Khaman Dhokla - An Indian snack made of chickpea flour

Alright so it’s raining outside...and with rains comes the urge of eating pakodas (fried Indian fritters)! So what do you do? You head straight to the kitchen to catch hold of some chickpea flour and get started. But hey wait! You're on diet!! Oops nothing deep fried!! Nothing high on calories!! :( So is it pakodas?? Nay!! :P But what do you do with the chickpea flour looking at you in anticipation of a great dish?? Well, let’s make Dhoklas!! :) Yay!!!  :D Yummy Dhoklas are just the perfect alternative to put your chickpea flour to a healthier use and tackle the sudden SNACK ATTACKS!! 

These soft, fluffy & moist Dhoklas are so easy and convenient to make that once you try your hands on this recipe, you would never want to buy Dhoklas from the shop again!! There are many different variations of this dish but what I’m gonna show you here is super fast and super yummy! Trust me!

So let's kick start with the ingredients: 

What You Need?

 

For Batter

Chickpea Flour or Besan: 1 & ½ cup 

C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁ (Sugar): 1 tsp 

Salt to taste 
Lukewarm H₂O (water) as required (around one cup)
Fruit salt or Eno: 1 sachet

Ginger & green chilli paste: 1 tsp

Oil: 1 tsp (for greasing and little to drizzle on the batter)

C₆H₈O₇ (Citric Acid) or Lemon Juice: 1 tsp 

For Tempering

Oil: 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds: ½ tsp

Asafoetida: A pinch

Slit green chillies (you can also use dry red chillies like me): 4

C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁ (Sugar): 1 tsp

Grated coconut: ¼ cup

Chopped coriander leaves: ½ cup

H₂O (water): ½ cup

How to create it?

• Mix salt, sugar and chickpea flour. Pour lukewarm H₂O to make a thick paste (it should have a falling consistency but not runny). 
• Let it rest for 15-20 min at least.
• Meanwhile put H₂O into your steamer and let it steam on high flame. 
• After resting the batter for 15 min, mix in ginger- green chilli paste, lemon juice and a drizzle of oil. 
• Just before putting the batter into the steamer mix in the fruit salt and pour it in a greased tray.
• Steam  for at least 15 min and then de-mould it after cooling.

Tame It With Tempering

• Heat oil in a kadhai.
• Once hot, add mustard seeds, asafoetida, slit green chillies, sugar, grated coconut, chopped coriander leaves and water.
• Boil for a minute and then pour it over the dhoklas. 

Khaman Dhoklas are ready to be relished! :)

"EXTRA HELPINGS"

Do you know that chickpea flour not just makes excellent Dhoklas but also makes an excellent treat for your skin? Here’s a quick recipe of ‘Besan Body Wash’ that you can try at home.

Take one cup besan, add milk and form a paste. To it add a pinch of turmeric and 1 tsp lemon juice. Apply this scrub all over your damp body and rinse. Do this once a week to say goodbye to dead cells and hello to a glowing skin!