Spongy and Soft Instant Gujarati Khaman Dhokla Recipe

For Dhokla Batter:

• 1 cup chickpea flour (besan)
• 1 tablespoon semolina (rava/sooji), optional
• 5 teaspoons sugar (shakkar)
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
• 1/2 teaspoon citric acid, or 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Salt to taste (I added 1 teaspoon)
• 1 teaspoon enoa fruit salt or baking soda
• 1 teaspoon green chili-ginger paste, or crushed
• 3/4 to 1 cup of water for the batter

For Steaming:

• 4 cups of water

For Bell Pepper/Capsicum Dhokla:

• 2 bell pepper (shimla mirch/capsicum), halved and deseeded

For Tempering/Tadka:

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 7-8 curry leaves fresh or dried
• 1 cup of water
• 1 pinch Asafoetida (hing)
• 2 teaspoons mustard seeds (rai)
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds (til)
• 2-3 green chilies slitted or chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar (shakkar)
• A pinch of salt (namak)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

For Serving:

• Chopped onions
• Finely chopped coriander leaves for garnish
• Green Corinader Chutney or ketchup

How to Make Khaman Dhokla Batter:

1. Add chickpea flour, semolina, sugar, salt, turmeric powder, green chili-ginger paste, citric acid/lemon juice to a large mixing bowl.
2. Add 3/4 cups of water and whisk well to make a smooth and lump-free batter. Add more water if needed.
3. Now, add oil and whisk again. Cover the bowl with the lid, and keep the batter aside for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, add 4 cups of water to a pressure cooker or steamer, let it come to a rolling boil.
5. When the water starts boiling, add the fruit salt/soda to the batter just before adding to the cooking container.
6. Whisk briskly clockwise until batter is light, fluffy and doubles in size. Dhokla batter is ready. Keep aside.

How to Steam Khaman Dhokla in a Pressure Cooker or Steamer:

1. Grease a heat-proof metal or glass container. Pour the batter immediately to the greased container and spread evenly by rotating the container clockwise.
2. Fill the container 3/8, as we do for cake baking.
3. Place it in a steamer or pressure cooker. Cover with the lid.
4. Insert a toothpick or a knife to check if Dhokla is cooked. If it comes out clean then dhokla is ready. If not, steam for a few more minutes.
5. Once cooked, take out the container from the steamer and let it cool for a few minutes.

How to Steam Kahman Dhokla in a Microwave:

1. Grease a microwave-safe bowl with oil.
2. Once the batter is ready, pour it in the greased container and tap it a couple of times to remove the bubbles.
3. Cover it with a lid or a plate and microwave on high settings for 2 minutes.
4. After 2 minutes, remove the container from the microwave and check the doneness.
5. To check, insert a toothpick or knife in the center. If it comes out clean then the dhokla is cooked, if not then cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Make Capsicum Dhokla:

1. Pour 3 tablespoon of the khaman dhokla batter into each of the 4 capsicum halves and steam in a steamer for 8 to 10 minutes or until the inserted toothpick comes out clean.
2. Remove capsicums from the steamer and allow them to cool slightly.
3. Cut each capsicum halve into 2 pieces vertically and keep aside.

Make Tempering/Tadka:

1. Heat the oil in a small non-stick pan and add the mustard seeds, and asafetida.
2. When the seeds crackle, add the sesame seeds, green chilies, curry leaves and sauté on a medium flame for 30 seconds.
3. Add 1 cup water, sugar, salt, lemon juice and mix well.
4. Let it come to a boil, and remove from heat. Tempering is ready.

Serving:

1. Pour the tempering over the prepared dhoklas and spread it evenly.
2. Cut into pieces and serve immediately garnished with onions.
3. Serve warm or at room temperature with mint coriander chuteny, red garlic chutney or ketchup.