Handvo

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Doodhi Handvo

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 8

Savory Cake with Squash
Ingredients
For Batter:
  • 3 cups uncooked rice (not Basmeti)
  • 1 cup toover dal (split pigeon peas)
  • ¾ cup yogurt or buttermilk
  • 6-8 cups water
For Handvo:
  • 4 teaspoons salt or to taste
  • 4 teaspoons sugar or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 medium size doodhi (Indian squash) or 2 medium size zucchini, shredded
  • 2 tablespoon cilantro leaves, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno or serrano chili
  • 2 tablespoons finely minced ginger
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
For Vaghar (tempering):
  • ¾ cup olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • ⅛ teaspoon asafetida powder
Directions
  1. Make batter: Wash rice and dal and let it soak in water for 6 to 8 hours or until rice and dal become soft. In a blender, grind rice and dal in 2 batches to make a thick batter. Add ½ yogurt or buttermilk in each batch. Add water small amount of water to move contents in blender.The texture of rice and dal should be like wet sand. Cover tightly and let it ferment over night or up to 24 hours in warm place. (In cold weather it takes longer for batter to ferment. You may need to keep it for 24 hours.)
  2. To fermented batter, add squash, cilantro, chilies, ginger, turmeric, salt and sugar. Mix everything well. Add baking powder and mix again.
  3. Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease 13” x 9” baking pan with cooking spray or grease large cast iron pan. Transfer batter to pan.
  4. Prepare Vaghar: Heat oil in a small heavy bottomed soup pot on a medium heat, 2 to 3 minutes. Add fenugreek seeds and let them sizzle. Add mustard seeds and let them sizzle. Lower the heat to low and add asafetida powder and 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds. Take it off the heat and pour over batter. Take about 1 tablespoon of water and pour into pot and stir it to get all the remaining spices and pour into batter. Gently stir the batter to evenly distribute spices.
  5. Sprinkle on top of batter remaining sesame seeds. Bake it uncovered for 50 to 60 minutes or until the Handvo is light golden brown on top and toothpick or knife inserted comes out clean. For the last 5 to 7 minutes, turn oven to broiler and let the top brown dark golden. Let it cool down for 20 to 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve it warm with olive oil to drizzle over or cilantro chutney.

 

 

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Lilva Ratalu no Handvo

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 8

This is my cousin Vibha's recipe of Savory Cake of Green Pigeon Peas and Purple Yam.
Ingredients
  • 1 bag of frozen lilva (fresh pigeon peas), thawed, available in Indian grocery stores
  • 1 bag of frozen ratalu (purple yam), thawed, available in Indian grocery stores
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 4 teaspoons sesame seeds, divided
  • ¼ teaspoon asafetida, divided
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • 4 teaspoons finely chopped jalapeno or serrano chili, divided
  • 4 teaspoons minced ginger, divided
  • 1 tablespoon finely shredded unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1 tablespoon roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
  • 3 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 4 teaspoons sugar, divided
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
  • 1 tablespoon corn or potato starch
For Vaghar (tempering):
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • ⅛ teaspoon asafetida powder
Directions
  1. Prepare lilva: Put thawed lilva in a food processor and process it until crumbly, with some texture. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a medium heavy bottomed soup pot. Add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and let it sizzle. Add ⅛ teaspoon asafetida and 2 teaspoons sesame seeds. Let it heat for 30 seconds. Add crushed lilva, 2 teaspoons each of chili and ginger, and coconut. Stir everything. Add garam masala and season with 1 ½ teaspoon of salt. Stir everything again. Cover the pot and let cook for 5 minutes to blend all the seasoning. Take off heat and add 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and cilantro and stir. Set it aside.
  2. Prepare ratalu: Cook ratalu either in microwave or on stove top with ½ cup of water. Once it is fork tender, mash it roughly, add starch and mix to coat ratalu with starch. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in another medium heavy bottomed soup pot. Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and let it sizzle. Add ⅛ teaspoon asafetida and 2 teaspoons sesame seeds. Let it heat for 30 seconds. Add mashed ratalu, peanuts, 2 teaspoons each of chili and ginger. Season with 1 ½ teaspoon salt, mix everything and let it cook 2 minutes to blend seasoning. Take off heat and add 2 teaspoons sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Mix everything and set it aside.
  3. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 13” x 9” baking dish.
  4. Pour half of lilva mixture in baking dish and smooth it out. Pour half of ratalu mixture in baking dish and smooth it out. Repeat with the same.
  5. Prepare Vaghar: Heat oil in a small heavy bottomed soup pot on a medium heat, 2 minutes. Add mustard seeds and let them sizzle. Lower the heat to low and add asafetida and sesame seeds. Take it off the heat and pour over the top layer. Evenly distribute oil and seeds.
  6. Bake handvo, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes until top is light brown. Let it stand at least 10 minutes before serving. Cut into two inches squares and serve with cilantro chutney as an appetizer or light lunch.