Surti Sev Khamani is another steamy recipe from the diamond city of surat, Gujarat. Yes, it is a Gujarati dish made using chana dal, aka split chickpeas. There are a few details I would like to share in this recipe.


First, there’s sev in it. The purpose is to garnish the khamani. Second, we steam the batter to make khaman. After that, crumble the khaman to make khamani. In short, Sev Khamani is a crumbled version of Khaman.

Khaman is again a Gujarati snack made using chana dal. Now that’s a different story, and I will let you know when I make surti khaman. So back to the Surti Sev Khamani recipe.

Why the name – Surti Sev Khamani?

Surti Sev Khamani is a typical snack item popular among the Gujarati community. Here in the surat city, we call it farsan (namkeen). However, the snack item is not namkeen (salty), but it is mildly sweet. Moreover, it is tummy filling.

Just a small dish can make you skip your lunch and dinner. Hence, if you are in surat and wanna try Sev Khamani for the first time, be gentle & slow. Don’t forget to find a couch because you will feel sleepy.

Okay, now it is called Surti Sev Khamani and not amdavadi or bhavnagri khamani.

Surat is famous for diamonds, sarees & food and nowadays also for flyovers. IMO the city is home to countless unique recipes. Surti ghari, mix veg undhiyu, papdi dhokli, papdi muthiya, guvar dhokli are a few to name. And Surti Sev Khamani is one of them.

Since this dish is an integral part of the heavenly surti food, we call it Surti Sev Khamani. It was initially discovered in surat by the people of surat and for the people of surat. But now it is famous worldwide because of the Gujaratis across the globe.

Time to look into the ingredient list.

When Making Surti Sev Khamani …

The recipe ingredients are in three layers. Items required to make the batter, then tempering (tadka) & finally, the garnishing. Read below for details:

To make the batter

  • Split Chickpeas aka Chana Dal – The base ingredient of Surti Sev Khamani is chana dal, aka split chickpeas. Soak the lentil for at least an hour before making the batter. Soaking will add enough moisture. Your typical kitchen chana dal is all we need.
  • Curd & Turmeric Powder – gives a tangy taste and accelerates the fermentation process. Do not add curd water, or else the batter will be watery. Turmeric powder gives a deep yellow texture.
  • Ginger, Green Chilli & Garlic – We call them hara masala. All three of them will add the necessary spiciness to the batter. It’s good to have them instead of skipping.
  • Baking Soda – Eno is an alternative to baking soda. So if you are not quite a fan of baking soda, use Eno powder. But use plain Eno powder and not flavoured one.
  • Water & Salt – Just one tablespoon of water is required to form bubbles. Please do not use more than the required amount, or it will become watery. Use salt as per taste.

For Tempering (Tadka)

There’s absolutely no out of box item used in the tempering process. Instead, I have used regular ingredients in the tadka already available in your kitchen. Oil, mustard, sesame seeds, chilli, lemon juice, and sugar are a few.

The sugar you can skip if you are not a fan of the sweet taste in Sev Khamani. Yet, traditional khamani is sweet. So it’s entirely your choice to add sugar or not.

For Garnishing

The final step towards Surti Sev Khamani is to garnish and serve. Pomegranate seeds are an excellent topping when it comes to Sev Khamani. Red pomegranate seeds on the yellow layer look mesmerising. However, don’t skip pomegranate because the mixed flavour of sweet anardana & steamed chana dal is mouthwatering.

Sev is an essential part of the Surti Sev Khamani recipe. Without it, the dish is incomplete. Technically, sev is a popular Indian snack made from chickpea flour. In other words, sev is a thin crunchy noodle in shape deep-fried in oil. Therefore, do not skip this item.

Coriander can be as per the taste. Add little because less is always more.

Tips to make Better Sev Khamani

  • Double-check the ingredient measurements.
  • Do not allow the batter to rest after adding baking soda or eno.
  • Immediately steam the batter after adding baking soda or eno.
  • Greasing the mould is essential, or the batter will stick to the mould.
  • Baking soda or eno quantity must be as per the standards.
  • Soak the chana dal before grinding.
  • Allow the mixture to cool down after taking it out from the mould.
  • Avoid crumbling when the khamani mixture is still hot.

Follow the above tips to make simply luscious Surti Sev Khamani.