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Gujarati · Indian

Khaman dhokla

Vegetarian

ખમણ ઢોકળા · khaman dhokla

A light, spongy steamed cake of gram flour, soaked in a sweet-sour tempering of mustard seeds, sesame and green chilli. Gujarat's famous savoury snack.

Khaman dhokla is a Gujarati finger food from India, ready in about 45 minutes and made with chickpea flour and baking soda. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking
A vibrant serving of traditional Indian dhokla with two types of chutney on a white platter.
Photo: Milton Das / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
15 min
Cook
20 min
Rest
10 min
Total
45 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
284

Ingredients

4 servings

For the batter

For the tempering

To garnish

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Get the steamer (opens in a new tab) boiling and grease a 20 cm tin. Whisk (opens in a new tab) the gram flour (opens in a new tab), semolina (opens in a new tab), water, sugar (opens in a new tab), lemon juice (opens in a new tab), ginger-chilli paste, turmeric (opens in a new tab), salt and 1 tbsp oil to a smooth, thick batter. Rest 10 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Sprinkle the bicarbonate of soda (opens in a new tab) over the batter with 1 tsp water and whisk (opens in a new tab) briskly in one direction until it foams and turns pale. Immediately pour into the tin.

    • 1 min

    Work fast — the batter loses its lift if it waits.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Steam on high for 15–18 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes and cut into squares.

  4. Step 4

    Heat the oil, pop the mustard and sesame seeds (opens in a new tab), add the chillies, curry leaves (opens in a new tab) and asafoetida (opens in a new tab), then the water, sugar (opens in a new tab) and lemon juice (opens in a new tab). Bring to a boil and spoon evenly over the dhokla so it soaks in.

    • 3 min
    • medium heat

  5. Step 5

    Garnish with coriander and coconut.

      Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
      How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Gujarat, India · Well documentedMore food from India
    Dish
    Breakfast · Snack · Finger food · Appetizers & starters
    Cooking method
    Steamed
    Taste
    sweet & sour, tangy, mild, savoury
    Diet
    Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
    All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
    Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Make-ahead · Portable / lunchbox · Budget-friendly · Child-friendly
    Cook more with
    Chickpea flour · Baking soda · Semolina · Sugar · Lemon juice · Fresh ginger
    Techniques
    Boiling · Steaming

    Allergens

    • Contains: Wheatfrom semolina, asafoetida
    • Contains: Glutenfrom semolina, asafoetida
    • Contains: Sesamefrom sesame seeds
    • Contains: Mustardfrom mustard seeds

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    284 kcal per serving

    Estimated

    1 serving ≈ 155 g · recipe makes 4

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 13%
    • Carbohydrate 45%
    • Fat 42%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy284 kcal184 kcal
    Protein9.3 g6 g
    Carbohydrate32.1 g20.8 g
    Net carbohydrate27.5 g17.8 g
    Sugars11 g7.1 g
    Added sugars6.3 g4.1 g
    Fibre4.5 g2.9 g
    Fat13.4 g8.7 g
    Saturated fat1.1 g0.7 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
    Sodium784 mg507 mg
    Salt equivalent2 g1.3 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    376 mg
    Calcium
    37 mg
    Iron
    2.3 mg
    Magnesium
    74 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    5 µg
    Vitamin C
    16 mg
    Vitamin D
    0 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    177 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: desiccated coconut.
    • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): curry leaves, asafoetida.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Have the steamer at a full boil before you add the soda — the batter must go in straight away.

    Common mistakes

    • Opening the steamer early makes the dhokla sink.

    Serve with

    • Serve with green chutney and masala chai.

    Storage

    • Keeps 2 days refrigerated; bring to room temperature before serving.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    Spices bloomed in hot fat

    For the tempering

    Used in steps 1, 4

    Baker’s notes

    Customise in Bread & Bakery

    Timeline and readiness cues

    1. Mix and knead · about 10 min

      Mix only until no dry flour remains — overmixing makes it tough and tunnelled.

    2. Rest · about 10 min

      Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.

    3. Bake · about 18 min

      Risen and golden; a skewer in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs; the top springs back.

    4. Cool · about 5 min

      Cool on a rack before slicing — the crumb is still setting; cutting hot bread makes it gummy.

    5. Start to finish: about 43 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

    If something goes wrong

    • Pale crust

      Likely causes

      • Oven too cool
      • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
      • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

      What to do

      • Check the oven with a thermometer
      • Brush with egg wash or milk
      • Shorten the fermentation
    • Burnt bottom

      Likely causes

      • Tray too close to the heat
      • Dark tray absorbs more heat
      • Too much sugar in the dough

      What to do

      • Bake on the middle shelf
      • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
      • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
    • Crust too hard or thick

      Likely causes

      • Baked too long at too low a temperature
      • No steam at the start

      What to do

      • Bake hotter for a shorter time
      • Add steam for the first 15 minutes (tray of boiling water, or a covered Dutch oven)
      • Cool under a tea towel for a softer crust

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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