Khaman Dhokla - Pallika

Soak Chana dal for 3-4 hours. Grind it coarsely and leave to ferment overnight. Add greenchilli-ginger paste, and salt. In a small container, mix some oil and water and heat (be careful, use more water, and less oil). Add cooking soda (soda-bi-carb) to this mixture, mix it well and let it come to a boil (the mixture should foam). Add this foam (aatho) to the dhokla batter. oil some deep plates for the dhokla. In a deep pot or pressure cooker (without the ring and the whistle), boil water. Keep a kaatho (a metal ring to hold dhokla plate) at the bottom. Fill the oiled plates halfway through with the dhokla batter and out it in the dhokla container. Cover and let steam for about 10 mins (depends on the size and thickness of your plates). Once set, remove and let cool. Make bite sized pieces. Serve hot with raw oil, chopped cilantro, freshly grated coconut and sev.

Another variation, Nylon khaman is made with Besan. I use an instant mix for the same. Make according to package instructions. For the vaghaar, I heat some oil, add mustard seeds, slit green chillis, curry leaves, hing and sesame seeds. Add a good amount of water to this, add sugar and let it boil for a couple of minutes. Use a spoon to add this vaghaar on top of the dhokla (nylon khaman is usually dry, so the water makes them moist). Garnish with chopped cilantro, freshly grated coconut and sev.