Instant Khaman (Dhokla) | Nylon Khaman | Khaman Dhokla recipe

My hubby is mad about them and everybody outside Gujarat knows these Khaman as Dhokla and love them. My colleagues at Hyderbad too were no exception and requested me to make them, so i learnt how to make this instant variety of Khaman also known as Nylon Khaman.

Before that i had never made them, as nobody at my home is particularly fond of them, we all love our fermented Dhokla (The one with rice and daal) and vaati daal na khaman.

So i called up my mom and asked for the recipe, after few trials, i could make the perfect (the kind you find in the Ahmedabad shops) Khaman (ok, say dhokla if you have to). And now they are regular feature at our home :)

Here is how i make it.

Instant Khaman Dhokla

Ingrediants:

For Khaman

1.5 Cup Besan (Bengal gram flour)

5 teaspoon Sugar 

1/2 teaspoon Citric Acid (Limbu na ful - available everywhere in India -in case you are not able to find it then use lemon or sour curd)

Salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon Soda

2 pinches of Turmeric

For Tadka

2 Tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon Rai (Mustard seeds)

1 teaspoon Til (Sesame Seeds)

Hing (2 pinches)

Lemon juice of 1 small lemon

Sugar powder (3 teaspoon)

1 cup water (Yes, you read it right, water!!!)

2 green chillies, cut in small pieces (Optional - i don't use it as my hubby is not fond of it)

Dhania patta for garnishing

Method:

1)Take Besan, Salt, Sugar, Turmeric powder, Citric Acid and soda in a mixing bowl and mix well.

2) Add water to it to make thicker than dosa/pancake batter. (Don't mix too vigorously and don't use the beater at all, i did it once and my Khaman didn't rise at all)

3) Because of combination of soda and citric acid, you will see that your batter becomes frothy.

4) Now, keep it aside for 10 mins.

5) Meanwhile take a big pateela (deep pan), take water in it, put a stand inside(or a bowl on which you will be putting your khaman plate) put it on a medium flame. Cover it using a lid (Wrap the lid in a cloth to avoid soggy khaman).

Big Pateela/Pan before putting khaman plate - you can see the circular stand in center to keep the plate on it

After covering with a lid wrapped in a cloth

6) grease a thali (deep plate), or dabba (or anything in which you plan to pour the batter for making khaman - But should be deep enough so that khaman can rise properly)

7) After the water heats, pour your khaman batter in the thali and put the thali inside the Big Pateela, on the stand (Or Katori, whaterver you chose).

8) Cover with the lid.

9) Steam the Khaman for 20 mins (or till the knife inserted in it comes out clean).

10) Once steamed take the plate out and let it cool. Once cooled, cut into square or diamond shape.

11) For Tadka, Mix water, lemon juice and sugar in a bowl.

12) Then in a kadai, take oil, add mustard seeds.

13) Once they crackle, add Til, let them crackle then Add hing and turn the flame off. if using green chilies then, add the cut green chilli pieces carefully.

14) Now using a ladle, very carefully and slowly add the prepared mixture of water, sugar and lime juice to the kadai. (Very very carefully)

15) Mix the Tadka properly and pour it on the cut Khaman.

Garnish with Dhania patta and dive in :)

you can have it with green chutney or as it is...

Now, what if you don't have the big pateela and other taam-zaam for making the khaman?!?! Don't loose heart, you can use your Idli stand instead.
And recently i was telling my neighbour P how to make it and told her that Khaman needs to be steamed, so she came up with this brilliant idea of steaming it in Rice cooker, so if you have a rice cooker you can steam khaman in that!!! In place of big pateela, you use rice cooker, everything else remains exactly same!!!but don't forget to cover the lead with a cloth).

once the Khaman shaped as Idli gets steamed and cooled, take them out in plate, or bowl and cut into squares.

Then proceed with the Tadka and pour it over these khamans and enjoy!!!!!!

+techie ZM