Handvo (Spicy Rice-Lentils Cake)

Healthy and yummylicious mixed lentils and rice cake recipe from the Gujarati cuisine. Handvo is a popular breakfast in Gujju families and even you can eat as a snack with your hot tea. It is a baked cake made with a fermented batter of rice and various lentils that is mixed with spices and vegetable. This spicy and savoury cake is soft inside and crisp outside. This can be made using Handvo flour or a batter made from scratch using rice and lentils. And yes, I have prepared this from scratch, as I cannot get Handvo flour here.

The protein-packed and most healthy spicy cake is full of nutrients and goodness of vegetables, and aroma is outstanding. I have personally prepared this guilt-free cake for our breakfast. This overwhelming, Handvo, a flavourful savoury cake-like dish and much better with bottle gourd; but I have used zucchini.

Gujrati cuisine has an impressive line-up of delicious savoury snacks and breakfast. I love all those dishes personally even my family too. Every Gujarati family will have their own version of Handvo, like some, adds pickle spices and oil in it for extra flavoursome. I have made it extra spicy. So, I love this savoury cake a bit spicy and a nice crust on top and bottom. It is diet-friendly too, because of protein and very less oil; no guilt when I take a big piece in my plate.

You can replace dairy yogurt with vegan yogurt or add lemon juice for a vegan recipe version. Ferment the batter without the lemon or tamarind. Add it just before baking. It is a wonderful breakfast and perfect teatime snack, a protein-packed recipe with the goodness of vegetables that you can give your little munchkins too.

I love this savoury and spicy cake with my piping hot masala chai and spicy green chutney. Handvo can be served as a snack, breakfast, lunch, or light supper as it can be a meal itself. Many serve it with buttermilk as well.

So, Enjoy it. Stay healthy, stay humble!

Yields6 Servings
Prep Time15 minsCook Time45 minsTotal Time1 hr

Ingredients

Soaking Time: 4 Hours | Fermentation Time: 8 Hours
Handvo batter
 1 cup Basmati rice
 ½ cup Moong dal
 ¼ cup Chana dal
 ¼ cup Toor dal
 ¼ cup White urad dal
 1 cup Very sour yogurt
 Salt as per taste
 1 tbsp Turmeric
Spices and vegetables
 1 cup Grated bottle gourd or zucchini
 1 tbsp Dried fenugreek
 2 tbsp Red chilli powder
 2 tbsp Ginger and green chillies crushed
 2 tbsp Lemon juice
 2 tbsp Sugar
 3 tbsp Fresh coriander leaves
 1 tbsp Baking soda
Tadka (tempering)
 3 tbsp Oil
 1 tbsp Mustard seeds
 1 tbsp Cumin seeds
 ½ tbsp Asafoetida
 4 tbsp Sesame seeds
 10 qts Curry leaves

Instructions

Handvo batter mix
1

Clean, wash and soak rice and all the lentils and soak for 4 hours.

2

Once soaked discard all the water and grind both in a grinder until you get little coarse mixture (like semolina).

3

Transfer Handvo mixture into big pan, add sour yogurt, salt, and turmeric.

4

Mix very well and leave to ferment for another 8 hour (mixture should get double in size).

Handvo
5

Once you are ready to prepare Handvo, preheat oven to 180-degree Celcius.

6

Mix all the spices, dried fenugreek and grated vegetable I use zucchini.

7

If the batter is too thick add few tablespoons of water. 

8

Once well mixed then prepare tempering by heating oil in a small pan.

9

Add seeds and asafoetida. When crackled, add curry leaves.

10

Pour 1 tbsp tempering into the Handvo mix.

11

Now pour Handvo mixture (batter) in a baking tray and pour remaining tempering on top of it.

12

Generously sprinkle sesame seeds and bake Handvo for 45-50 minutes in the preheated oven or screwer comes out clean.

13

Once done wait for few minutes and then cut into pieces.

Ingredients

Soaking Time: 4 Hours | Fermentation Time: 8 Hours
Handvo batter
 1 cup Basmati rice
 ½ cup Moong dal
 ¼ cup Chana dal
 ¼ cup Toor dal
 ¼ cup White urad dal
 1 cup Very sour yogurt
 Salt as per taste
 1 tbsp Turmeric
Spices and vegetables
 1 cup Grated bottle gourd or zucchini
 1 tbsp Dried fenugreek
 2 tbsp Red chilli powder
 2 tbsp Ginger and green chillies crushed
 2 tbsp Lemon juice
 2 tbsp Sugar
 3 tbsp Fresh coriander leaves
 1 tbsp Baking soda
Tadka (tempering)
 3 tbsp Oil
 1 tbsp Mustard seeds
 1 tbsp Cumin seeds
 ½ tbsp Asafoetida
 4 tbsp Sesame seeds
 10 qts Curry leaves

Directions

Handvo batter mix
1

Clean, wash and soak rice and all the lentils and soak for 4 hours.

2

Once soaked discard all the water and grind both in a grinder until you get little coarse mixture (like semolina).

3

Transfer Handvo mixture into big pan, add sour yogurt, salt, and turmeric.

4

Mix very well and leave to ferment for another 8 hour (mixture should get double in size).

Handvo
5

Once you are ready to prepare Handvo, preheat oven to 180-degree Celcius.

6

Mix all the spices, dried fenugreek and grated vegetable I use zucchini.

7

If the batter is too thick add few tablespoons of water. 

8

Once well mixed then prepare tempering by heating oil in a small pan.

9

Add seeds and asafoetida. When crackled, add curry leaves.

10

Pour 1 tbsp tempering into the Handvo mix.

11

Now pour Handvo mixture (batter) in a baking tray and pour remaining tempering on top of it.

12

Generously sprinkle sesame seeds and bake Handvo for 45-50 minutes in the preheated oven or screwer comes out clean.

13

Once done wait for few minutes and then cut into pieces.

Handvo (Spicy Rice-Lentils Cake)
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