~355 cal · 13g protein · 43g carbs · 15g fat (estimated, per serving)
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Yellow sponge squares topped with mustard seeds and cilantro
🇮🇳 Gujarat
Gujarat perfected the art of the savory snack, and khaman dhokla is its fluffiest achievement — ferment-flavored, steam-risen, and finished with a sizzling tempering. Sweet-and-tangy is the Gujarati signature: don’t skip the sugar water.
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Make it yours
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
Ingredients
Serves 4 —
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2 cups chickpea flour (besan)
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3 tbsp lemon juice
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2 tbsp, divided sugar
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1 tbsp ginger + green chili paste
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1.5 tsp fruit salt (Eno) or baking soda
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1/2 tsp turmeric
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1.5 tsp black mustard seeds
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2 sprigs curry leaves (tempering)
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2 green chilies, slit (tempering)
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3 tbsp neutral oil
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a handful each cilantro + fresh coconut (optional), to finish
Instructions
1
Whisk besan, turmeric, half the sugar, ginger-chili paste, salt, 1 tbsp oil, and water into a thick, ribbony batter.
2
Get your steamer boiling FIRST. Stir the Eno into the batter — it will foam — and pour immediately into a greased pan.
3
Steam 15 minutes until a knife comes out clean. Rest 5, then cut into squares.
4
Temper: crackle mustard seeds, curry leaves, and chilies in the remaining oil; add 1/2 cup water and the rest of the sugar, boil 1 minute, and spoon this over the squares — it keeps them impossibly moist.
5
Shower with cilantro (and coconut). Serve with green chutney and hot chai.
Gujarati farsan tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination
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Gujarat. The vegetarian west, master of the steamed and the snackable.
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India. A subcontinent where every state is its own food country.
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Asia. From street-cart woks to slow monastery kitchens.
The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.
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Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker
Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →
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