If you haven’t been introduced to Handvo ~ a gluten-free, protein-rich and amazingly delicious savoury cake from Gujarat, then you have been missing out on a huge slice of life! But consider this your lucky day because I am here to help you add this dish to your list of healthy and nutritious recipes that don’t force you to compromise on taste.
The main ingredient is a batter made of various dals that is left to ferment overnight. This fermentation adds a tangy flavour and is very good for gut health. There is however also a quick version of the recipe with a sped up fermentation process, if needed. Apart from the protein-rich batter, all we need are some veggies, a generous tadka and some cooking time. Trust me, cooking and eating this cake will be a whole new experience. After all, there’s nothing better than a yummy dal-cake that is crunchy on the top, soft on the inside and cooked with a tadka topping and a tadka base (read: Indian cooking heaven)!
- Times
- Description
- Image
- Ingredients
- Method
- Notes
- Nutrition
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- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
For soaking and grinding:
- ½ cup toor dal
- 1 cup chana dal
- ½ cup moong dal
- ½ cup urad dal
- ¼ cup dahi
- 1 medium size grated carrot
- ½ cup grated cabbage
- ½ cup grated ghiya (bottle gourd)
- ¼ cup coriander leaves, chopped
- 2 tsp garlic, ginger and chilli paste
- 2 tsp white sesame seeds
- 4-5 tbsp oil (any vegetable oil)
- ½ tsp hing (asafoetida)
- Salt, as per taste
- 1 tbsp haldi (turmeric powder)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp dhania powder (coriander powder)
- 1 tbsp jeera powder (cumin powder)
- 1 tbsp Eno Fruit Salt (only if not fermenting overnight)
For paste:
- 1 inch adrak (ginger)
- 4-5 garlic cloves
- 3-4 green chillies
For tempering:
- 1 tbsp oil
- ½ tsp sarson (mustard seeds)
- ¼ tsp white til (sesame seeds)
- A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
- 1 tsp curry leaves, chopped
- 5-6 green chilies, slit lengthwise
Method
- 1)
Clean, wash and soak all the dals in sufficient water for at least 4-5 hours.
- 2)
Rinse, drain and blend into a mixture till you get a rava-like/coarse consistency. Do not add any water while grinding as we need a thick batter.
- 3)
Transfer the mixture into a wide bowl. Add curd to the batter, mix it and let the batter ferment overnight.
- 4)
Once the batter is fermented it will have tiny bubbles and a faint sour aroma. If the climate is cold, keep it for a few more hours since proper fermentation needs a warm room temperature.
- 5)
Add grated ghiya, carrot, coriander leaves, cabbage, ginger, garlic, chilli paste and all the dry spices. Stir well to combine.
- 6)
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet (preferably a cast iron skillet). Spread the oil to grease the skillet with a spoon, including the sides.
- 7)
Reduce the flame and add mustard and cumin seeds. When they start to splutter, add curry leaves, sesame seeds and green chilies. Stir for 15-20 seconds.
- 8)
If you have not fermented the batter then add Eno to the batter to make it frothy. Mix the entire batter. Skip this step if your batter is already fermented overnight.
- 9)
Pour the handvo batter and spread it gently. You can make it as thick as you want to. You can also make small handvos with just two ladles of batter.
- 10)
Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes. The timing may vary depending on the quantity of the batter you poured and the kind of pan you are using (iron, non-stick or aluminium).
- 11)
When the top layer becomes partially dry and the bottom layer turns golden brown, flip it gently.
- 12)
Press down the handvo with a spatula all over and cook uncovered until the bottom is all cooked, golden and crisp.
- 13)
Flip it back and cook for a few minutes until the Handvo gets a really crisp and golden crust.
- 14)
Remove and put the Handvo on a wired rack so that it remains crunchy. Repeat the same process with the remaining batter.
You can now serve you Handvos with mint chutney, sesame chutney or raw papaya chutney!
Notes
- Use curd to get the tangy flavour
- Ferment the batter overnight for a soft and fluffy Handvo.
- Add grated vegetables with moisture that adds softness to the Handvo.
- If using Eno, cook the batter immediately after adding Eno to it. If the quantity of the batter is large, then make small batches of batter and add Eno just before cooking.
- Try to use vegetables with higher water content (like cabbage, ghiya, zucchini) as the Handvo will turn out to be super soft as these vegetables will add more moisture to the batter.
