This Instant Khaman Dhokla recipe is a steamed cake prepared with chickpea flour and spices. It’s pure comfort food and one of my family’s favorite. A mouth-watering, nutritious, and irresistible Gujarati snack; that’s perfect as breakfast and even better as a snack.
When it comes to making something quick and easy, Instant Khaman Dhokla is my go-to recipe.
I’ve been making this recipe for years (ever since my college days) because it’s the BEST. I mean, is there anything better than a fluffy and velvety dhokla made from scratch?
Best of all, this besan dhokla can be a real lifesaver when unexpected guests arrive.
You will love this Instant Khaman Dhokla Recipe, because:
- It’s super easy-to-make.
- Healthy and filling.
- Soft and spongy.
- Has an incredible melt-in-mouth flavor and
- One of the most loved Indian food.
What is Khaman?
Khaman is a steamed delicacy that originates from the Indian state of Gujarat. It is made with split chickpeas flour, also known as besan.
It comes together in less than 30 minutes, and later, the steamed savory cake is embellished with a tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, and green chilis.
KHAMAN VS DHOKLA
A lot of people ask me what makes khaman different from dhokla. To be honest, they are two completely different snacks.
Both the varieties originate from the Indian state of Gujarat (western state of India) and equally relished.
Whether it is Dhokla or Khaman – they both make a delicious, healthy snack!
- Khaman is the instant one. Its made with either soaked chana dal or chickpea flour.
- Dhokla preparation requires fermentation. The fermented batter is made with rice and chana dal. Rice and chana dal are soaked overnight. The mixture is later formed into a paste and is fermented overnight. After the fermenting time, it is mixed with other ingredients to make a tasty snack.
Why have I named my recipe as Instant Khaman Dhokla?
Because this easy snack recipe is something in-between of Khaman and Dhokla. It uses:
- Chickpea flour (besan) just like khaman
- and is ‘instantly’ fermented with eno just like Dhokla. That’s the reason; it’s named Instant Khaman Dhokla.
So What is Instant Dhokla Made of?
My khaman dhokla recipe is made with simple pantry ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Besan (Chickpea flour/ Gram flour) – use the fine quality of besan.
- Sooji (Semolina)
- Sugar
- Salt
- Crushed ginger and green chilies – these two are added for extra spice and flavor. But feel free to leave that out if you are not a spice lover.
- Eno (fruit salt) + Citric acid – a must-have for this recipe
- Oil
- Water (may need to add less for that pouring consistency)
Let’s look at How to make a Fail-proof Instant Khaman Dhokla?
Many people coy away from making Gujarati khaman dhokla because it doesn’t turn spongy.
In a large bowl add chickpea, sooji, hing, salt, and sugar. You can store this mix in an airtight container and when ready mix in the ingredients mentioned under – “wet ingredients”.
Add oil, citric acid, green chili + ginger paste, and salt. Add water and mix until well blended.
PROTIP – Beat the dhokla batter a couple of times to incorporate air into it. This will result in a fluffy and light dhokla. This has to be done before adding eno.Time to instantly ferment the batter by adding eno. Stir in eno and whisk until it is well blended. Wisk the batter in one direction – either clockwise or anti-clockwise. The batter will become frothy, and double in size.
PROTIP- Do not whisk after the batter has become frothy. The batter at this point should be of thick flowing consistency.Fill a large pan with water and place a trivet at the base. Instantly transfer the batter to a greased container. Set this container over the trivet. Cover it with a lid and steam khaman for about 15- 20 minutes.
Insert a toothpick to check if khaman is properly cooked. It should come out clean. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Insert a knife around the edges to loosen up Khaman. Flip it over onto a plate.
Perfectly steamed Khaman is ready for tempering.
PROTIP- Using a sharp knife cut khaman into pieces. Don’t press the knife down rather cut it the way we cut a cake. Holding a knife insert the pointy side of the knife first in the Khaman, lift it a little and again cut gently, keep repeating till all the pieces are cut. This way you will get perfect fluffy pieces.- Preparing the Tempering
In a pan heat oil, add green chilies and let it crackle on a low flame. Add curry leaves and when they are crisp, add sugar, and water. Mix to combine.
Pour this hot mixture over steamed khaman. Enjoy this delicious and nutritious Gujarati snack with the chutney of your choice.
Top Tips for Making the BEST Khaman Dhokla Recipe, mistakes you can avoid!
In this post, I am unfolding a few of my favorite tips and tricks that I have learned over the years to make a fail-proof khaman dhokla recipe.
- Always start with a fresh batch of eno. An open pack or old eno may result in flat dhoklas.
- Beat the batter well. The more you beat the batter, the more air is incorporated in the batter, resulting in soft-spongy khaman. Just remember to beat the batter before adding eno.
- After adding Eno, don’t let the batter sit for a long while. Steam it right away.
- Eno can be substituted with 1 teaspoon Baking powder.
- Same way, citric acid can be substituted for lemon juice. THOUGH CITRIC ACID WORKS THE BEST, IT GIVES GREAT RESULTS.
- I have experimented with lemon juice, and the one that gave me good results is citric acid + Eno combo. Eno and citric acid together create a fizzy reaction, which is very important for soft and fluffy khaman. Lemon juice fails to do that.
Follow these basic tricks correctly, and you are on your way to the most fluffy instant dhokla.
Other fluffy dhokla recipe that I have shared on the blog!
If you love Khaman Dhokla, then you are going to enjoy the Rava Dhokla recipe.
The main ingredient in Khaman dhokla is chickpea flour, while in Rava dhokla, the key ingredient is semolina.
Both the varieties are cooked the same way, steamed, then cut into squares, and top with tempering.
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe. Feel free to contact me with any questions or inquiries, and I would be happy to answer them.
While you are here, checkout my other comfort food recipes:
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Instant Khaman Dhokla
Tools And Equipment
Ingredients
HOMEMADE KHAMAN DHOKLA MIX
- 1 cup Besan (Chickpea flour/ Gram flour)
- 1.5 tablespoon Sooji (Semolina)
- A pinch of Hing
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
- Salt to taste
WET INGREDIENTS
- 1 teaspoon Crushed ginger and green chilies (optional)
- 1.5 teaspoon Eno (fruit Salt)
- 1/2 teaspoon Citric acid
- 2.5 tablespoon Oil
- 3/4 cup Water (may need to add less for that pouring consistency)
FOR TEMPERING
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
- 12 small Curry leaves
- 1 teaspoon Sugar (optional)
- 3 tablespoon Water (optional)
- 5 small Green Chilies
- 1 tablespoon Oil
Instructions
KHAMAN DHOKLA PREPARATION
- In a large bowl add besan, sooji, hing, salt, and sugar. You can store this mix in an airtight container and when ready mix in the ingredients mentioned under – "wet ingredients".
- De-seed green chilies. Using a motor pestle pound chilies and ginger to a fine paste. Add oil, citric acid, green chili + ginger paste, and salt. Add water and mix until well blended. PROTIP – Beat the dhokla batter a couple of times to incorporate air into it. This will result in a fluffy and light dhokla. This has to be done before adding eno.
- Time to instantly ferment the batter by adding eno. Stir in eno and whisk until it is well blended. Wisk the batter in one direction – either clockwise or anti-clockwise. The batter will become frothy, and double in size. PROTIP- Do not whisk after the batter has become frothy. The batter at this point should be of thick flowing consistency.
- Fill a large pan with water and place a trivet at the base. Instantly transfer the batter to a greased container. Place this container over the trivet.
- Cover it with a lid and steam khaman for about 15- 20 minutes.
- When the cooking time is up, carefully remove the khaman container from the steamer and set it on the counter.
- Insert a toothpick to check if khaman is properly cooked. It should come out clean. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Insert a knife around the edges to loosen up Khaman. Flip it over onto a plate.
- Perfectly steamed Khaman is ready for tempering. Using a sharp knife cut khaman into pieces. Don’t press the knife down rather cut it the way we cut a cake. Holding a knife insert the pointy side of the knife first in the Khaman, lift it a little and again cut gently, keep repeating till all the pieces are cut. This way you will get perfect fluffy pieces.
MICROWAVE DHOKLA
- Pour batter in a greased microwave bowl. Cook for 3-4 minutes (depending on the microwave, cooking times may vary). Carefully remove the dhokla from the bowl. Check for doneness – Insert a toothpick, if the toothpick comes out with some batter, return it to the microwave and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Allow it to cool. Cut into squares and prepare the tempering.
FOR TEMPERING
- In a pan heat oil, add green chilies and let it crackle on a low flame. Add curry leaves and when they are crisp, add sugar, and water. Mix to combine.
- Pour this hot mixture over steamed khaman. Enjoy this delicious and nutritious Gujarati snack with the chutney of your choice.
Recipe Notes
- Always start with a fresh batch of eno. An open pack or old eno may result in flat dhoklas.
- Beat the batter well. The more you beat the batter, the more air is incorporated in the batter, resulting in soft-spongy khaman. Just remember to beat the batter before adding eno.
- After adding Eno, don’t let the batter sit for a long while. Steam it right away.
- Eno can be substituted with 1 teaspoon Baking powder.
- Same way, citric acid can be substituted for lemon juice. THOUGH CITRIC ACID WORKS THE BEST, IT GIVES GREAT RESULTS.
- I have experimented with lemon juice, and the one that gave me good results is citric acid + Eno combo. Eno and citric acid together create a fizzy reaction, which is very important for soft and fluffy khaman. Lemon juice fails to do that.
Sweta says
Hi Ruchi,
I am planning on making this dhokla in oven and in large quantity this weekend. Pouring the batter in aluminium trays and popping them in oven would make the process simpler for this much quantity. Please suggest me what temerature and time settings will be required so I can prepare accordingly.
Thanks
Ruchi says
Sweta, Bake the dhokla @375 degrees F for 15-17 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.
Anu says
Just saw this, what a wonderful idea to bake it 😂
Being gf, will it make a difference, if Suji is not used.
Thank you.
Ruchi says
Thank you, Anu!
Substitute sooji with besan and continue with the recipe.
Dipti says
Ruchi ….thank you thank you thank you so much… this is such a wonderful recipe… Made this now and came out so well, and yummy 🥰 i have tried many times before but they were all thick n not fluffy, this is perfect…i did have to go n buy citric acid and new eno as you suggested, but it wasn’t difficult to find. Thank you so much again. One question though, could i steam it in idli pan, as in idli shapes, would steaming time reduce, if yes?
Ruchi says
Hello Dipti,
Thank you for sharing your experience with me. Glad you liked the recipe. 😊
You sure can steam this recipe in an idli mold.
Tejashree says
Hi Ruchi,
I hv tried no of times to make Khanan Dhokla, but many times I failed 👎☹👎, but I tried ur receipe and it came out very well like Market style 😄
My entire family liked it very much.
Thanks,
Tejashree
Ruchi says
Glad to hear that, Tejashree!
Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience with me. 😊
Tejashree says
Hi, Ruchi,
Thanks for the wonderful Dhokla receipe, I hv tried no of times to prepare Khanan Dhokla, but not got the success, with ur receipe it came out very well like the market style 😄 My entire family liked it very much.
Thanks
Pooja says
Hi Ruchi,
I have no idea why I never came across your khaman recipe before. I have tried so many recipes over the last 4-5 years but all failed. Yesterday I tried your recipe after reading all the great reviews. Can’t thank you enough for this wonderful recipe, it turned out exactly like the one that the halwais make.
Thanks a lot.
Ruchi says
Thank you, Pooja for your kind words.
Happy to hear that this recipe worked for you.😊
deepika chaturvedi says
amazing recipe…dhokla came out so well..thank you for the recipe…
Ruchi says
My pleasure. 🙂
Simran says
It’s really amazing dokla recepi and your good tips was very helpful before this dokla recepi i tried many other dokla recepi but all time they failed with different reasons but this one is truly great and this time i made dokla as you and the test was very very good, spongy dokla you made my day! Thank you.
Ruchi says
Thanks for your kind words, Simran!
Happy to hear that this recipe worked for you. 🙂
Ayisha says
Hi., I have a long time doubt is citric acid and lemon salt the same thing?
Googled it but no satisfactory ans..
If no can we use lemon salt instead for this recipe ?
Thanks..
Ruchi says
Yes, citric acid and lemon salt also referred to as sour salt are the same.
They both have a tart taste and in a recipe they can be used interchangeably.
But for other processes like candy making, sour salt is recommended.
Hope this helps!
Ayisha says
Thank u dear.. this turned out amazing !! Never made dhokla using lemon salt thts y the dukan wala taste and texture was always missing!! This was just perfect..
Ruchi says
That’s awesome, Ayisha!
Happy to hear that you liked the recipe. 🙂
Deepti Rawal says
Hi, can we reduce the amount of oil in dhokla batter.
Ruchi says
Deepti, feel free to experiment. 😊
Chhavi says
Hi Ruchi,
How can we make this recipe gluten free ? I cant use Sooji. Can we replace the Sooji with besan ? Unfortunately my husband has a gluten allergy.
Thanks!
Ruchi says
You sure can!
Sooji adds texture and a bit of a crunch to the recipe. But feel free to leave it out.
Madhuri says
Very clear instructions for a perfect recipe
Ruchi says
Thank you, Madhuri!
Monesa Rajalingam says
I tried this out today .. I added a little dahi to this and it came out so beautifully… This was my first attempt making dhoklas and it came out beautifully than expected… Thank you 🙂
Ruchi says
Thank you Monesa for sharing your experience with me, so happy you enjoyed the dhoklas.
Have received your yummy pics too!
geetika says
amazing receipe , just tried and dhokla turned out to be perfect.
i just need 1 suggestion how can we make more juicy like we get in haldiram’s shops.
i make the tempering like yours plus lemon and water to make it juicy.
Is there any other way to make it that way
thanks
Ruchi says
Thanks for your feedback Geetika!
Glad you liked the recipe! You can surely give it a try with extra water.
Rashmi says
Hi. To get moist khaman like haldiram. Pour oil in pan, warm it, add mustard seeds, then add one glass water, add slit deseeded 3-4 green chillies, grated coconut, curry leaves, coriander leaves, salt as per taste, sugar 2-3 spoon as per taste, and boil for 1-2 minute. Add this tadka over khaman. Your khaman will be moist and juicy like haldiram. I have been making such khaman since many years and have taught to many friends and relatives.you try once and you will be glad for sure.
Ruchi says
Thanks for sharing the tip, Rashmi!
SD says
Execellent recipe!! Tried twice and was a big hit. Everyone loved the dhokla very much. Thank you!!
Ruchi says
Pleasure is all mine. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your experience with me.
Anjali says
Hi
Thanks for recipe, today I try it, it’s same as yours, perfectly,easy,good explanation.
Love u, u deserve *****
Anjali,uk
Ruchi says
Thank you so much for your kind words, Anjali.
Glad you liked the recipe.
Jinal Rathod says
Plz add me in your list I would like to try
Ruchi says
Done, thanks. 🙂
Jinal Rathod says
Hi can I use apple cider vinegar instead of citric acid as I don’t have that. Also I don’t have eno and baking powder so can I use half tsp baking powder and half tsp apple cider vinegar?
Ruchi says
Jinal, haven’t tried the dhokla with the above combinations. Please feel free to give it a try.
Cleris dsouza says
Very appropiate recipe.Dokla came out excellent..tnx
Ruchi says
Pleasure is all mine. 🙂
Glad to hear that!
Akanksha says
Hello maam
it was the best dhokla recipe ever ….but when i add water in it..spong yness has lost.what to do plz suggest me
Ruchi says
Thanks for trying the recipe, Akanksha!
Dhokla is not spongy, as in? Is it falling apart or did it become firm?