Dangella | Tawa Handvo
Recipe: Dangella | Tawa Handvo
Dangella | Tawa Handvo is a traditional Gujarati recipe where the handvo batter is cooked on a tawa instead of baking it. It is a Gujarati style savoury pancake. Above all, it is a delicious and healthy breakfast, tea time snack or a light dinner or lunch meal. The advantage of making Dangella or Tawa Handvo is that you can add a lot of vegetables. Cooking it on the tawa or skillet makes the top and bottom crispy while the inner part is soft. Make them thin or thick according to your preference.
Admittedly, it is not an instant recipe, as you need to soak the flour with some warm water and sour plain yogurt for at least 6-8 hours or overnight. However, it is worth the wait. Make them small and thick or spread the batter out thin. Your preference. I make them both ways. If I am making them for picnics, parties, or as travel food, small ones are convenient. Hold them in your hand and enjoy. If you want to bake the batter in the oven and make handvo, go ahead. That too makes an ideal travel food or as a snack to enjoy over a few days. Of course you will need to store the leftovers in the fridge as the batter has a lot of vegetables.
Sharing This Recipe With 2024 Alphabet Challenge Group
Th0roughly enjoying going through the alphabet to cook. Wendy who initiated this challenge, suggested we use a ingredient with the letter of the bi-week or a dish starting with that letter. For letter D I am sharing a traditional Gujarati dish which I love so much – Dangella. Known as dangella in Gujarati, my mother tongue, but as Tawa Handvo by the rest of India. Gujaratis are well known for preparing some amazing fresh snacks that are versatile. Usually enjoyed as breakfast, snack or even travel food.
Posted this recipe on 24/05/2012. Republishing with better photos, write up and a video.
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Ingredients Required For Dangella |Tawa Handvo
Handvo Flour
Nowadays handvo flour is readily available in all Indian Stores or online. I remember when I got married, ready made handvo flour was not easily available. We would wash and dry rice and lentils to make the flour. Then take the mixture to the flour mill in town. They would grind the mixture into a slightly coarse texture. If you want to make the flour at home it is doable but a bit time consuming. The ratio to use is 2 parts of rice, 1 part split chickpea dal (chana dal) and ¼ part urad dal ( split black gram ).
Warm Water
Required to soak the handvo flour overnight. Also may need some to add to the batter.
Yogurt
Plain yogurt which is not very watery. Sour yogurt is preferable as its adds the required sourness to the dangella. If you don’t get the sourness after soaking the flour overnight, you may need to add some lemon juice.
Fresh Fenugreek
Traditionally fresh fenugreek is used. However, when I don’t get some then I add fresh spinach. To get that fenugreek flavour I add a bit of kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves).
Doodhi
Also known as bottle gourd is another traditional ingredient. I don’t get it in Magog, so I replace it with zucchini.
Carrot
Peeled and grated.
Onion
Peel and chop it up finely. Use any of your choice, red, yellow or white.
Fresh Ginger
Peel and grate the ginger.
Green Chillis
Some like to add chopped chillis but I prefer to mince the chillis. Add according to your taste.
Fenugreek Seeds
Need some to add to the flour when we get it ready for soaking. Also need some for the tempering or vaghar.
Ajwain
Also known as carom seeds, ajmo. Crush it slightly between your palms before adding to the batter. Helps to release the flavour.
Mustard Seeds
Rai, sarson ka dana, need some for tempering.
Cumin Seeds
Jeera, jiru for tempering.
Asafoetida
Known as hing in hindi. This is an optional ingredient especially if you want to prepare gluten free dangella. Asafoetida powder contains wheat flour.
Red Chilli Powder
Add according to your taste. I don’t add it sometimes especially if the green chillis are hot.
Sesame Seeds
Need some as topping for the dangella. Don’t skip them as they add a lovely crunch besides being healthy.
Turmeric Powder
Haldi, hardar. To add to the batter.
Garam Masala
Need a bit of garam masala to add flavour to the batter. If you don’t have any, then add ½ tsp cinnamon powder and ¼ tsp clove powder.
Salt
Add according to your taste. Use table salt or Himalayan pink salt.
Sugar or Jaggery
Need a little to balance the flours.
Oil
Required for cooking the dangella and for tempering.
Leavening Agent
Use either baking powder or Eno. I prefer to use Eno as it does not change the colour of the batter. Baking powder and baking soda reacts with turmeric powder and changes the batter from pale yellow to brown. However it does not affect the taste. If I have sourdough discard at hand then I add a bit when I soak the flour. It adds the required sourness and also acts as a leavening agent. Sourdough discard can only be used if you don’t need to make the dangella gluten free.
Watch How To Make Dangella | Tawa Handvo
DANGELLA | TAWA HANDVO
Ingredients
FOR THE DANGELLA | TAWA HANDVO BATTER
- 2 cups handvo flour
- ½ cup plain sour yogurt
- ½ cup warm water
- ½ tsp fenugreek seeds/methi
- 2 cups zucchini |bottle gourd grated
- 1 cup carrot grated
- ½ cup fresh fenugreek |spinach chopped
- ¼ cup onion chopped
- 1½ tsp salt or according to your taste
- 1-2 tsp sugar or jaggery powder
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- ¼ tsp ajwain crush lightly between your palms
- ½ tsp garam masala or use ½ tsp cinnamon powder and ¼ tsp clove powder
- ½ red chilli powder
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp green chilli paste
- ½ - ¾ cup water
- ¼ tsp Eno or baking powder
- 1- 2 tbsp water
FOR TEMPERING | VAGHAR
- 2 tbsp oil
- ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds methi
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp asafoetida
OTHER INGREDIENTS
- Extra oil for cooking the Dangella
- Need 3-4 tsp sesame seeds for topping
Instructions
SOAKING HANDVO FLOUR
- Add handvo flour in a big bowl. Take a big bowl as later we will be adding more ingredients to it.
- Add warm water, plain yogurt and ½ tsp fenugreek seeds to the flour.
- Mix well. Cover the bowl and keep in a warm place for 8 hours or overnight.
- If the weather is warm, keep the flour for fermenting on the counter top. Put it in the oven if the weather is cold.
PREPARE THE DANGELLA | TAWA HANDVO BATTER
- Add grated carrot, grated zucchini, chopped onion and spinach to the batter. The quantities given in the ingredient list is just a guidance. Add more or less of any veggies.
- Add salt, jaggery, turmeric powder, garam masala, red chilli powder if using any.
- Add ginger and green chilli pastes. Rub ajwain between your palms and add to the batter.
- Mix the batter well. If it appears a bit dry then add ½ - ¾ cup normal tap water, little at a time. The batter should not be too thick or appear dry.
PREPARE THE TEMPERING OR VAGHAR
- Heat oil in a small pan over low to medium heat.
- Add fenugreek seeds. When they begin to sizzle add mustard and cumin seeds.
- Add asafoetida. Mix the tempering and immediately pour it over the batter.
- Add about 2 tbsp water to the hot pan carefully. Give it a swirl and add the water to the batter.
FINAL PREPARATION OF DANGELLA BATTER
- When you are ready to make the dangella or tawa handvo, add Eno or baking powder.
- Give the batter a good stir.
COOK THE DANGELLA | TAWA HANDVO
- You need a skillet or frying pan which you can cover without touching the batter which is been cooked.
- Heat the frying pan or skillet over medium heat till it becomes hot.
- Brush the bottom of the pan with some oil.
- For small dangella add about ¼ cup of the batter. Spread a bit to level it out.
- Sprinkle about 1 tsp of sesame seeds over the top of the batter.
- Drizzle about 1 tsp of oil around the dangella.
- Cover the pan with the lid. Allow the dangella to cook for 2-3 minutes over low heat.
- Remove the lid. The top of the dangella should not appear too wet.
- Flip it over. Drizzle 1 tsp oil around the dangella. Cook till golden brown spots are formed.
- Dangella is ready. Enjoy it with your favourite pickle, chutney or masala chai.
- Repeat the above steps with the remaining batter.
- To make thinner and bigger dangella, add about ½ cup batter and spread out gently to a circle of about 5-6 inches in diameter.
Notes
- Replace bottle gourd with zucchini.
- If you don't have fresh fenugreek, add spinach or baby kale.
- Can add grated cabbage if you want to.
- To make the top and bottom of the dangella crispy, you may need to add a bit more oil.
- If the batter is not sour then add some lemon juice.
- The quantity of vegetables is a rough guidance. Add more or less of any of the vegetables.
- Can make it without onion.
- Don't add asafoetida if you want gluten free dangella.
- If by mistake you add too much water, add some semolina to the batter and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes. It will soak up the extra water.
- Dangella taste good even when they are cold.
Pin For Later
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15 Comments
Nupur UK-Rasoi
June 28, 2013 at 1:23 pm
Very unique and easy to make breakfast Mayuri, I have bookmarked for later use 🙂
For some reason, I cant comment on all of your posts Mayuri. Its just not showing me the Comment box, I was only randomly surfing through your recipes when checked at this post, and I could comment. Have you had this issue with some other blogger too, or is it just me ?
Nisa@flavour Diary
June 13, 2016 at 1:36 am
Beautiful tempting pic…bookmarking it dee
Wendy Klik
February 14, 2024 at 7:17 am
I will have to check my International Marketplace and see if I’m able to find that flour. I would love to try these.
mayurisjikoni
February 14, 2024 at 8:46 pm
Thanks Wendy. The flour is sold as handvo (ondhwa) or dhokla flour. I know it is easily available in Indian Stores. Or give it a try with coarse corn flour.
Colleen – Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck
February 14, 2024 at 2:29 pm
This sounds absolutely delicious…especially with all of those veggies. A great recipe to make when my vegetable bin is overflowing!
mayurisjikoni
February 14, 2024 at 8:42 pm
Thanks Colleen, that’s right, a great way to use up veggies.
Karen’s Kitchen Stories
February 15, 2024 at 12:18 am
This sounds so fantastic! Lucky for me I live within a large Indian community in California with lots of Indian grocery stores so I can’t wait to hunt down the flour and ingredients. After all, I am an ingredient hoarder, lol! Beautiful new photos!
mayurisjikoni
February 15, 2024 at 2:50 pm
Lucky you Karen, I miss an Indian Store near me. I get all the dry ingredients from Montreal but miss the fresh Indian vegetables as they cannot be parcelled. Please do try out the recipe. Buy a small bag for the trial. The flour is handvo (ondhwa) or dhokla flour.
Sneha Datar
February 16, 2024 at 3:41 am
This is a quick and to go breakfast item in my house and this dangela looks so tempting!
mayurisjikoni
February 16, 2024 at 12:45 pm
Thanks Sneha. We too love it and I make it often.
Stacy
February 16, 2024 at 5:01 pm
I love all the colors and flavors in your pancakes, Mayuri! I am adding the handvo flour to my list for the next time I go to my favorite Indian grocery store. They have an entire aisle of different flours, most of which I’ve never of, so I am hoping they have it.
mayurisjikoni
February 16, 2024 at 6:56 pm
Thank you so much Stacy. Am sure they will have it either as handvo (ondhwa) or dhokla flour. It is an excellent way to enjoy lots of veggies. Best part is that it tastes equally good when it is cold.
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February 20, 2024 at 1:07 am
[…] Mayuri’s Jikoni: Dangella | Tawa Handvo […]
Radha
February 23, 2024 at 7:13 pm
YUM! This taw version is similar to our South Indian adai. I would love to have this any time of the day.
mayurisjikoni
February 25, 2024 at 3:56 am
Thanks Radha, do try the recipe out. It’s quite different in taste.