Spongy and Soft Instant Gujarati Khaman Dhokla Recipe

// Gujarati Khaman Dhokla in 2 Styles are so soft and spongy. A savory, sweet, tangy and mildly spiced steamed cake is all you need to start a beautiful day.



Learn Detailed Gujarati Khaman Dhokla Recipe in 2 Styles | How To Make Spongy and Soft Instant Dhokla recipe with easy step by step photos. You can put together this instant  khaman dhokla only within 25 minutes.

  So this savory, sweet, tangy and mildly spiced steamed cake is all you need to start a beautiful day.

a lot of gujarati khaman dhoklas on a plate on a table

Happy Friday to you all!

Have I mentioned how thrilled I am that it’s Friday already? Well, you know me. You all know that I am a Friday girl, and Fridays are my favorite days, and I am kinda super excited for Fridays.

If it was in my control to choose which day I want today or any other day to be, I should have chosen a Friday for all days. But, thank god that cannot be done. It’s because I am so happy that days are not in my control, otherwise life would have been so monotonous.

And then I wouldn’t have appreciated these Fridays as much as I do now.

Related: Khaman Dhokla Recipe

a black bowl with a Gujarati Khaman Dhokla on it

But I still wish that Friday should come whenever I like! This way I can get much sleep, and when I am done with my sleep thing, then I should get other days too! 😉 Hehehe, that’s silly I know.  

So the point of telling all this about Friday was that I wanted to make you all feel how excited I am about Fridays. Friday fever is in the air and I am breathing this air which brings Fridays. So I feel good on Fridays and when I feel good, I do good.

And this involves making a good recipe too. Thus, this Friday’s good dish is really a good and authentic dish.

Related: Potato Stuffed Bread Pakora Recipe

a black pan with a gujarati khaman dhokla topped with tempering, onions and peppers

Everything about a weekend is so chillaxing. And why not, weekends are meant for enjoyment. So relax and enjoy! This time I will do the same in kitchen — chillaxing. I will cook super quick food and enjoy it.

And ‘Khaman Dhokla’ is one such dish which appears in my mind first when it comes to quick and tasty food I can enjoy throughout the day.

So here I am sharing ’Gujarati Khaman Dhokla in 2 styles’.

Related: Khasta Pyaz Ki Kachori

there is a green bell pepper with filled gujarati khaman dhokla

And what exactly is Gujarati Khaman Dhokla?

Khaman dhokla is a dish common in the Indian state of Gujarat.

Related: Sooji Toast 3 Ways – Rava Toast

a plate of gujarati khaman dhokla pieces with a bowl of red chutney

The texture of Dhoklas are so soft and spongy and undeniably they look very appealing to eat — almost too pretty to eat. A savory, sweet, tangy and mildly spiced steamed cake is all you need to start a beautiful day.

Plus, this recipe is super easy, super simple that anyone can easily make. No rocket science in here! 😉

Hehehe, all I want to say that this is very easy recipe to create if you follow these basic steps properly.

Related: How to make Puri Bhaji

a plate of gujarati khaman dhokla wit a bowl of red chutney

Seriously, I have never met a single person who says that I don’t like Dhokla. I mean, they are just so delish. Once you taste this, you will know why everyone’s is crazy about this mouth-watering snack.

Traditional method of making this mighty snack involves the use of freshly ground chickpea flour or gram flour. But people use readymade flour these days. This cake is made in a steel or plastic pan. And today I am sharing two styles of making dhokla.

Along with traditional way, I am sharing one more adorable, vibrant, delicious and healthy way of making khaman dhoklas. And that is capsicum khaman dhokla.

Although this is a Gujarati snack, it has become increasingly popular across whole India. If you visit India this snack will be everywhere. So it’s become a national snack now. You can find this at almost every local eatery.

I would even say that, after samosa, Dhokla has gained popularity worldwide.

Related: How to make Oats Paratha

a plate of gujarati khaman dhokla on a table

One of my Mom’s friend is from Gujarat, and my Mom learnt this authentic recipe from her. Eventually, I got this recipe from my Mom. So I can claim that this recipe is 100% authentic.

This particular recipe includes the addition of fruit salt, citric acid to the batter, and water to the tempering. These are the only few main factors which make the super-soft and spongy dhokla.

Add tempering 5 minutes before serving, so the dhokla soaks the tempering and get fluffier. Those who know how authentic dhoklas taste, they would give you 10/10 for this preparation.

a plate of gujarati khaman dhokla cooked in a bell peer with a bowl of sauce

With this recipe you can learn how to make Dhokla at home with quicker & easier method. They are instant and you can make these Dhoklas in less than 30 minutes.  Really Khaman dhokla is very quick and almost fuss free. Plus, it tastes heavenly.

This hearty, healthy Khaman Dhokla is so full of my favorite things. This is a steamed recipe, so it is very low in calories. Which means it has health benefits too.

This dhokla is the perfect breakfast snack to warm you up on a cold autumn morning. Believe me, it couldn’t be simpler than this. Have a cup of tea/coffee and you are all set to go on a beautiful journey. Simply prepare the batter and steam it.  

Related: Palak Ki Puri Recipe

a silver tray with bell peppers filled with gujarati khaman dhokla

Make tempering and pour this over dhoklas and cut them into pieces.

This is also called besan dhokla. This is usually served with a chutney as a dip. Khaman Dhokla can be served as breakfast, brunch, side dish, and as an all time snack.

But this dhokla can also be savoured as a main course dish, like I do.

Related: Goan Sanna

there is a plate of khaman dhokla cooked in bell peppers

I am a BIG dholka sucker. I can have this for all my meals. The dhokla is tasty and filler too that I don’t feel like having anything else with this. SO this is best for main course, of course. 😉

So let’s learn to make ’Gujarati Khaman Dhokla in 2 styles.

pan with a whisk and a whisk in it

Make Batter:

Add chickpea flour, semolina, sugar, salt, turmeric powder, green chili-ginger paste, citric acid/lemon juice to a large mixing bowl. Add 3/4 cups of water and whisk well to make a smooth and lump-free batter. Add more water if needed. Now, add oil and whisk again.

Cover the bowl with the lid, and keep the batter aside for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add 4 cups of water to a pressure cooker or steamer, let it come to a rolling boil.

When the water starts boiling, add the fruit salt/soda to the batter just before adding to the cooking container. Whisk briskly clockwise until batter is light, fluffy and doubles in size. Dhokla batter is ready. Keep aside.

a close up of a bowl of batter next to a whisk

Steam Dhokla:

Grease a heat-proof metal or glass container. Pour the batter immediately to the greased container and spread evenly by rotating the container clockwise. Fill the container 3/8, as we do for cake baking.

Place it in a steamer or pressure cooker. Cover with the lid. Insert a toothpick or a knife to check if Dhokla is cooked. If it comes out clean then dhokla is ready. If not, steam for a few more minutes.

Once cooked, take out the container from the steamer and let it cool for a few minutes.

a close up of a plate of food with peppers and a dip

Make Capsicum Dhokla:

Pour 3 tablespoon of the khaman dhokla batter into each of the 4 capsicum halves and steam in a steamer for 8 to 10 minutes or until the inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove capsicums from the steamer and allow them to cool slightly.

Cut each capsicum halve into 2 pieces vertically and keep aside.

green peppers being cooked in a pan with water

Make tempering:

Heat the oil in a small non-stick pan and add the mustard seeds, and asafetida. When the seeds crackle, add the sesame seeds, green chilies, curry leaves and sauté on a medium flame for 30 seconds. Add 1 cup water, sugar, salt, lemon juice and mix well.

Let it come to a boil, and remove from heat. Tempering is ready. Pour the tempering over the prepared dhoklas and spread it evenly. Cut into pieces and serve immediately garnished with onions. Serve warm or at room temperature with green/red chutney or ketchup.

there is a half piece of gujarati khaman dhokla cooked in a capsicum
someone holding a piece of super soft and spongy gujarati khaman dhokla

Recipe Card


Spongy and Soft Instant Gujarati Khaman Dhokla Recipe [Recipe]

Recipe Image
Gujarati Khaman Dhokla in 2 Styles are so soft and spongy. A savory, sweet, tangy and mildly spiced steamed cake is all you need to start a beautiful day.
★★★★★
(Rating: 5 from 294 reviews)

Prep time 🕐 Cook time 🕐 Total time 🕐
25 mins
Category ☶ Cuisine ♨ Serves ☺
Snacks Indian 4-6
Nutrition Info ⊛ Serving size ⊚
65 calories 4-6

INGREDIENTS

For Dhokla Batter:
  • 1 cup chickpea flour (besan)
  • 1 tablespoon semolina (rava/sooji), optional
  • 5 teaspoons sugar (shakkar)
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
  • 1/2 teaspoon citric acid, or 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • Salt to taste (I added 1 teaspoon)
  • 1 teaspoon enoa fruit salt or baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon green chili-ginger paste, or crushed
  • 3/4 to 1 cup of water for the batter
For Steaming:
  • 4 cups of water
For Bell Pepper/Capsicum Dhokla:
  • 2 bell pepper (shimla mirch/capsicum), halved and deseeded
For Tempering/Tadka:
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 7-8 curry leaves fresh or dried
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1 pinch Asafoetida (hing)
  • 2 teaspoons mustard seeds (rai)
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds (til)
  • 2-3 green chilies slitted or chopped
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar (shakkar)
  • A pinch of salt (namak)
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
For Serving:

INSTRUCTIONS:

How to Make Khaman Dhokla Batter:
  1. Add chickpea flour, semolina, sugar, salt, turmeric powder, green chili-ginger paste, citric acid/lemon juice to a large mixing bowl.
  2. Add 3/4 cups of water and whisk well to make a smooth and lump-free batter. Add more water if needed.
  3. Now, add oil and whisk again. Cover the bowl with the lid, and keep the batter aside for 10 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, add 4 cups of water to a pressure cooker or steamer, let it come to a rolling boil.
  5. When the water starts boiling, add the fruit salt/soda to the batter just before adding to the cooking container.
  6. Whisk briskly clockwise until batter is light, fluffy and doubles in size. Dhokla batter is ready. Keep aside.
How to Steam Khaman Dhokla in a Pressure Cooker or Steamer:
  1. Grease a heat-proof metal or glass container. Pour the batter immediately to the greased container and spread evenly by rotating the container clockwise.
  2. Fill the container 3/8, as we do for cake baking.
  3. Place it in a steamer or pressure cooker. Cover with the lid.
  4. Insert a toothpick or a knife to check if Dhokla is cooked. If it comes out clean then dhokla is ready. If not, steam for a few more minutes.
  5. Once cooked, take out the container from the steamer and let it cool for a few minutes.
How to Steam Kahman Dhokla in a Microwave:
  1. Grease a microwave-safe bowl with oil.
  2. Once the batter is ready, pour it in the greased container and tap it a couple of times to remove the bubbles.
  3. Cover it with a lid or a plate and microwave on high settings for 2 minutes.
  4. After 2 minutes, remove the container from the microwave and check the doneness.
  5. To check, insert a toothpick or knife in the center. If it comes out clean then the dhokla is cooked, if not then cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Make Capsicum Dhokla:
  1. Pour 3 tablespoon of the khaman dhokla batter into each of the 4 capsicum halves and steam in a steamer for 8 to 10 minutes or until the inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  2. Remove capsicums from the steamer and allow them to cool slightly.
  3. Cut each capsicum halve into 2 pieces vertically and keep aside.
Make Tempering/Tadka:
  1. Heat the oil in a small non-stick pan and add the mustard seeds, and asafetida.
  2. When the seeds crackle, add the sesame seeds, green chilies, curry leaves and sauté on a medium flame for 30 seconds.
  3. Add 1 cup water, sugar, salt, lemon juice and mix well.
  4. Let it come to a boil, and remove from heat. Tempering is ready.
Serving:
  1. Pour the tempering over the prepared dhoklas and spread it evenly.
  2. Cut into pieces and serve immediately garnished with onions.
  3. Serve warm or at room temperature with mint coriander chuteny, red garlic chutney or ketchup.

NOTES:

  1. I used 4 cups of water for steaming dhokla, but this amonut may vary. This is because the amount of water depends on the size of the steamer or a pressure cooker.
  2. If cooking in a pressure cooker then make sure to remove the whistle before closing the lid.
  3. Always make sure that water is boiling, before placing the batter filled container to the steamer.
  4. Pout the batter immediately after adding Eno fruit salt or baking, or else the dhoklas will not be spongy.
  5. Steam batter over medium flame to make them spongy. Do not steam it on high flame otherwise, it will not cook from inside.


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