Handvoહાંડવો
Video: Your Food Lab (YouTube)
Handvo is Gujarat's original savory fermented cake — a thick, spiced batter of rice and mixed dals mixed with grated bottle gourd, cooked low and slow until a crunchy sesame crust forms on the outside and the inside stays moist and tangy from overnight fermentation. It is eaten at breakfast or tea time, traditionally sliced from a large round that’s been cooked in a heavy tawa. Every household has its own balance of heat and spice; the batter’s sourness is what makes it distinctive.
📍 Make it in Plano
This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.
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Ingredients
- ▪raw rice1 cup
- ▪chana dal (split chickpeas)½ cup
- ▪urad dal (black gram, skinned)¼ cup
- ▪toor dal (pigeon peas)¼ cup
- ▪sour yogurt (dahi)½ cup
- ▪bottle gourd (lauki / dudhi) — grated, moisture squeezed1 cup
- ▪ginger-green chili paste1½ tbsp
- ▪turmeric½ tsp
- ▪red chili powder1 tsp
- ▪sesame seeds (tal)2 tbsp
- ▪mustard seeds (rai)1 tsp
- ▪cumin seeds (jeera)1 tsp
- ▪curry leaves (limbdu na paan)2 sprigs
- ▪oil3 tbsp
- ▪Eno fruit salt (or ½ tsp baking soda)1 tsp
- ▪salt and sugar1½ tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar
- Frozen grated dudhi (bottle gourd) is sold at South Asian grocery stores outside India — thaw and squeeze firmly before using to avoid a wet batter.
- In cool climates fermentation slows: place the covered bowl in a warm oven with just the pilot light on, or in a turned-off oven with a cup of boiling water placed beside it overnight.
- No handvo-specific pan is needed — a 9-inch cast-iron skillet works on the stovetop, or pour batter into a greased 9-inch cake pan and bake at 180 °C / 350 °F for 35–40 minutes.
Method
- 1Combine rice and all three dals; rinse well; soak together in plenty of water for 5–6 hours.
- 2Drain, then blend with yogurt and just enough water to a coarse, thick batter (not smooth). Transfer to a bowl; cover and ferment at room temperature 8–10 hours or overnight until slightly sour and bubbly.
- 3Stir grated bottle gourd, ginger-chili paste, turmeric, chili powder, salt, and sugar into the fermented batter.
- 4Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed, lidded pan (22–24 cm). Add mustard seeds, cumin, sesame, and curry leaves; let splutter 30 seconds. Pour half this tadka into the batter; stir to combine. Leave the other half in the pan.
- 5Sprinkle Eno over the batter and fold quickly — the batter will foam and lighten. Pour immediately into the pan over the remaining tadka; spread evenly.
- 6Cover tightly; cook on medium-low heat 20–25 minutes without lifting the lid until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean and the underside is deep golden and crisp.
- 7Slide onto a board, then flip back into the pan (or under a broiler for 4–5 min) to brown the top. Slice into wedges; serve hot with tamarind or green chutney.
A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.