Ingredients
Tempering
Method
- Set up a steamer and grease a 7-inch tin.
- Whisk together everything except the fruit salt to a smooth, thick batter. Rest 10 minutes.
- Just before steaming, stir in the fruit salt; the batter will foam. Pour into the tin straight away.
- Steam for 15 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes and cut into squares.
- For the tempering, pop the mustard seeds, add sesame, chillies and curry leaves, then the sweet-sour water. Pour over the dhokla and garnish with coriander and coconut.
The spices that matter
Black or brown mustard seeds start most South Indian, Gujarati and Maharashtrian tempering: they pop in hot oil before curry leaves and dals go in. G…
No mustard seed? Cumin seeds give a different but workable tempering. Yellow mustard seeds are milder.
A pinch in hot oil is the base of dal tadka, sambar, kadhi and many Jain and Brahmin dishes that use no onion or garlic.
No asafoetida? A little garlic and onion powder together give a similar savoury effect.
A pinch goes into almost every dal, sabzi and curry, usually with the onions or straight into the dal as it boils. Fresh turmeric root is pickled in …
No turmeric? There is no real substitute for flavour. For colour only, a tiny pinch of saffron or Kashmiri chilli changes the shade, but not the taste.
Fried in hot oil with mustard seeds for sambar, rasam, poha, upma, chutneys and Kerala and Tamil dishes.
No curry leaves? No real substitute. Lime zest gives a hint of the citrus note.
Nice to have
Salt, oil or ghee, onions, ginger, garlic and fresh herbs are assumed. See how to make a tadka for the order to add whole spices.
Dishes with similar spices
Frequently asked questions
How long does khaman dhokla take to make?
About 15 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
What spices are in khaman dhokla?
The essentials are mustard seed, asafoetida, turmeric, curry leaves. Nice to have: sesame seeds.
Tips from travellers
Use Khaman dhokla differently at home? Share your tip. The first good one goes right here.