Gujrati Khaman Dhokla
“Khaman Dhokla” a common household name in almost every Indian’s home, is as easy as tough it could get. I have made Dhokla a numerous times in these four-five years and found out that the Dhokla steamed on stove is the spongiest, fluffiest and softest of all.
I owe this one to my husband – Rajat Jindal. Since ,he being a “Dhokla Connoisseur” has always inspired me to improve my recipe little by little. In spite of my failed attempts , he never discouraged me. Sometimes I call him “Jethalal” – a character in a Silverscreen’s show.
This recipe ,being tried and tested , is all that I can offer you now. Hope you enjoy making this awesome dish and sharing with your family too !
INGREDIENTS:
1. Chickpeas flour (Besan) – 1 cup
2. Home-made curd /yogurt (Dahi) – 1/4 cup
3. Salt – 1 tsp or to taste
4. Sugar- 1 tsp
5. Citric Acid – 3/8 tsp toΒ 1/2 tsp
6. Eno (no flavor) or baking soda – 2 tsp
7. Cooking oil – 1 tbsp (for greasing pan)
8. Turmeric (Haldi ) – 1/3 tsp
9. Ginger grated (adrak) – 1 tbsp (optional)
10. Finely chopped green chillies (hari mirch) – 1 tsp (optional)
11. Water – 2 cups or as required
For tempering :
1. Cooking oil – 1 tsp
2. Mustard seeds (rai) – 1/2 tsp
3. Curry leaves (kadi patta) – 8 to 10
4. Water – 1/4 to 1/2 cup
5. Lemon juice – 1 tsp
6. Sugar – 2 tbsp
7. Salt – 1/4 tsp or to taste (optional)
8. Green chillies (hari mirch)long slit – 5 to 6 or as per taste
9. Grated coconut (kasa nariyal) – 2 tbsp (optional for garnishing)
10. Cilantro or fresh coriander leaves (hara dhaniya) – 2 tbsp (for garnishing)
METHOD:
| Preparation time : 3 mins | Cooking time: (30+5) mins | Makes almost 20 pieces of Dhoklas |
Preparing batter:
1. Add besan in a bowl. Add dahi and mix it slightly such that it gets wet. Now add water in parts and mix continously to avoid forming lumps. We have to make a smooth batter of pouring conistency which is thinner than the cake batter and thicker than Dosa’s batter. I added almost 2 cups of water.
2. Now add salt, sugar and turmeric and mix them well. I didn’t added ginger and chillies but you may add them too.
3. Next we add the citric acid in it. It is better that we add this instead of lemon juice to get the best results. You might get a soft dhokla with lemon juice or white vinegar too, but citric acid reacts faster than all of these.
4. Now grease a “Dhokla pan” like a “thali” or “tray” with cooking oil. Keep the pressure cooker or Dhokla making vessel on the stove and add water in its base. Bring it to a rolling boil. I have used my “Idli cooker” with a steel stand in water in the cooker to form the base.
5. When the water in the cooker comes to a boil, then add Eno in your “besan mixture”. Lower the heat on the stove to minimum. Pick the tray or thali carefully wearing gloves or using a holder and gently place it in the cooker.
6. Cover it and let it steam on medium heat for 30 seconds without opening. [If you feel restless, you may check after 25 mins. π . Use a timer, it really helps. π ]
Making seasoning (tadka pani) water:
7. In the meanwhile, we will prepare its seasoning water. For this take a wok or pan. Add cooking oil in it on high heat.
8. Add mustard seeds and let them crackle. Cover them slightly so that they don’t sputter everywhere around the wok.
9. Next goes in the curry leaves. Stir them with one hand and the other covering the wok(kadhai).
10. Now add slit green chillies and stir them for 20 seconds covered partially.
11. Then we add water, sugar, salt and lemon juice. Stir them all. Bring it to a rolling boil.
12. Switch off the heat and let it cool down to room temperature.
Dhokla assembling:
13. After 30 mins ,check for the doneness with a knife or a toothpick inserted in the center. If it comes out clean, it is cooked. Switch off the stove, take it off the stove and uncover it. Let the steam escape , then pull out the dhokla pan using a holder or gloves. Let it cool on the counter for 5 mins.
14. Now demold it in a plate by inverting it upside down. If it is taking time to come out of the pan, roll an ice-pack or ice while inverting on its bottom. This helps in cooling it down quickly.
15. Once it is out of the pan, pour the prepared water over it with a spoon and garnish with dhania and coconut flakes (if you wish) . Cut out pieces of the size you wish. [I usually don’t do it. π . He insists that he would cut it himself and eat fresh hot dhoklas. :P. If the dhokla is steamed well, it will come out clean out of the pan without breaking at the bottom. Also it will absorb this tadka pani really fast, if it has come puffed up nicely. ]
Serve it hot or cold with green mint chutney.
Usually this much dhokla serves 3-4 people. But for my family, I would say that it serves just 1 person. π .
Hope you enjoy making this and serving it to your family as much as I do.
Till then keep cooking and sharing love..
π
I owe this one to my husband - Rajat Jindal. Since ,he being a "Dhokla Connoisseur" has always inspired me to improve my recipe little by little. In spite of my failed attempts , he never discouraged me. Sometimes I call him "Jethalal" - a character in a Silverscreen's show.
This recipe ,being tried and tested , is all that I can offer you now. Hope you enjoy making this awesome dish and sharing with your family too !
Prep Time | 3 mins |
Cook Time | 30 +5 mins |
Passive Time | 15 mins |
Servings |
6" dhokla cake
|
- 1 cup Chickpeas flour Besan
- 1/4 cup Yogurt Dahi
- 1/3 tsp turmeric Haldi
- 1 tsp salt Namak
- 1 tsp Sugar Cheeni
- 3/8 tsp Citric acid
- 2 tsp Eno without flavor (regular)
- 2 cups water
- 1 tbsp Cooking oil for greasing
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds rai
- 1 tsp Cooking oil Peanut filtered oil or as available
- 1 stem Curry leaves Kadhi patta(meetha neem)
- 5 to 6 whole green chillies split in halves
- 2 tbsp Fresh Cilantro Hara Dhaniya for garnishing (optional)
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Lemon juice nimboo ka ras
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt as per taste
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp Grated fresh coconut Nariyal for garnishing
Ingredients
Seasoning water
|
|
- Add besan in a bowl. Add dahi and mix it slightly such that it gets wet. Now add water in parts and mix continously to avoid forming lumps. We have to make a smooth batter of pouring conistency which is thinner than the cake batter and thicker than Dosa's batter. I added almost 2 cups of water.
- Now add salt, sugar and turmeric and mix them well. I didn't added ginger and chillies but you may add them too.
- Next we add the citric acid in it. It is better that we add this instead of lemon juice to get the best results. You might get a soft dhokla with lemon juice or white vinegar too, but citric acid reacts faster than all of these.
- Now grease a "Dhokla pan" like a "thali" or "tray" with cooking oil. Keep the pressure cooker or Dhokla making vessel on the stove and add water in its base. Bring it to a rolling boil. I have used my "Idli cooker" with a steel stand in water in the cooker to form the base.
- When the water in the cooker comes to a boil, then add Eno in your "besan mixture". Lower the heat on the stove to minimum. Pick the tray or thali carefully wearing gloves or using a holder and gently place it in the cooker.
- Cover it and let it steam on medium heat for 30 seconds without opening.
- In the meanwhile, we will prepare its seasoning water. For this take a wok or pan. Add cooking oil in it on high heat.
- Add mustard seeds and let them crackle. Cover them slightly so that they don't sputter everywhere around the wok.
- Next goes in the curry leaves. Stir them with one hand and the other covering the wok(kadhai).
- Now add slit green chillies and stir them for 20 seconds covered partially.
- Then we add water, sugar, salt and lemon juice. Stir them all. Bring it to a rolling boil.
- Switch off the heat and let it cool down to room temperature.
- After 30 mins ,check for the doneness with a knife or a toothpick inserted in the center. If it comes out clean, it is cooked. Switch off the stove, take it off the stove and uncover it. Let the steam escape , then pull out the dhokla pan using a holder or gloves. Let it cool on the counter for 5 mins.
- Now demold it in a plate by inverting it upside down. If it is taking time to come out of the pan, roll an ice-pack or ice while inverting on its bottom. This helps in cooling it down quickly.
- Once it is out of the pan, pour the prepared water over it with a spoon and garnish with dhania and coconut flakes (if you wish) . Cut out pieces of the size you wish.
- Serve it hot or cold with green mint chutney.