Soft and fluffy steamed chickpea flour cake from Gujarat, western India. This airy, sweet and sour cake is prepared with spices, freshly-grated coconut and coriander leaves.
Steamer or a large wok or kadai fitted with a trivet
7-inch x 9-inch rectangular cake tin, or 10-inch round cake tin
Ingredients
For the khaman batter
300gchickpea flour(besan)
1tspcoarse semolina
1-2small green chillies(very finely chopped)
1tbspgrated ginger
1/2tspground turmeric
2tspcitric acid(available at Indian grocery stores)
1 1/2tspsalt
3tbspsugar
325mlwater(room temperature)
2tbspany neutral oil(such as sunflower, vegetable or rapeseed)
2tspbaking soda(bicarbonate of soda)
For the tempering (tadka)
2tbspany neutral oil(such as sunflower, vegetable or rapeseed)
2tspblack mustard seeds
1tbspwhite sesame seeds
8-10fresh curry leaves
2small green chillies(slit lengthways)
1/4tspasafoetida(use GF for those with a wheat/gluten intolerence)
2tbspfreshly-grated coconut or desiccated coconut
3tbspfreshly-chopped coriander
4tbspwater
2tbspsugar
2tbsplemon juice
Pinch of salt
Instructions
To make the Khaman batter:
In a large bowl, sift the chickpea flour, breaking down any large lumps left in the sieve.
Add the semolina, turmeric, citric acid, salt, sugar, ginger and chillies, Stir to combine.
Slowly add the water, a little at a time and beat with a hand-held whisk or pair of electric beaters, about 4-5 minutes. The batter should be smooth. Rest the batter at room temperature for 15-30 minutes.
Set up the steamer. Fill the base with about 1.5-2 inches of water and bring to the boil. Grease the tin well with 1 tbsp oil.
Now it's time to work quickly. Add the oil and baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) to the batter and beat vigorously, in one direction ONLY until pale and frothy, about 40-50 seconds. The batter should flow like molten lava or liquid honeycomb. Pour this into the greased pan and immediately put this in the steamer. Close with a tight-fitting lid and cook on high heat for 25 minutes exactly.
Once 25 minutes have elapsed, switch the heat off. Remove the lid and check the Khaman is cooked. Insert a skewer or shark knife into the middle and if it comes out clean, with just a few moist crumbs attached, it is ready. Remove from the steamer and set aside while you prepare the tadka.
For the tadka:
Heat the oil in a small saucepan. Once hot, add the mustard seeds. They should start popping almost immediately. Once they have finished popping, add the curry leaves, chillies, sesame seeds and asafoetida. Switch the heat off after 10-20 seconds and allow to cool slightly.
While the tadka is cooling, mix together the water, sugar, salt and lemon juice in a bowl. Stir until the mixture is no longer grainy. Add this to the cooled tadka and mix well.
To assemble:
Run a knife around the edges of the warm Khaman pan to loosen and flip onto a plate or board. Slice into 2-inch squares. Place the cut squares back in the pan and pour the tadka over the Khaman. Sprinkle with grated coconut and coriander leaves. Allow to rest for 30-40 minutes before serving. Serve with coriander chutney and/or chai.
Video
Notes
Store the Khaman refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
You can also freeze the Khaman freezer-safe containers for up to 6 months.
To use Eno (fruit salts) in this recipe, reduce the amount of citric acid used in the batter by 1 tsp and omit the baking soda (bicarbonate of soda). Whisk 2 1/2 tsp Eno into the batter (in place of baking soda) right before steaming.