Khaman Dhokla is a traditional Gujarati delicacy, beloved for its soft, spongy texture and delightful flavor. Made primarily from gram flour (besan), this savory steamed snack is not only a treat for the palate but also a nutritious option, as it is rich in proteins and carbohydrates. Traditionally served during breakfast or dinner, Khaman Dhokla is versatile and works just as well as a light mid-afternoon bite or a satisfying tea-time snack.
Years ago, I often relied on the ready-made Khaman Dhokla mix by Tarla Dalal, which produced consistently flavorful and well-textured dhoklas. These mixes were a staple in my kitchen, especially when hosting guests, as they made for an easy yet impressive starter. Unfortunately, I’ve been unable to find this particular mix on grocery shelves in recent years. The alternatives I tried didn’t quite live up to the same standard, which inspired me to explore making Khaman Dhokla from scratch.
After experimenting with several recipes, I found one that perfectly replicates the soft, fluffy texture and balanced flavor I love. With a few tweaks of my own, I’ve created a version that has become a household favorite. The key to great dhokla lies not just in the steaming process but also in the tadka (tempering). A well-prepared tadka elevates the dish to a whole new level. I was especially impressed with the method of adding sugar and lemon juice directly into the tempering. When this mixture is poured over the steamed dhoklas, it imbues them with a wonderful combination of sweet, tangy, and nutty flavors that make every bite irresistible.
What makes Khaman Dhokla truly special is its adaptability—it can be enjoyed as a standalone snack or paired with mint chutney or sweet tamarind chutney for added zest. Its lightness and vibrant flavors make it a crowd-pleaser at any time of the day.
Recipe Source: Adapted from Archana’s kitchen
Ingredients:
- 1 cup gram flour/besan
- 1/2 cup yogurt/curd/dahi ( I used low fat)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp ginger+green chilli paste
- 2 Tbsp oil
- 1 tsp Eno fruit salt
- Salt to taste
For tempering
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds (optional)
- 5-6 curry leaves
- 2-3 dried red chillies
- 1 tsp sugar
- Juice of half a lemon
- 3-4 tsp Oil
Garnish
- 1-2 Tbsp grated coconut
- 1 Tbsp coriander leaves (chopped)
Method:
- In a big bowl, add the besan, salt, oil, eno fruit salt and mix with spoon. Add the yogurt, water and whisk it well. This batter should be little thick.
- Heat a pressure cooker with enough water in the bottom. Grease dhokla thalis or a round container that fits in the pressure cooker.
- Note: I use the round steel vessel that is used for cooking rice in the cooker.
- Transfer the prepared batter to this until it is 2/3 full. Remember after the dhoklas are steamed they will puff up.
- Steam for 12 – 15 minutes with lid covered (but without the weight/whistle).
- After 15 minutes, turn off heat and allow it to rest for 5 minutes in the cooker itself with lid opened. Take it out and keep aside.
Seasoning/ Tadka
- Heat oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add the dried red chillies and turn off the heat.
- Slowly add the water, sugar, salt and lemon juice to the prepared seasoning.
- Using a small spoon pour it evenly over the steamed and cooled dhokla. Let it rest for a little while.
- Cut them into desired shapes square or diamond and garnish with coriander leaves and coconut before serving.
i make it almost d same..nice airy dhokla
wow they looks super spongy and airy!!
My favourite snack!!
http://annarasaessenceoffood.blogspot.com/2011/09/daring-cooks-september-2011-herbed.html
I love how light it looks!
I have tried using Gits Dhokla mix, that is good.
Wow, nice recipe. I used to prepare the batter n keep it overnight. This looks pretty simple.. let me give a try sometime 🙂
wow, thx for the most easy and the wonderful recipe
Perfect dhoklas…yummy
The dhoklas looks good. I always used the readymade mix. Bookmarked your recipe for next time.
fresh,airy & yum looking dhoklas
Dhoklas looks super delicious and spongy..
Thanks all.
Manasi, Gits really? Let me give them a try again.
wow dhokla loos delicious and awesome clicks ……. glad that i am following u ………
nice and easy one, but i make it with soaked channa dal.
THose dhoklas look so soft and moist — Yumm—I must try it out now.
Never heard of this reciepe. Looks yummy! Great clicks
Oh, just what we needed. Thanks for the recipe, they look super delicious!
Very nice recipe, I like your blog and the recipes, have visited many times but never left a message. Many are similar to what I normally do at home.
I just tried the Dhokla this morning and turned out great, a plateful of dhoklas gone in a few minutes 🙂 and there is demand for making some more later this afternoon.
Nagashree, thanks so much. You made my day 🙂
very nice and colorful recipe as a snack.
wow….. looks delicious … hope my 14m old son also likes 2 eat … probably will try today as evening snack … whether i can use idli plates 2 steam d batter?
Prasanna Lakshmi, thanks. Yes, you can use idli plates to steam it. the kids will love it in that shape.
hi there..
I am a first tine visitor & i quite liked your recipe.
I tried this @ home & in the exact manner as you had mentioned.
But the dhoklas did not become fluffy. I have no clue as what went wrong. do we have to ferment the batter for a few hours or use it instantly?
Pls let me kno
Hi Reshma, I do not usually set it aside to ferment and keep it in the pressure cooker immediately after adding the fruit salt.
If you want you can try to ferment it a bit for 2-3 hours (before adding the fruit salt ). See if this helps.
Yummy yummy yummy .. I just now tried ur recipe .. Soooo gud .. Thanks so much .. I love dhokla .. Will surely be making it more often now ..
Thanks again
Thanks Shilpy!
Hi there I don’t have any equipment to steam them in Australia can I use microwave ? And how long I have to microwave them on what temperature?
Rohini, sorry I have not tried it in the microwave. But here is a link for doing it in the microwave: http://www.mysaffronkitchen.com/2008/09/khaman-dhokla.html
This recipe is truly amazing, the dhoklas turned out so soft and spongy! I have tried this dish a few times with different recipes and it’s the first time that they turned out so great. Thanks for posting this recipe!
Thanks Laila, so glad you liked it!
hey it tried your recipe. it came out well…soft and spongy…i also added some suger to the besan batter…
Awesome, glad to know that.
I tried making dhokla but never came out well even after fermentation. Top crust became dry after some time. The recipe was similar to yours. I used eating soda instead of eno. I never used eatingsoda as told in the recipe book as the amt of soda told to be used was more and I was afraid to use more soda in the batter due to health reason. Adding water to seasoning & and then pouring over dhokla was new to me. Recently I saw on tv doing this but thought this was some different type of dhokla. Now I ll make dhokla again your style.
How to cover the lid of the cooker upside down or as we do regularly.
Hi, just cover the lid of the cooker the regular way. However make sure you do not out the weight/whistle. The steam should escape from the top of the lid.
Hi,
Thanks so much for all your recipes.
Mine turned out red on the inside and I have found of the reason for it was that i used turmeric and baking soda (with lemon juice) as a substitute for Eno. However, I wanted to know if the red dhoklas were still edible 🙂
I am probably paranoid but I am making it for my in-laws who are visiting us for the first time 🙂
Thanks,
Smrithi
Ooopps, sorry to hear that. Actually the substitute for Eno should work though I am not sure why it turned red? Did it become very hard?
Maybe did you try eating a small piece to check it out? all the best with your viting in-laws, hope it works out.
plz tell me maine besan mai thoda khane ka soda salt swadnusar and haldi mix karke 1/2hour paste karke rakha and 15mim tak gas par rakha par pata nahi wo red colour ka hogaya plz tell me kaise banau dhokla
the ENO salt means the usual eno used for gastic problem releaf.
Yes Aruna, that is the Eno fruit salt referred here.
hi
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wow… good chk this also plssss http://www.foodiedale.com/2012/06/besan-dhokla.html
Hi… Could u please tell how much water is added in thé tempering? It’s not mentioned. Please reply asap.