Sev Khaman is a popular Gujarati farsan known for its soft, spongy texture and delicious balance of sweet and tangy flavors. It is made from fermented chana dal batter, steamed into khaman dhokla, and then topped with a flavorful tempering. The dish is further garnished generously with sev and served with a special chutney, making it even more irresistible.
In this recipe, I will share the perfect ingredient ratios along with useful tips to help you achieve soft and spongy khaman dhokla on your very first attempt. With a little planning for fermentation, this dish can be prepared quickly and easily, making it ideal for breakfast, a light dinner, or even as a street-style snack at home. Do give it a try!
The key to making market style sev khaman at home are
- The key to achieving soft and spongy dhokla is proper fermentation of the chana dal batter. Usually, 4–5 hours or overnight fermentation is sufficient, especially in humid weather. You can keep the batter under direct sunlight during the day and in a slightly warm (preheated and switched-off) oven at night.
- The chana dal batter should have a thick yet pourable consistency. Avoid adding excess water while grinding, as a thin batter may not ferment properly and can affect the texture.
- To make soft and fluffy khaman, I use lemon juice for sourness. You can also use limbu na phool (citric acid) or sour curd as an alternative. Adding a little besan helps provide structure and strength to the khaman dhokla.
- I steam the khaman dhokla in a steamer or kadai, making sure the water is already boiling before placing the dhokla plate inside. Preheating the steamer is important for achieving a light and spongy texture.
- Lastly, sev khaman tastes best when it has a balanced sweet and tangy flavor. Once steamed, it is coated with tempering, garnished generously with sev, and served with chutney for the best taste.
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Recipe video
Sev khaman recipe | vati dal na khaman | khaman dhokla
Ingredients
For khaman dhokla batter
- 1 cup chana dal
- water or as required
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup besan
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp green chilli-ginger paste
- Pinch of hing
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp eno fruit salt or ½ tsp baking soda
- Some black pepper powder
For tempering
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- Pinch of hing
- Some curry leaves
- 3-4 green chilli
- ½ cup water or as required
- 2 tbsp sugar
- Some coriander leaves
- Garnish with sev and pomegranate seeds
For dhokla chutney
- 1 cup coriander leaves
- ¼ cup mint leaves
- 1 inch ginger
- 2-3 green chilli
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2-3 dhokla pieces
- Water to grind chutney
Instructions
Making Chana Dal Batter
- Wash and soak the chana dal for 4–5 hours, or until it fully puffs up.
- Drain the water from the soaked dal and grind it with ¾ cup of water. The batter should be thick yet pourable. Do not add extra water while grinding.
- Now add 1 tbsp lemon juice, ¼ cup besan, and ¼ tsp turmeric powder. Mix well and whisk the batter for 2–3 minutes.
- Cover and keep it in a warm place for 4–5 hours to ferment (refer to the video).
- Once the batter is properly fermented, it is ready to use.
Making Khaman Dhokla
- Take one portion of the batter. Add ½ cup water and make the batter slightly thinner.
- Then add salt, 1 tbsp ginger-green chilli paste, a pinch of hing, 1 tbsp sugar, and 2 tbsp oil. Mix well.
- Meanwhile, add water to the steamer, cover, and preheat it for 5 minutes.
- Add 1 tsp eno and a little water to the batter, then mix gently in one direction.
- Grease a mould or plate with oil and pour the batter into it. Sprinkle some black pepper powder on top.
- Steam in an idli/dhokla steamer or kadai for 15 minutes on high flame.
- Once done, remove the plate from the steamer and let it cool for 5–10 minutes.
- Cut into the desired shapes.
Preparing the Tadka
- Heat oil in a tadka pan. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds, a pinch of hing, some curry leaves, and 3–4 slit green chillies. Sauté well.
- Add ½ cup water and 2 tbsp sugar. Mix well and cook until the sugar dissolves.
- Now add the dhokla pieces to the pan and gently mix so they absorb the tadka.
- Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and mix lightly.
Serving
- Serve the dhokla topped with sev and some pomegranate seeds.
Making Dhokla Chutney
- In a mixer jar, add coriander leaves, mint leaves, ginger, green chilli, cumin seeds, salt, sugar, lemon juice, and a few dhokla pieces.
- Add some water and grind into a smooth paste.
- Your dhokla chutney is ready.
Notes
- Do not add too much water while grinding the batter.
- For proper fermentation, the batter should have a thick consistency.
- Adding lemon juice speeds up the fermentation process; alternatively, you can use ¼ tsp limbu na phool (citric acid) or ½ cup sour curd.
- Besan gives structure to Surti Khaman, so do not add too much of it to the batter.
- Whisk the batter in one direction to incorporate air into it.
- Add water gradually to achieve a medium-thick, ribbon-like pouring consistency (similar to dhokla batter).
- You can use ½ tsp baking soda instead of Eno.
- Steam the khaman on a medium-high flame for about 15 minutes. Avoid over-steaming the dhokla.