Amiri Khaman | Hetal Chedda

Amiri Khaman, also known as Sev Khamani, is a unique delicacy made from crumbled, steamed lentil dhoklas. It’s an ingenious way to repurpose leftover Khaman Dhoklas, exemplifying the resourcefulness of Gujaratis when it comes to reusing leftovers.

If we have leftover rotis, we transform them into laddoos, make roti khakhra, or vaghareli rotili. Similarly, surplus rice finds new life in muthiyas, becomes an ingredient in theplas, or is fashioned into bhajiyas.

Making Khaman is practically a weekend ritual in many Gujarati households, and occasionally, there are leftovers. That’s when we turn them into the much-loved Sev Khamani. Yet, given how beloved this dish is, it’s also often specifically prepared as a teatime snack.

Most recipes call for garlic, but I prefer my tea time snacks without the strong flavour of garlic. So, when preparing this dish for teatime, I generally prefer to skip it!

Amiri Khaman

Method:

1. Begin by soaking the Chana dal overnight.
2. Grind the soaked Chana dal along with chilli, ginger, salt, sugar, and turmeric. Aim for a coarse paste rather than a fine one.
3. Just before you’re ready to steam, add the Eno soda to the mixture and mix lightly. Transfer this to a greased thali and spread evenly.
4. Allow the Khaman to cool down, then crumble it with your hands.
5. In a small pan, heat some oil and add mustard seeds. Once they crackle, incorporate hing, curry leaves, and sesame seeds. Pour this tempering over the crumbled Khaman Dhoklas and mix well.
6. If desired, you can also add a spoonful of powdered sugar at this point to achieve an extra sweet-and-sour flavour, but this is entirely optional.
7. Finally, garnish the dish with grated coconut, coriander, pomegranate, and a squeeze of lime juice. Now it’s ready to be enjoyed!

Watch this recipe here – Amiri Khaman

It’s often said that one should follow their passion, but not everyone truly manages to do so. For Hetal, the year 2020 served as a wakeup call. It brought her to the realisation that the time had come to embrace her genuine passion for food and cooking.

Many view cooking as a routine chore, but Hetal finds immense delight in it, especially when she observes her family relishing a meal she’s prepared. For her, cooking isn’t merely a task to be accomplished; it’s an expressive pursuit of artistic creativity, originality, and authenticity that doubles as a form of therapy. 

Despite years of cooking experience, Hetal’s enthusiasm for this art form is ever-evolving. She remains devoted to timeless, classic recipes even as she boldly experiments with new ones. All the while, she upholds her commitment to delivering wholesome, home-style meals that evoke a sense of comfort and healthiness.

^{Translations and detailed descriptions are provided to give a better understanding of the story to people from different cultural backgrounds across the globe.}