Vateli Dal na Khaman

Khaman is a snack common in the Gujarat state of India made from soaked and freshly ground channa dal or channa flour (also called gram flour or besan). Every morning, Lariwala(Stollman) sell Khaman to working people where I grew up. Generally eaten as a snack, it is mostly served with sev, fried chillies and chutney as a breakfast, snack or light lunch. In some shops it is also served traditionally in a large green leaf. Sometimes it is also garnished with scraped coconut. Khaman, often part of the Gujarati Thali (traditional dish containing various components of a full meal) is very similar to dhokla, in which the batter is made with a mixture of rice and lentil flour, resulting in a distinct texture and taste. Nonetheless, Khaman, Khaman-Dhokla and Dhokla are often used interchangeably and are synonymous with a steamed snack made with a batter composed of lentil flour or a mixture of lentil and rice flours. Although a Gujarati snack, it has become increasingly popular across India, as well as in other regions with a sizable Gujarati community.
Dhokla Khaman is often confused with dhokla, which resembles khaman in size and shape up to a great extent. However, Khaman are softer and light yellow in color while dhokla are generally harder and white or very pale yellow in color. Dhokla is made from soaked rice with little amount of Chana Dal.
Khaman can be prepared instant as well using Besan(Chickpea Flour). Click here for the Instant Khmana recipe. But to me personally, they are not as good as made with soaked ground dal.
Below is the instruction video to prepare Khaman step by step.


The batter is prepared from overnight or 6-8 hours soaked chana dal (split desi chickpeas).

The batter is then fermented for about 8 hours. The batter is then boiled for 20–25 minutes. ENO is added to get airy, fluffy, soft texture of Khaman.

Cut and temper the Khaman.

Vateli Dal na Khaman

Author: Bhavna

Ingredients

FOR BLENDING THE DAL

  • Chana dal 1 Cup (16 tbs) (Split Skinless Bengal Gram)
  • Yogurt 1 Tablespoon (1 – 1 1/2 Tbsp)
  • Oil 2 Tablespoon (1 1/2 – 2 Tbsp)
  • Water 1/4 Cup (4 tbs) (As needed)

FOR THE BATTER

  • Yogurt 1 Tablespoon
  • Oil 1 1/2 Tablespoon
  • Ginger green chili paste 1 Tablespoon (Use as per your taste preference)
  • Salt To Taste
  • Turmeric powder 1 Pinch
  • Lime juice 1 Tablespoon (Optional)
  • Eno fruit salt 1 Teaspoon

FOR THE TEMPERING

  • Oil 2 Tablespoon
  • Mustard seeds 1 Tablespoon
  • Asafoetida 1 Pinch (Optional)

FOR GARNISHING

  • Finely chopped coriander leaves 2 Tablespoon (As needed)

FOR GREASING THE TRAY

  • Oil 1 Teaspoon (For greasing)

Things You Will Need

  • Blender
  • Steamer

Instructions

GETTING READY

  • 1. Wash and soak chana dal for 6 – 8 hours.
  • 2. After 8 hours, drain the dal. In a blender, add the drained dal, yogurt and oil. Gradually add water a little at a time and blend until you get a smooth mixture.
  • 3. Remove the mixture into a bowl (preferably a metal bowl). Cover and set aside to ferment for 6 – 8 hours.

MAKING

  • 4. Heat up water in a steamer. Grease the tray with a little oil and set aside.
  • 5. After about 8 hours, to the fermented batter, add yogurt, oil, ginger-green chili paste, salt, turmeric powder and lime juice. Stir to mix everything well. Set aside.
  • 6. When the steamer is ready (with water boiling), add the eno fruit salt and mix well. Pour the batter into the greased tray, filling it only half way up.
  • 7. Place the tray in the steamer and let steam for about 12 – 15 minutes.
  • 8. Meanwhile, for the tempering, heat some oil, add mustard seeds and allow to splutter. Then, add a pinch of asafoetida. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • 9. Once the khaman is done steaming, remove the tray from the steamer and set aside for a few minutes.
  • 10. Cut into pieces, sprinkle some water. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves. Using a spoon pour the prepared tempering all over the pieces of khaman.

SERVING

  • 11. Serve as part of your breakfast or lunch or is best enjoyed as a snack with fried green chilies and onions by the side.

TIPS

  • The fermented batter can be stored in the refrigerator for upto 4 days or can be frozen for a couple of months.
  • You can watch the video on how to prepare Instant Khaman here.
  • When adding ENO fruit salt, make sure you add it just before steaming the batter. Add ENO only to the portion of the batter that you are going to steam.