Kotu / kuttu khaman dhokla

Khaman is one of the most popular breakfast dish in our house. With Navratris, I thought of making Kotu/ buckwheat khaman for a change. I usually make kotu dosas and have them them potato curry.

Kotu / kuttu / buckwheat is a pseudocereal. This means it does not belong to the grass family from which all our grains as wheat, millet, rice etc come from. People especially in North India do not take cereals while fasting. Since, it is not a cereal, it can be easily consumed during those days.

This power packed buckwheat also has plenty of fiber along with iron and zinc. In Japan, soba noodles and guksu in Korea are made from this flour. The benefits of this seeds are innumerable. Without going into its benefits, let me focus my attention on my post.

Ingredients:
1 cup kotu flour
2 tbsp sawaa ke chawal
1/2 tsp ginger-chilli paste
fasting salt to taste
2 tbsp roasted pounded peanuts
7-8 cracked black peppercorns
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp eno fruit salt
water to make the batter

for tempering:
2 tsp oil
a pinch of asafoetida
2-3 green chillies
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp sesame seeds
chopped coriander leaves
dessicated coconut

Method:

Mix flour, sawaa ke chawal (I made them into a powder), sugar, ginger-chilli paste, salt in a bowl.

Add sufficient water to make a flowing batter.  I forgot to add cumin seeds, pounded peanuts and cracked peppercorns earlier. Mix everything properly. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
If, the batter absorbs a lot of water, add a little more.

Put the steamer on heat and let the water come to a boil.

Grease a plate with oil. I prefer to put the plate in the steamer so that it becomes a little hot.

Add lemon juice to the batter and mix.
Now add eno fruit salt and beat into a homogenous mixture.

Pour the fluffy mixture onto the greased plate.....

Cover and let it steam for 7-8 minutes. Do not open the cover and let them remain inside the steamer.

Meanwhile, prepare the tempering. Heat oil, add asafoetida and slit green peppers.

Add sesame seeds and mustard seeds. Switch off the heat.

The dhoklas should be cooked by now.

Pour the tempering over the dhoklas.

Sprinkle dessicated coconut and chopped coriander leaves. Leave the dhoklas to cool. Do not be in a hurry to cut them or else they will stick to your knife.

When cool, cut into wedges and enjoy.

I like to have them with a very simple sengdana chutney (peanut chutney).
I make it by mixing pounded roasted and skinned peanuts, salt, sugar, chilli powder and cumin seeds powder.

You can also pour some whipped seasoned curd over it. Sprinkle chilli powder, roasted cumin seeds powder, a drizzle of coriander chutney, sweet tamarind chutney and enjoy your kotu chaat!