Handvo is a popular steamed and crisped savoury cake snack from Gujarat, India. It is a popular breakfast or a snack and is super healthy. Handvo is made from a mix of various dals/lentils and rice. Hence it is extremely healthy and filling.
Handvo is also made by adding a filling of grated bottle gourd. A lot of other vegetables can also be substituted instead of bottle gourd. Another popular gujarati snack with bottle gourd is the dudhi muthiya. Muthiya is soft bites whereas handvo is super delicious as its soft and flavourful inside and crispy and crunchy outside. Each bite is fun and worth having, especially with the popular green coriander chutney.
Another popular gujarati snack to be confused with handvo is khaman dhokla. However they are different. Dhokla is a chickpea flour and steamed cake, whereas handvo is a mix of few lentils and rice and is a crispy cake.
What goes in a traditional Handvo?
Handvo is typically made by soaking rice, lentils of 3-4 types and whole wheat grain. These ingredients are washed and soaked for at least 5-6 hours. They are then grinded and a batter is made . This batter is fermented for about 7-8 hours. Upon fermentation yogurt and baking soda is added along with grated vegetables and the handvo is set in a pan to get crispy.
The dals include urad dal, chana dal, toor dal and moong dal (can be split or green). You can skip the wheat grains if you dont have any. The ingredients can be mixed matched as per availability.
A ready mix of hando flour is also available. We just need to add yogurt, soda and vegetables and cook it. You can also make a premix at home. Just wash all the grains and rice and spread dry them for a couple of days. then dry roast these ingredients until light golden. Upon cooling grind into a fine powder and the premix can be used instantly or by fermenting overnight.
Let’s get the recipe in detail.
Handvo
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Rice (Any short grain)
- 1/4 cup Toor Dal
- 1 tbsp Urad dal
- 1 tbsp Chana Dal
- 1 tbsp Green Moong/yellow moong dal
- 1 tbsp Gehu/ whole wheat grain optional
- Orange Masoor dal/split green moong is fine to use too. Just 1 tbsp each optional
For the batter
- 1/2 cup Grated Bottle gourd (Lauki) (Grated carrots, squash, zucchini is fine too)
- 1/2 cup Non flavoured Yogurt/ Vegan yogurt
- 1 teasp red chilli powder
- 1 teasp turmeric powder
- 1 teasp Baking soda
- Salt as per taste
For tempering
- Oil
- 1 teasp Mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp White sesame seeds
- Pinch Asafoetida
Instructions
- Rinse and soak the rice and dals in water for about 5 hours.
- After 5 hours grind everything with half cup of water to make a fine paste. The paste should fall from spoon.
- Now leave this batter to ferment in a closed box for about 6-7 hours.The batter becomes light and fluffy when fermented.
- Now add the yogurt/vegan yogurt, salt, chilli paste if you like spicy and give the batter a mix.
- Now add the grated bottle gourd, red chilli powder, turmeric, lemon juice and give a mix. Incorporate everything well.
- Now add the soda and mix well.
- Heat a wide pan. Add 2 tablespoon oil in it.
- Crack mustard seeds and sesame seeds in it.
- Pour half the batter in the pan and close the lid of the pan. allow the handvo to cook on low-medium flame for about 5-7 minutes.
- After 7 minutes lift the entire cake gently. You will see a pretty golden brown crip below. We have to flip the cake gently and crisp it from the other side too. Keep it delicate and slow as to not break it.
- Now flip, cover and cook again. the other side too becomes golden and crisp. No need of any more oil or tempering. Just flip and crisp.
- The handvo is done when golden and crispy from both the sides.
- Remove the entire cake in a plate and cut into pieces. You can either cut slices or squares as you like.
- Serve it with green coriander chutney and ketchup.
Notes
- You can skip one or two dals in the above list and can use even whole moong/split moong or even masoor dal for soaking.
- You may find an instant ready to use handvo flour in the market. In that case just make batter add spices, soda and use it instantly.
- Bottle gourd/lauki can be replaced with any other vegetable like grated cabbage, grated carrots, Grated zucchini etc.
- Vegans can replace yogurt with vegan yogurt.
Do check our other snack recipes on the blog links here.
If you like and try this recipe do write reviews in the comment section below.
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