Dhokla and Khaman are two different types of sweets that come from the Indian subcontinent. The ingredients for Dhokla are gram flour, salt, water, yogurt, sugar, oil and lime juice. Whereas the ingredients for Khaman are wheat flour, chana dal (aka split Bengal gram), salt, ghee (clarified butter), sugar and soda bicarbonate. Other than the sweet variations in these desserts there is also a savory version called Bhutta that has onions in it instead of sugar.
Though they may look similar when it comes to taste and texture there is something special about each one that makes them different from other dessert recipes. Difference between dhokla and khaman is that dhokla is made from fermented batter and Khaman is made by adding soda to the batter. For the preparation of Dhokla, mix all ingredients along with water in a container and keep it overnight in a warm place (such as an incubator). The following day, add a little more water and make it in medium consistency.
After this, cover the utensil with a lid or muslin cloth and place it in a warm place for fermentation for about 3 hours. Once fermented, add chili powder, garam masala, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Khaman on the other hand can be prepared by mixing all ingredients along with water in a container and keeping it overnight in a warm place .
Features Of Dhokla And Khaman That Make Everyone Love It :
1. Dhokla is a fermented dish and Khaman is not fermented :
This is the first difference between Khaman and Dhokla. The reason for this difference comes from the method of preparation of the batter. The batter for Khaman is prepared by adding soda to the batter whereas that of Dhokla is prepared by fermenting it with yeast, a microorganism which helps in fermentation. Fermentation helps in improving shelf life and also increases the digestibility of food. This can also be seen in other Indian foods like breads, dosa or idli where they are also prepared by fermentation which makes them good for digestion and increasing shelf life.
2. The consistency of Khaman is thinner and Dhokla is thicker :
Another difference is that the consistency of Khaman is thinner than Dhokla. After fermentation the vinegar-like juice gets separated from the flour and when this liquid evaporates it leaves a thin batter. The thicker consistency of Dhokla is because of retained water after fermentation made by yeast. The tanginess of different fruits makes for contrast and helps in making it taste better. It can be a little bit difficult to digest as it gives a nice sour taste but this gives very good fizz to the food without affecting the digestion. On the other hand, in Khaman, it will not be so tangy and will be quite sweet.
3. Khaman is tangy and Dhokla is not :
In Khaman, the tanginess comes from the curd used. Curd gives a unique flavor to the Khaman which is faint in taste but gives a good bite to it. The reason for this difference between cakes and dhokla is because of the use of curd in the Khaman recipe. It gives a nice smooth texture with a rich taste along with less sweetness that makes it very delicious. In most cases, both these sweets are accompanied by onion or cilantro chutney, but it can also be eaten as such without any accompaniments.
4. Rice or lentil is used in Dhokla :
Khaman is made with wheat flour and rice is not used. This difference occurs because in Khaman rice is not used, but in Dhokla rice and Lentils are added to leaven the batter. This gives a very good texture to the dish and makes it a healthy snack as rice has got lots of health benefits. The major health benefit that comes from adding these ingredients to the batter is that it increases the dietary fiber content. Adding fiber (like in dhokla) helps people in reducing cholesterol levels as they help in digestion and maintaining a healthy body weight by increasing satiety.
5. Both have their own uses :
These sweets can be used both as a dessert and as an accompaniment with dinner. It can also be eaten on fasting days or during lunch to get that sweet taste in your mouth. In deserts, Khaman is quite popular as it gives a great flavor to the desert made with milk or rabri. It is also used in preparing Dahi vadas where it is soaked in curd for some time and then deep fried to prepare the dish. Whereas Dhokla can be eaten either hot or cold and can serve different purposes like breakfast, dinner, evening snack etc. It is also very popular in Indian Vegetarian restaurants as it is a part of the regular menu.
6. Khaman can be made without fermentation :
Khaman recipes can be made without any fermentation whereas in Dhokla, due to the addition of rice and lentils, fermentation requires to produce gastric acid which has many health benefits. In Khaman, curd which gives a tangy taste acts like the leavening agent for the batter. This enables people to make Khaman at home within minutes just by mixing all ingredients with water and cooking it in low flame for about 15 minutes.
