Kitchen Recipe Collection
Indian Khaman Dhokla
A soft, spongy, and incredibly airy steamed savory cake made from gram flour (besan), soaked in a sweet, sour, and spicy tempering water.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- indian
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- gram flour (besan)
- semolina (sooji)
- lemon juice
- sugar
- Eno (fruit salt) or baking soda
- mustard seeds
- green chilies
- fresh coconut
- coriander
- oil
- water
Equipment
- Steamer
- Baking tin or thali
- Saucepan
Instructions
- 1
Make Batter
Whisk gram flour, a spoon of semolina, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and water into a smooth, thick batter. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
- 2
Aerate
Prepare your steamer. Just before steaming, add Eno (fruit salt) to the batter and whisk vigorously in one direction. It will become frothy and double in size.
- 3
Steam
Pour immediately into a greased tin and steam on high heat for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool, then cut into squares.
- 4
Make Tempering Water
Heat oil, crackle mustard seeds and split green chilies. Add water, sugar, and lemon juice. Boil for a minute.
- 5
Soak & Garnish
Pour the hot tempering water evenly over the cooled dhokla squares so they soak it up like a sponge. Garnish with coconut and coriander.
Cooking Tips
- The batter must go into the steamer immediately after adding the Eno, or it will lose its aeration and become dense.
- The dhokla must be cool and the tempering water hot (or vice versa) for optimal absorption without becoming mushy.
Variations
- Rava Dhokla: Made entirely with semolina and yogurt instead of gram flour.
Chef's Notes & Storage
- A famous Gujarati breakfast and snack, known for its light, spongy texture.
Nutrition Estimate
180 calories · 7g protein · 24g carbs · 6g fat · 4g fiber per serving
