Recipe for Handvo

Handvo is a nutrient-dense savoury cake recipe from the western state of Gujarat in India. Handvo is made from soaked rice and lentils ground into a better and fermented overnight. Then spices and vegetables are added, followed by a rich tempering, after which it is baked. The final dish is absolutely delicious. It is high in nutrients and is a great breakfast that will keep you full and energetic for a long time.

So, let us start with the recipe:

Ingredients needed for making Handvo Batter

• 1 cup Raw Rice
• ⅓ cup Chana Dal ( Split Chickpea Lentils)
• ⅓ cup Tur Dal ( Pigeon Peas)
• ⅓ cup Urad Dal ( Black Gram without skin)
• 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
• 2 tsp Salt
• 2 cups grated bottle gourd ( Bottle Gourd is used in the traditional recipe. Since I couldn’t find it, I have used zucchini)
• 1½ tbsp ginger and green chilli paste
• 1 cup yoghurt

Tempering Ingredients for Handvo:

• 1 tbsp Oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 1/3 tsp Asafoetida
• 7-8 Curry Leaves
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds

Method to Make Handvo:

• Wash and combine chana dal, urad dal, tur dal and rice. Soak them in 3 cups of water for 4-5 hours.
  
  
  
• After 4-5 hours, all the grains will swell.
  
  
  
• Now grind them to a fine consistency. Keep this batter for overnight fermentation.
  
  
  
• The next day, add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, grated bottle gourd ( in my recipe Zucchini) and chilli-ginger paste to this batter. Mix well.
  
  
  
• Add yoghurt and mix.
  
  
  
• Transfer this batter to a well-greased baking mould.
• Prepare the tempering by heating oil in a pan and adding all the tempering ingredients – asafoetida, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves.
  
  
  
• Add this to the batter.
  
  
  
• Transfer to a preheated oven and bake at 200 deg C for about 35-40 minutes.
• Insert a toothpick and check. If it comes out clean, the Handvo is fully cooked.
• Once fully cooked, remove it from the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes before de-moulding it.
  
  
  
• Now the Handvo is ready. Cut it and serve it with your favourite chutney. I served it with sweet and tangy tamarind Chutney. You can find its recipe here.
  
  

Some additional Notes:

About the recipe:

1. You can add vegetables like carrots, cabbage or zucchini to the batter to replace bottle gourd. 
2. It is important to rest the cake for at least 10 minutes after baking and then de-mould.
3. If the batter hasn’t fermented well ( for example, due to cold weather), add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to the batter before baking.

About sourcing the ingredients:

For my readers in India, all the ingredients can be easily purchased from any local store or supermarket near you.

For my readers in Europe, you can get these ingredients from Spiceland. Spiceland is a big Indian store based out of Frankfurt, Germany, that supplies all across Germany and a couple of European countries. I have found their product quality good and prices reasonable.

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Here is the recipe in printable format: