Khaman Recipe

Khaman Dhokla is a steamed Indian savory snack which is extremely popular in the western state of Gujarat. It is made with besan (gram flour) and leavened with leavening agents like baking soda and eno. A tempering of curry leaves, mustard seeds is often poured on it after it’s done. Khaman is best enjoyed with a side of cilantro chutney and a cup of masala chai.

Khaman dhokla or simply khaman is a popular snack not only in Gujarat but all across the country. I grew up around Delhi and it was an extremely popular snack during tea parties, birthday parties etc. Whenever my mom had her friends over for chai, she would order samosa and khaman from the nearby sweet shops.

Difference between Dhokla and Khaman

In Delhi we would most commonly find instant khaman which is made with besan (gram flour). Khaman is often referred to as just “dhokla” in a few places, however the traditional dhokla is made very differently. Dhokla is made by a fermented rice and lentil batter (like idli). Khaman on the other hand is made with besan and uses leavening agents to make it fluffy and spongy. There’s no natural fermentation process involved in making khaman.

So, I grew up eating khaman since that is what we got in Delhi and absolutely loved it. When I moved to the US, it was not readily available here and whatever was available was stale and dry and I didn’t like it at all.

And so I had to learn how to make it. When it comes to the khaman dhokla batter, I have tried various recipes over the years and the recipe I am sharing here is the one that works best in my opinion. It makes soft and fluffy khaman that has the perfect texture. If you have been looking for that perfect khaman dhokla recipe, then look no further.

Besan: for this khaman dhokla recipe, we use regular fine variety of besan that we use for pakoras, chilla etc. To make the khaman smooth, I also sift the besan before using in the recipe.

Sooji: this is an optional ingredient but I add a tablespoon of it for texture. You can skip the sooji if you like, it would still come out just fine.

Citric acid: It is the acid which reacts with the baking soda and eno to lift the dhokla and give it that fluffy texture. You can replace this with 2 tablespoon lemon juice but for best results, please use citric acid.

ENO: also known as fruit salt is a common over the counter antacid which has sodium bicarbonate and citric acid. It is commonly used in India in cooking for lifting batters like for idli, dhokla etc. It works better than baking soda in recipes and leaves no aftertaste. You can find it at any Indian grocery store. It comes in different flavors but for cooking, you need the plain ENO (blue color bottle).

Sugar & salt: the khaman is a little sweet and a little salt and spicy and for that there’s both sugar and salt in the batter. There’s also some garlic and green chili paste for flavor and spice.