SpoonandtheNeedle: Instant Khaman Dhokla

Before I start today’s recipe there is a brain teaser for u. Can you name a dish which is Healthy,tasty as well as super easy to cook??think think… ok ..time up!! Its Khaman also commonly known as dhokla…this spicy savoury cake is a treat to your taste buds as well as yummy for your tummy.

My city, Kolkata is famous for its sweet shops.You will find a few in every nook and corner and these shops have this new item in their platter and believe me its lip smacking and sells like hot cake..

I think in every family there is a dhokla fan and in my family it’s my husband. He is a great dhokla lover and I bribe him with it whenever I need to..Typical wife,Isn’t it… ;)

Almost every Indian has watched three Idiots and Kareena Kapoor has made dholka even more famous with her dialogue where she says dhokla sounds like a bomb and I feel to some extent its true because it’s seriously an explosion of flavours..A perfect blend of all the 4S’s…sweet,sour,salty and spicy and the tempering adds in to the aroma and taste.

Try this out at home and surprise the dhokla fan in your family with this scrumptious dish.

It is best served with green chutney or hot and sour tamarind chutney.

INGREDIENTS

1. Gram flour – 1 cup. Approx 100gm

2. Semolina -2 table spoon (optional)

3. 2 lemon juice

4. Ginger paste -1 table spoon

5. Green chilli Paste- 1 tea spoon

6. Eno fruit salt – 1 table spoon. (preferably the blue one)

7. Salt to taste

8. Vegetable oil – 2 table spoon

For tempering

9. 1.Water -1 cup

1 2. Sugar -2 table spoon

1 3. Pinch of salt

1 4. Curry leaves- 10 to 12

5. Mustard seeds -2 tea spoon

6. Slit green chillies -6

For Garnishing

1 1. chopped Coriander

1 2. Grated Coconut (optional)

PROCEDURE:

1. Mix the gram flour and salt in some water and make a fine paste. Make sure there are no lumps and the consistency should be like idli batter.Add the ginger paste,oil ,green chilli paste and lemon juice to it and mix them finely.

2) Cover it and leave it for 20 minutes.

3) Till then you can prepare the tempering. In a pan put some oil. When the oil is hot put the mustard seeds. The mustard seeds will splutter. To this add the curry leaves and green chilly. Add the water, sugar and salt and let the sugar melt. After it comes to a boil switch it off and let it cool.

4) Take a wide mouthed pan which has a lid and put a stand on it. Fill it half and let the water boil. Take a smaller container which will fit inside the bigger one when the lid is covered.(like a double boiler).Here's a pic to make it clearer to understand.We will pour the batter in this container to cook the Dhokla.

Grease the small pan with some oil. In the dhokla batter, add the eno powder and mix it well. You will see the batter becomes fluffy. Immediately put in the batter in the greased container and put it on the stand inside the boiler.(Note: mix the powder just before you put it in the oven for cooking)

5) Put the lid and leave it on medium flame for15 - 20 minutes to cook.(Note-Put the plate inside only when the water is boiling or else the dhokla won’t be fluffy)

6) Check if it is cooked or not by inserting a toothpick. If it comes out clean it means the dokhla is ready and if not then leave it on for some more time.

7) Let it cool for some time and then take it out in a plate very carefully.

8) Cut it in your desired shape.

9) Pour in the liquid little by little on top of the dhokla.You can see it absorbing the liquid and becoming fluffier.