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Handvo Tea Cakes

Handvo, spicy and savory lentil cake, is a popular Gujarati item. It is best served with tea or chhundo (mango pickle). I made these in a mini loaf pan. These bite size treats are perfect for breakfast or for an afternoon tea snack.
Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: Vegetarian, Jain Friendly

Ingredients

Handvo Batter

  • 1 cup rice
  • 1/2 cup toor dal (pigeon pea lentil)
  • 1/4 cup urad dal (black gram lentil)
  • 1/4 cup moong ni dal (split yellow gram lentil)
  • 1/4 cup dahi (yogurt)
  • 1 1/2 cup water soaking

Handvo Tempering

  • 1 tsp hing (asofetida)
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp methi (fenugreek) seeds
  • 1-2 red Kashmiri chilies whole

Handvo Filling

  • 1/4 cup tomato diced
  • 1/4 cup corn
  • 1/4 cup dudhi (bottle gourd) shredded
  • 1 tsp jaggery
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds garnish

Instructions

Handvo Batter

  • Rinse all the lentils and rice in water twice.
  • Soak in water overnight or 6-8 hours.
  • Drain all the water and grind the batter with yogurt. I used a Vitamix to blend.
  • Pour batter in a bowl and cover. Takes 7-8 hours for fermentation.

Handvo Tempering

  • Saute oil with hing, sesame seeds, methi seeds, red Kashmiri chilis, mustard seeds.
  • Pour the tempered oil into the fermented handvo batter.

Handvo

  • Preheat oven to 350° F.
  • Take the tempered handvo batter and add in salt, turmeric and cayenne pepper.
  • Add in all the veggies mentioned above.
  • Mix the batter well.
  • Pour into a mini loaf pan. Sprinkle jaggery and sesame seeds for garnishing.
  • Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
  • Once it is golden brown, turn off the oven and put the pan on a cooling rack.
  • Remove the mini handvo cakes and enjoy with tea or chhundo!

Notes

You can make the batter ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to prepare handvo. You can also add any veggies of your choice. You can make this in a regular pan or muffin pan too. I prefer making it in a mini loaf pan as I like smaller portions.  Garnishing jaggery is optional, but I prefer my handvo sweet and savory without adding additional sugar.