the dhoklas will cook faster and rise well.

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #thefitdotme