Rasawala Khaman (Gujarat)

Ingredients to make the Khaman
1 cup water
1 teaspoon citric acid
3 tablespoons sugar
½ tablespoon salt
1 ½ tablespoons oil
230 grams Besan, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions to make the Khaman
- In a large bowl, add water, citric acid, sugar, salt & oil and whisk well for 2-3 minutes until the sugar & citric acid dissolve. Add the sifted besan & whisk well to make a lump-free batter. Once done, rest the batter for about 10 minutes. While the batter rests, set a steamer with water over medium heat. Grease a dhokla plate or cake tin that fits into the steamer with oil.
- Once the batter has well rested, add the baking soda + 1 tablespoon water & lightly mix it well. Ensure there are no baking soda dry pockets left.
- Working quickly, pour the dhokla batter into the prepared cake tine or dhokla plate & tap it gently to even the batter out.
- Place the plate/tin into the steamer, cover & steam for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
- Remove the tray from the steamer once the khaman is ready & let it cool down to room temperature.
Ingredients to make the Rassa
2 chana dal
1 tablespoon toor dal
2-inch cinnamon stick
2 to 3 cloves
4 to 5 black peppercorns
¼ teaspoon haldi powder
2 tablespoons oil
½ teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
4 to 5 curry leaves
2 dry red chillies
¼ teaspoon hing (asafetida)
1 tablespoon ginger and green chilli paste
Salt to taste
Lemon juice, to taste
3 to 4 cups of water
A handful of fresh coriander, chopped
Instructions to make the Rassa
- To make the rassa in a pan, dry roast the chana dal and toor dal till it is light golden on a low flame.
- To this, add cinnamon stick, black peppercorns, one dry red chilli, and curry leaves & roast til golden & fragrant. Once roasted, cool this down & make a fine powder.
- Into this dry roasted powder, add haldi and 1 cup water & make a lump-free mixture.
- In a kadhai, heat oil. Add mustard seeds, jeera, a few curry leaves, one dried red chilli, hing, 2 cups water, and dal mixture & mix everything well.
- Add ¼ teaspoon haldi and salt & mix everything well.
- Make sure to continuously mix as it will get thick once it starts boiling. Keep extra hot water ready to be added if required.
- Add the ginger-green chilli paste, mix well & keep stirring on low flame & cook for about 10 minutes.
- Adjust the seasoning of the rassa; lastly, add coriander & lemon juice.
Ingredients to make the Rasawala Khaman
1 tablespoon oil
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
1 green chilli, slit
Pinch of hing
A few curry leaves
Salt to taste
250 grams Khaman, crumbled
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tomato, finely chopped
A handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
Nylon sev
Instructions to make the Rasawala Khaman
- In a pan, heat oil. Add the mustard seeds & let them splatter.
- Add the slit chillies, hing, and curry leaves and mix well.
- Add the crumbled khaman & mix everything. Add salt & fresh coriander.
- To assemble, add the crumbled tempered kahman to the serving bowl.
- Top it off with chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander & pour the hot rassa on top.
- Garnish with sev & serve hot.