Using Up Leftovers| Gujarati Snack| Khaman Chaat| Amiri Khaman| Sev Khamni For The Cheat

I am a huge lover of khaman, the pillow-soft Gujarati snack usually made out of besan, commonly known as dhokla in other parts of the country. Dhokla is something else entirely in Gujarat, though, and made out of an urad daal and rice batter, which is very similar to idli batter, though not the same. Khaman, too, can be of two different types – one an instant version, made using a mix of besan and curd, and the other version, called Vati Daal Na Khaman, made of soaked and crushed chana daal. While I love both versions, I have only ever made the besan khaman at home. I have never tried my hands at the vati daal na khaman – hopefully soon!

When there is leftover khaman at home, a rare occasion, we make a chaat out of it which all of us love. You get this chaat commonly on the streets of Gujarat, called Amiri Khaman, wherein crumbled khaman is mixed with pomegranate arils, an assortment of chutneys and sev. Don’t get Amiri Khaman confused with Sev Khamni, though – that is something entirely different! A lot of roadside stalls, even in Gujarat, try to pass off Amiri Khaman as Sev Khamni, because the earlier dish requires a lot less effort to make than the latter. Now, you know, though! 🙂

Today, I am going to tell you all about my version of Amiri Khaman or Khaman Chaat, if you like. It has a beautiful texture with the crumbled khaman adding a softness and the sev contributing to its crunchiness. The pomegranate arils, chopped onions and chutneys that one adds gives the dish a gorgeous, unbeatable flavour. You must try this out to believe how delicious it is.

Here is how I make this dish.

Ingredients (serves 4):

About 10 pieces of leftover khaman (at room temperature – crumbled with the hands, garnish and all)

A handful of pomegranate arils

A small bunch of coriander leaves, finely chopped

1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped

2 fistfuls of nylon sev (store-bought, I used the Garden brand)

1 fistful of aloo bhujia (store-bought, I used the Garden brand)

4 tablespoons of sweet chutney (Click here for the recipe)

2 tablespoons of spicy green chutney (Click here for the recipe)

Method:

Mix everything together, well, in a large mixing bowl.

Serve immediately.

Do you like the sound of this chaat? I hope you’ll try it out, too!

Notes:

1. I commonly make the khaman at home, and if there’s any left over, it goes into the preparation of amiri khaman. Occasionally, though, if there’s someone coming over from Gujarat, I ask them to get packets of Talod Nylon Khaman Mix, which turn out just gorgeous. Sadly, they aren’t available anywhere in Bangalore. 😦 Lately, though, I have discovered Shree Ganesh Nylon Khaman mix, available in a few shops in Bangalore, which turns out khaman that are just as beautiful as those from Talod or home-made khaman. Do ask around in the little Marwari shops in your neighbourhood – they usually stock it!

2. If you are wondering, ‘Nylon’ is not yet another type of khaman. It just refers to khaman that is super-duper spongy soft and fine in texture, like nylon. 🙂 The nylon sev, too.

 

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