Instant Khaman Dhokla (Steamed gram flour cake)

Pic updated on 6 March, 2008

Instant Khaman Dhokla
Time taken - 40 minutes including standing and steaming time
Serves - 2
Type - Healthy snack, steamed food, Low Glycaemic index, Diabetic friendly

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Khaman Dhokla is a steamed savoury cake made from gram flour. It is a traditional Gujarati snack, typically a tea time treat. Typically, chana dal (split Bengal gram) is soaked, ground with spices and fermented. The fermented batter is then steamed, cut into bite sized pieces and garnished with tempered mustard seeds and coriander.

Though I do indulge in the long version at times, to suit my last minute cooking - this instant version comes very handy.

Chana dal or gram flour is a food with a low glycaemic index and therefore extremely good for diabetics and those on a GI diet. Besides, it has all the goodness of lentils - protein and fibre. Lentils are the food of the week on my column at Chennai Online.

Here's the recipe for Instant Khaman Dhokla. I found it at this very resourceful site called Gel's Kitchen.

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Ingredients:

1 cup gram flour
Pinch of turmeric powder
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp citric acid crystals or juice of one whole lemon
1 tsp salt
1 cup water
1 tsp soda bicarb
Oil for greasing and tempering

For tadka:
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp sesame seeds
Few curry leaves

For garnish:
Finely chopped coriander


Method:

1. Mix the flour, turmeric, salt, sugar and citric acid crystals in a bowl with a cup of water. With a whisk mix them together into a smooth paste.

2.
Let this stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile set up the steamer. You can use a large pot. Place an empty bowl in it as a stand on which to keep the plate. Grease a deep 'thali' that will fit into the pot easily leaving some space around. You need a lid to cover the pot tightly. You can tie the lid in a kitchen towel so that it will absorb the steam and not let water droplets fall into the batter while steaming.

3. After letting the batter stand for 10 minutes, add the soda bicarb into it. Mix it in by pulling at the batter with your fingers. The batter will get fluffy and soft, expanding in volume by almost 3 times [like beaten egg whites]

4. Pour this batter into the greased thali. You can sprinkle sesame seeds on the batter. (Optional)

5. Keep the thali into the pot, cover with towel covered lid and steam for 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

6. Remove the thali from the pot and let cool for 5 minutes before cutting it into diamond / square pieces.

7. For tadka, heat one tsp of oil, put in the mustard seeds, sesame seeds and curry leaves. Once they splutter, turn it over the dhoklas.

Serve hot with tea.


Tags:
Indian snack, Gujarati snack, Steamed snack, low fat, low GI, savoury cake, gram flour, instant dhokla, khaman