Surat, a city in southern Gujarat holds a special place in the history of dining. Our shastras suggests ‘Surat nu jaman ane Kashi nu maran‘ (dining in Surat and dying in Kashi) as the ultimate experience for the soul. Somewhere around 18th century Khaman, was invented by the Kathiawadis of Saurashtra as a smooth version that is known as nylon khaman. Now, there are 100’s of versions of Khaman sold in Surat, sev khamani, tam tam khaman, locho, locho pizza, italian locho, just to name a few.

In the city, Jay Jalaram Khaman at Chowk Bazaar founded by the Sakaria brothers, the decades old shop sold their innovative & exclusive Rasswala Khaman at 20p per plate. Its a dish that has Khaman served with a tangy and spicy Rass (gravy). Also, one can’t ignore a Gujarati’s love for chai! They even have a version of their, called as Kathiyawadi chai, a brewed concoction that uses different proportions of warming spices. Sounds like a perfect combo, isn’t it?

My idea of progressive one biter Khaman is drawn from this pleasing combination. Delicate spongy Khaman with airy foam that tastes exactly like a Kathiyawadi chai, tempered mustard seeds & shaved chilli to bring the much needed spice. I dedicate this dish to Gaggan Anand, the torch bearer of progressive Indian food and always being the much needed inspiration.

Fact: To all of you who might be unaware, Dhokla is made with fermented rice batter or sometimes with semolina, also called Khaata Dhokla and Khaman is prepared with gram flour which is steamed and later tempered with mustard seeds & curry leaves.