Khamang Dhokle from Marathwada: Recipe by Balasaheb Ardhapurkar (2024)

I learnt this recipe for Khamang Dhokle from Marathwadafrom Balasaheb Ardhapurkar. Balasaheb-ji regularly posts in a couple of Maharashtrian food groups and the recipes are invariably something that catch my eye as they are mostly authentic Marathwada recipes (a cuisine I knew little about but am learning so much about :)).

More importantly, Balasaheb posts detailed recipes and many of them are so simple but yield great results; this recipe for Khamang Dhokle is a classic example of the traditional recipes he posts as is his recipe for Sabudana Khichdi Spiced with Coriander-Green Chilli Paste.

Khamang Dhokleare not be confused with the Gujarati Khaman Dhokla.

This recipe is similar to Nagpuri Gola Bhat. In that recipe, balls of besan are cooked with the rice while here the bharda balls are steamed separately and are mixed with rice at the time of eating.

Khamang Dhokle are essentially steamed balls of made with coarsely ground kala chana flour called Bharda. Spiced just with chilli powder and asafoetida, these steamed delicacies are then topped with a mustard-cumin-asafoetida tempering and are eaten with rice and ghee.

Marathwada is an arid region and so many of their dishes use non-perishable and hardy ingredients like chana dal, jowar, bajra, and more. Do also try this Jowar Flour Upma | Jwaarichi Peethachi Upma from this region.

Thank you, Balasaheb-Garu for this recipe. I hope I did it justice.

How to MakeKhamang Dhokle from Marathwada

Recipe for Khamang Dhokle from Marathwada with Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Grinding Kala Chana into a Coarse Flour (Bharda)
   1. Add the kala chana to a large grinder jar. If you have a flour mill use that as grindingthe Kala Chana can cause some wear of the blades if you do it often.
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   2. Grind the kala chana to a coarse flour.If you grind it too smooth, it will become like besan and the Dhokle will be hard.
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   3. Transfer the bharda to a plate.
2. The Preparation
   1. Heat 1 tbsp oil till hot.
   2. Heat 2/3 cup water till it is simmering gently. I did this just before I was to make the dough.
   3. Add water to a steamer (or a pressure cooker without weight) and get the water boiling.
3. How to Make Khamang Dhokle
   1. To the bharda, add turmeric, red chilli powder, salt, cumin, 1/2 tsp asafoetida, and the hot oil.We will use 1/4 tsp asafoetida in the tempering so save it. Using asafoetida is important as it helps in digestion of the heavy dhokle.
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   2. Wait for a minute or so and then mix all ingredients together.Be careful as the oil is hot.
   3. Next, gradually add hot water in small quantities and and mix with a spoon till a firm dough starts to form.
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   4. If the dough is very hot, wait for a couple of minutes for it to cool and then using your hands knead into a ball.The dough should be slightly harder than chapati dough.
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   5. Make 16 to 20 equal-sized balls from the dough.
   6. Add the Dhokle to a steaming vessel and steam for 10 minutes.I used a large colander as my steaming vessel and steamed them in a pressure cooker.
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4. The Final Touch
   1. In a ladle, heat 1 tbsp oil.
   2. Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter.
   3. Add 1/4 tsp asafoetida and curry leaves. Mix well.
   4. Pour the tempering over the Dhokle.

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      Khamang Dhokle: A Recipe from Marathwada

5. Savouring the Khamang Dhokle
   1. Break a couple of Khamang Dhokle into pieces.
   2. Mix into some hot rice topped with ghee
   3. Enjoy!