Handvo
What is Handvo?
Handvo, is a famous Gujarati savory snack that is baked. Grated bottle gourd, fresh fenugreek and other vegetables are added along with spices to the lentil rice batter. Handvo is mostly enjoyed as a snack but we love to have it for dinner. Traditionally, baked with charcoal or wood fire under and on top, these days it is so much easier to bake in the oven.
Gujarati Snacks
The Gujarati Cuisine is well known for its huge variety snack dishes. Some of the most popular snacks or farsan as they are called are as below. These snacks are served as a light meal or along with the main meal.
More About Handvo
Every Gujarati household will have their version of handvo. While, some add only bottle gourd(doodhi) and fresh fenugreek, others add other vegetables.Some love it extra chili and sweet. Others love it with more oil. Handvo is one snack that is made when one is traveling, going for picnics, as a light meal or snack to be enjoyed any time of the day. Some like their handvo soft but my family loves it when there is a crust at the bottom and top. Everyone fights for the side pieces and the inner soft ones get left till the next day.
My MIL would add onion, carrots, cabbage, doodhi (bottle gourd) and so many other ingredients. My bhabhi adds cooked peas too. Any version and they all taste good. Make a thin layer or a thick layer, the choice is yours. Add whatever vegetable you like. The more the merrier! Ready made handvo flour is available in most shops but I prefer to make it with soaked rice and lentils. The handvo turns out softer. If you’re fighting for time then go ahead and use the ready made handvo flour.
The secret to a healthier and softer handvo is to add more vegetables than the flour. I love adding spinach too whenever possible. Handvo is a great way to get fussy veggie eaters to enjoy vegetables, especially bottle gourd.
Memories – masala chai, handvo, drive-in
I remember my mum would make handvo practically every Sunday. If we were going to Drive In to watch a movie or having a meal at home, Sunday would be handvo day. She would make it on a jiko (sigri) with more hot coal on top of the pan or sufuria. That handvo always tasted yummy and soft. Modern times and the charcoal stoves are out and in come the ovens. Not the same as the jiko one but I still make handvo as its one of my favourite snack.
Serve Handvo at Parties
Whenever I prepare handvo for tea parties I like to bake them like muffins. However, please do not use cake paper cups. I prefer using the silicon moulds as the handvo comes out easily. First time when I tried baking them like muffins, I used the normal aluminum moulds and though I had oiled them, it was a struggle to remove the handvo. I left them in the mould and we spooned it out when we had it. With paper cups, the paper got stuck to the handvo as the batter is quite runny. SO PLEASE USE SILICON MOLDS.
Ingredients Required For Handvo
- Rice – use any variety of white rice
- Moong Dal – split moong dal, wither the green or yellow one OR Chana Dal (split chickpea lentil). Or can use half half of both.
- Semolina – for a gluten free version replace the semolina with fine cornmeal
- Yogurt – plain and a bit sour. For vegan version use vegan yogurt or replace with lemon juice or tamarind sauce
- Warm Water – for soaking, grinding and adding to the batter
- Fenugreek Seeds – methi dana, to add to the batter and also for tempering
- Mustard Seeds – rai, for tempering
- Ajwain – ajmo, carom seeds for tempering
- Sesame Seeds – tal. To sprinkle on top of the batter.
- Fresh Fenugreek – methi. If you don’t get fresh fenugreek use spinach. Finely chopped
- Bottle Gourd – Doodhi, peeled and grated. Can replace it with zucchini, cabbage.
- Carrot – peeled and grated.
- Onion – red or white, chopped. Optional
- Green Chilli Paste
- Fresh Ginger – peeled and minced or grated
- Cinnamon Powder – taj
- Clove Powder – laving
- Turmeric Powder – haldi, hardar
- Sugar – use any brown or coconut. Can replace it jaggery powder
- Salt – according to your taste
- Soda Bicarbonate – Baking Soda, required as a leavening agent
- Oil – for greasing the tray and for tempering
- Cloves – whole – for tempering
- Cinnamon – for tempering
- Pepper corns – for tempering
- Whole Dry Red Chillis – for tempering, optional
- Asafetida – hing. Don’t add if you want a gluten free handvo. If you have gluten free asafetida then you may use it.
Dietary Tips:
- For a Gluten free handvo avoid adding semolina and replace it with some fine cornmeal. Also do not use asafetida.
- For a Vegan version replace dairy yogurt with vegan yogurt or add lemon juice or tamarind. Let the batter ferment without the lemon or tamarind. Add just before baking.
- For a Satvik version, don’t add onion.
HANDVO
Ingredients
For The Handvo Batter:
- 2 cups rice
- ¾ cup yellow moong or chana dal
- ¼ cup split pigeon pea lentil
- 1 cup sour yogurt
- ¼ cup warm water
- ¼ cup semolina or cornmeal
- ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
- 2 cups chopped fresh fenugreek
- 1 cup grated carrot
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 - 3 cups lightly packed grated bottle gourd
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- ½ tsp clove powder
- ½ tsp soda bicarbonate baking soda
- 2 tsps salt
- 2 to 3 tsps sugar
- 2 tsps ginger paste
- 1 tsp green chilli paste
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ to 1 tsp red chilli powder
For Tempering (vaghar):
- ¼ cup oil
- 4 to 6 cloves
- 8 to 10 peppercorns
- 2 one inch cinnamon sticks
- 1 tsp mustard seeds rai
- 1 tsp cumin seeds jeera
- ½ tsp fenugreek seeds methi
- ¼ tsp carom seeds ajwain
- 1 to 2 whole dry red chillis optional
- ¼ tsp asafoetida hing
Topping and Greasing:
- ¼ cup sesame seeds tal
- 2 tbsp oil
Instructions
Preparation of The Handvo Batter:
- Soak rice and lentils separately for 6 to 8 hours in lukewarm water.
- Drain out the water, wash the rice and lentils separately in a sieve.
- Process the rice and then the lentils in a food processor into a grainy and coarse consistency. Add just enough water to process the rice and lentils.
- Mix both the pastes.
- Add yogurt, warm water and ¼ tsp methi seeds to the mixture and mix well.
- Cover the mixture and leave it to ferment in a warm place for 6 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Add semolina, vegetables, salt, sugar and spices except for the baking soda.
- Mix the batter well.
Tempering:
- Heat oil for tempering in a small pan.
- When it is hot add cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, methi, dry chillis, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, carom seeds and finally hing.
- Pour the tempered oil into the batter and mix it well.
- Finally add soda bicarbonate and mix well.
Baking Handvo:
- Grease a tray about 16X12 inches with 2 tbsp oil.
- Pour the batter into the tray and level it out with a spoon. The batter should be a bit runny.
- Sprinkle the sesame seeds over it.
- Put the tray into the hot oven and bake the handvo for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes increase the temperature to 200°C and bake further for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the top to becomes brown or place it under the hot grill or broiler for 5 minutes.
- Remove the handvo from the oven.
- Let it cool down completely in the tray before you cut it into pieces.
- Serve with nice masala tea or milk.
Notes
- Add grated cabbage instead of doodhi or a bit of both.
- Add finely chopped spinach (palak).
- For a more crunchier top, drizzle some extra oil on top before baking.
- Adjust the amount of spices according to your taste.
- The size of the tray is just a guidance, use 2 small trays or any you prefer. As I mentioned before, depends on how thick or thin you want the handvo to be.
- Add grated zucchini along with the doodhi.
Pin for later:
A little request:
If you do try this recipe then please either
- add a comment below,
- send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
- tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
- or tag me on Twitter as #Mayuri1962
23 Comments
Shobha
February 24, 2018 at 10:27 pm
Handvo is a very healthy snack.. I make it often. I learnt it from my Gujarati friends in Brazil
Give Me Some Spice
February 25, 2018 at 8:00 pm
Love the colour of your handvo. I too usesilicon muffin cups now. You are right – the handvo we made on the sagri tasted so good.
Srivalli
February 26, 2018 at 10:20 am
Handvo is one dish I am yet to make..your cake looks so yum!
Priya Suresh
February 26, 2018 at 2:43 pm
Wow, new clicks rocks Mayuri, though handvo calls for a long list of ingredients i dont bother to make them soon at home. Irresistible definitely.
Sandhiya
February 26, 2018 at 8:53 pm
Such a healthy & tasty snack !!! Never tried my hands on handvo so far, bookmarked to try. Very inviting !!!
sushma
February 26, 2018 at 9:37 pm
Handvo looks too good. My next door neighbors are Gujarati's when ever they make these kind of snacks, they make sure I too get some of these.
Jayashree
February 27, 2018 at 5:30 am
This is one dish that I've been wanting to try for some time now. If I were to use handvo flour, should I just skip steps 1-4 and mix the flour with yogurt?
vaishali sabnani
February 27, 2018 at 1:33 pm
The handvo tea combo is such a classic Gujju combo..even we love it.
Usha
February 27, 2018 at 2:54 pm
Handvo has come out so good. Baked tray of handvo picture (last second one) is inviting. I recently made handvo at home from scratch, soaking rice & lentils. I totally loved it.
Jayanthi
February 28, 2018 at 3:27 am
I've heard about this dish from my Guju friends. Will need to try. Looks amazing
Sapana Behl
February 28, 2018 at 6:12 pm
I am yet to make handvo but have tried it several times at a Gujrati friend's house. The tray pics are so beautiful.
Harini R
March 1, 2018 at 4:34 pm
I am yet to try this much acclaimed Gujarati snack. The clicks look super inviting. I am tempted to make it today.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
March 2, 2018 at 3:18 pm
One of my friend always makes me tray full of handvo. We moved from that city and no longer get to eat hers. Love the recipe and your clicks make it so inviting!
Padmajha PJ
March 2, 2018 at 3:26 pm
Beautiful presentation Mayuri.Love the ones in the muffin mooulds.
Priya Srinivasan
March 9, 2018 at 5:02 pm
wow, just wow, that toppings is calling my name!! i love crunchy sesame seed topping!! Handvo is our favorite snack at home, baked version looks perfect!!!
Chef Mireille
March 12, 2018 at 8:20 am
made handvo a few years ago and loved it entirely – you are reminding me I should make it again soon
ARCHANA
November 15, 2019 at 2:18 pm
Wow!!! Such a lovely handvo. We love handvo and your handvo is call me to make immediately. Such a yummy handvo.
mayurisjikoni
November 15, 2019 at 6:13 pm
Thank you so much Archana.
greenbowl2soulgmailcom
November 17, 2019 at 3:50 pm
I have heard so much about handvo but never tried it. Now, your post has motivated me to try it soon. It looks delicious.
mayurisjikoni
November 18, 2019 at 3:52 pm
Hope you try Vandana, its an awesome baked savory dish.
Mireille Roc (@ChefMireille)
November 17, 2019 at 8:07 pm
I made it once using a variety of vegetables including chayote and carrot. Next time I will try this traditional version using only dudhi!
mayurisjikoni
November 18, 2019 at 3:49 pm
It must have turned out nice Miireille, when one doesn’t get dudhi any other veggies can be used.
amrita
April 11, 2020 at 12:55 pm
I love Gujarati snacks… this handvo looks tempting… thank you for sharing the detailed recipe and all the tips along with it..