About Khaman
Khaman is a soft, fluffy, bright-yellow steamed cake made purely from gram flour (besan), with a sweet-savoury flavour and a fine, spongy crumb. Tempered with mustard seeds and green chilli and often drizzled with a little sugar water, it almost dissolves on the tongue.
Though widely called ‘dhokla’, khaman is technically distinct — yellower, softer and sweeter than true rice-based dhokla. It’s a tea-time favourite and one of the most popular farsan in and beyond Gujarat.
Khaman’s whole character comes from gram flour and speed. Where dhokla depends on an overnight ferment of rice and dal, khaman is mixed from besan with a souring agent and a raising agent — citric acid or lemon with a pinch of soda, or the fruit-salt Eno that most modern kitchens now use — and steamed within minutes of being beaten. That short route is what gives it the loose, spongy, almost cake-like crumb.
The finishing matters as much as the batter. Hot oil is tempered with mustard seeds, sesame, curry leaves and split green chillies, then a little water and sugar are added to the pan and the whole lot is poured over the cut squares while they are still warm. The cake drinks the sweetened liquid, which is why properly made khaman is moist right through rather than dry at the edges.
The story
Khaman grew alongside dhokla in the Gujarati farsan tradition, its all-besan recipe giving a quicker, softer, sunnier result. Surat and Ahmedabad’s farsan houses turned it into an everyday treat sold by the kilo.
Key ingredients
How it's made
Make the batter
Besan is whisked with water, sugar, lemon and a raising agent.
Steam
Poured into a tray and steamed until risen and spongy.
Cut
Cooled slightly and cut into soft squares.
Temper
A tadka of mustard, chilli and curry leaves with a little sugar water is poured over.
How it tastes
Khaman is softer, sweeter and altogether more yielding than dhokla, with a bright saffron-yellow crumb that collapses under the lightest pressure. The sweetness is deliberate and quite forward, balanced by the salt in the batter and the heat of whole green chillies in the tempering. Coriander, grated coconut and a scatter of fine sev on top add freshness and crunch against the softness beneath.
Where to eat it
Every farsan shop in Gujarat makes it, and the good ones sell out by mid-morning. Ahmedabad’s old-city farsan houses and Vadodara’s bazaar shops are the reliable benchmark, and Surat adds its own sweeter register. Ask specifically for nylon khaman if you want the extra-soft, almost weightless version that has become the standard in the cities — the name refers to the texture, not to any ingredient.
Worth seeking out
Nylon Khaman
Extra-soft, melt-in-mouth Surti style.
Sev Khamani
Crumbled khaman tossed with sev and tempering.
Cheese Khaman
Modern novelty versions.
Pairs well with
On the table
Khaman is breakfast, tea-time and party food in roughly equal measure. It appears in the farsan section of the thali, arrives by the kilo at family gatherings and festivals, and is the standard order when guests turn up unannounced. Because it is steamed and quick to make, households treat it as the respectable thing to serve at almost no notice.
Foodie tips
Good to know
Is khaman the same as dhokla?
No — khaman is the bright-yellow, softer, sweeter cake made purely from gram flour; true dhokla is white and made from a rice-lentil batter. The names are often confused.
Why is khaman so soft?
It's made entirely from gram flour with a raising agent and steamed, giving a very fine, airy sponge — 'nylon' khaman is the softest.
Is it sweet?
It has a gentle sweet-savoury balance, sweeter than dhokla, with a tangy-spicy tempering on top.
What's sev khamani?
Crumbled khaman tossed with sev, pomegranate and tempering — a popular Surti way to use it.
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