Handvo Recipe

Handvo is a traditional Gujarati dish prepared with handva flour (rice and lentil mix) and veggies. It is a delicious savory cake, and a great way to sneak vegetables into your diet. Making handvo can be a bit overwhelming for beginners, and trust me it was for me too. I will share my best tips to make this recipe as easy as possible for you.

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Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Finger Food, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine: Gujarati, Indian

Keyword: Vegetarian Recipes

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 33

FERMENTATION: 8

Total Time: 8 48

Servings:

Author: Aayushi Patel

Equipment

11 inch Baking Sheet Pan

Ingredients

For the Batter

1 Cup Bhakri Flour Thick Whole Wheat Flour| Jado Ghau no Lot
3 Tbsp Peanut Oil
2 Cups Handva Flour I use Deep Indian Kitchen"s Handva Flour.
1/3 Cup Yogurt
23 oz Hot Water
5-6 Fenugreek Seeds
3 Tbsp Ginger Garlic and Greeen Chili Paste
1 Medium Onion Thinly Sliced
3 Cups Shredded Zucchini
1 Tsp Turmeric
1 Tsp Red Chili Powder
1 Tsp Cumin Coriander Powder
2/3 Cup Jaggery Powder Add more if you like it sweeter

For Tempering

3 Tbsp Peanut Oil
3 Tsp Mustard Seeds
3 Tsp White Sesame Seeds
1/4 Tsp Asafetida
3-4 Whole Dried Red Chilies
8-10 Curry Leaves

For Garnishing

White Sesame Seeds to cover the top

Instructions

Make the Batter

Heat up water in a kettle to make the batter.
Add Bhakri Flour to a large stailness steel bowl. Next, add in the peanut oil and massage it with your hands.
Now add the Handva flour and plain unsweetened yogurt to the bowl and give it a good mix.
Next goes in the hot water. Pour the water slowly while whisking it. You want a smooth batter and not runny batter. Once the batter is mixed and ready, throw in some fenugreek seeds and cover it lightly. Let the batter ferment overnight in the oven with the light on (Just turn the oven light on, you don't have to turn the oven on for this), or in a warm corner in your kitchen. )
After 7-8 hours, once the batter is fermented, we will now prep the veggies. I am using Zucchini and Onions for this recipe, but you can also add any squash, sweet potatoes, potatoes, cabbage, carrots and greens.
The key is to finely shredd the veggies, and hand press all the excess water out
Now take the batter, and give it a light mix. Start with adding the ginger, garlic and green chili paste, all the ground spices, salt, jaggery and the shredded veggies. Mix the batter.

Make the Tempering

Prepare the tempering. Heat up oil in a small tempering wok. Add mustard seeds, asafetida and white sesame seeds. Let them splutter. Next add in whole dried red chilies and curry leaves. Once, the tempering is ready add it to the batter. and mix it well.
Cover and let it sit for 10-15 mins or until the oven preheats.

Bake the Handvo

Preheat the oven at 350F.
When the oven is ready, pour the batter in the desired baking tray, you can use 9inch round cake tins, 11inch Baking Sheet Pan as I have or use the cupcake baking trays.
This batter doesn't rise, so fill it for the desired thickness.
Cover the top of the handvo with white sesame seeds and bake it in the oven for 25-30 mins. To get a beautiful crisp browned top broil it for 10-12 mins.

Notes

To Make the Perfect Handvo read each and every step carefully.

Make sure you squeeze excess water out of the watery veggies like bottle gourd, zucchini, cabbage and carrots you are using for the handvo.
You don't have to squeeze water out of onions.
Add the water carefully when you put it for fermentation. You don't want runny batter.
Do not add water while adding the veggies. The vegetables have water content which will be released when we add salt. This will naturally give the batter a perfect consistency.
If you don't want to use Bhakri Flour. Use Half Cup Besan and half cup Jowar atta.
If you are using besan and jowar atta, Make sure you add 1 tsp Baking Soda and whisk the batter right before you transfer it to the baking pan. Do not add baking soda when you put it for fermentation.