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Sev khaman recipe | vati dal na khaman | khaman dhokla

Author Nehas Cook Book
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Soaking & fermentation time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 30 minutes
Course Snack
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4 servings

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.