Amiri Khaman Dry Crumble Chickpea Snack

Method

1. 1

   Crumble the khaman: Take 2 cups of steamed khaman (either from the recipe in this collection or purchased). Break it into irregular crumbles using your hands — pieces should range from 1 to 2 cm. Do not make them too fine. Some larger pieces and some smaller ones give the best texture in the finished amiri khaman.

2. 2

   Heat oil in a wide pan: Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wide non-stick pan on medium heat.

3. 3

   Add tempering: Add mustard seeds — wait to pop. Add asafoetida and curry leaves — they will crackle. Stir 10 seconds.

4. 4

   Add green chilli: Add the finely chopped green chilli to the hot oil. Stir for 30 seconds until the chilli softens slightly and smells fragrant.

5. 5

   Add the crumbled khaman: Add all the crumbled khaman pieces to the pan. Stir gently to coat each piece with the spiced oil.

6. 6

   Stir-fry until each piece is coated: Cook on medium heat, stirring every minute, for 4 to 5 minutes. The goal is to coat each piece of khaman with the spiced oil and heat it through. Some pieces will get slightly golden edges — this is desirable.

7. 7

   Add sugar and salt: Add sugar and check salt — the khaman is already salted so add very little if any. Stir.

8. 8

   Remove from heat: The amiri khaman is done when all the pieces are heated through, coated with the spiced oil and fragrant.

9. 9

   Add fresh toppings: Remove from heat. Add pomegranate seeds (or lemon juice), fresh grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves. Toss gently to distribute.

10. 10

    Add chaat masala and serve: Sprinkle chaat masala over the top. Toss once more. Serve immediately in a wide bowl or on a plate. The fresh pomegranate seeds provide bursts of sweetness and the coconut adds creaminess.

11. 11

    Note: Amiri Khaman is a popular Gujarati street food preparation found particularly in the cities of Ahmedabad and Surat. It transforms the plain steamed khaman by stir-frying with spices and adding fresh toppings — making it more texturally complex than regular khaman. Often sold as a teatime snack at street stalls. The name amiri suggests it is more embellished than plain khaman.