Baked Handvo Recipe – Savory Indian Lentil Cake

Baked Handvo Recipe – Savory Indian Lentil Cake: originating from Gujarat, India, this is an extremely popular and delicious cake using rice, a mix of lentils, vegetables, spices, and herbs. Perfectly textured and great as an appetizer for festivals or tea/coffee.

WHAT IS BAKED HANDVO?

One of my Favorite things about Indian cuisine is the diversity it provides whether in snacks, entrees, sides, or desserts.

You can say “There’s never a bland or boring food moment” ! 

Every state has its own popular dishes and one such dish is ‘Gujarati Handvo’, which is from the western state of India (Gujrat). 

It’s a savory cake made from a mix of lentils (mixed or 1 particular), along with rice, grated veggies like Lauki (also known as ‘doodhi’ – being the most popular one in this), carrots, cabbage, basic spices and herbs (which is added on top once baked).

• The texture is grainy but beautifully held together by the mix and it tastes absolutely delicious. 
• It’s also a great source of protein and vitamins.

However, earlier most of these stately dishes were limited to their region unless made famous by interstate or international travelers.

But, due to social media and other plethora of platforms, this deliciousness has transcended regional boundaries and found its way into the hearts and kitchens of food lovers worldwide.

I first had it during one of the local volunteering events in California and my volunteering partner’s mom (from Gujarat), had sent this to us.

With the first bite, I completely fell in love with it and was extremely surprised as I’d never had a lentil cake before it and was totally in AWE of it !!

So, what’s the next best thing after tasting this deliciousness? 

We learn how to make it 😉 and his mom so graciously taught us how to make this. 

This recipe is exactly like how Aunty taught us except for ‘lauki’, I’m using zucchini but you cannot tell the difference.

So this upcoming Holi season, I thought why not create a ‘Savory Lentil Cake’ recipe and share it with you for a fun-festive gathering! 

I’m making it with mixed dals but you can make it with one or two dals too.

BAKED HANDVO RECIPE INGREDIENTS (SAVORY LENTIL CAKE)

Before, we go ahead with the process, let’s gather these easy-peasy ingredients.

I’m dividing it in subheadings for easier understanding and usage:

• Rice
• Chana dal (Bengal split gram)
• Toor dal (split pigeon peas)
• Green Moong Dal (split green gram) 
• Urad dal
• Yogurt (curd/dahi)
• Sugar
• Fruit Salt (Eno)
• Vegetable Oil

Vegetables (Use as per choice or substitute):

• Zucchini, can use lauki
• Cabbage
• Carrot
• Green Chilli, finely chopped
• Ginger paste
• Coriander, finely chopped
• Lemon, sliced or quartered

Spices:

• Kashmiri red chilli powder
• Turmeric powder (haldi)
• Salt

For Tempering:

• Few Curry leaves
• Olive oil
• Mustard
• Sugar
• Sesame Seed (til)
• Pinch of Asafoetida (hing)
• Coconut powder

Now, that you have all the ingredients, let’s start making our dish 🙂

HOW TO MAKE EASY HANDVO RECIPE: 

This dish can be made in many ways, like the traditional stovetop, instant pot, oven, or even pressure cooker.

I’m making it in the oven. 

Again, dividing the steps into sub-headings for easier understanding and process:

Soaking the Lentil-Rice Mix:

• Take a large bowl/pan and add all the lentils, rice and water.
• Give it a quick stir and soak this for 30 minutes (for a quicker recipe or 4-5 hours if you have time for fermented airy texture).

Making the Mix Batter:

• Once soaked, drain the water and transfer this mix to a food processor or grinder.
• Make a granular batter by pulsing for 3-4 minutes.

Adding the Spices and Veggies:

• Now, transfer the batter to the same bowl and add the yogurt, spices and grated veggies.
• Add the fruit salt (eno) and Mix to form a consistent batter.

Baking the Handvo:

• Transfer this mixed batter to an oiled/buttered cake tin.
• Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 30-40 mins or until golden brown.

Making the Tempering (Optional Step) Highly Recommended for Flavors:

• Heat a pan and add all the tempering ingredients.
• Cook on low-medium flames for 2 minutes and turn of the heat.
• Drizzle this tempering over the warm cake.
• Add chopped cilantro, coconut powder, and add a few slices of lemon on top

The cake is baked until golden brown, resulting in a crusty exterior that gives way to a moist and flavorful interior.

Now this grand beauty and flavors are ready to be served along with a choice of refreshment drinks.

The beauty of Handvo lies in its simplicity and the judicious use of ingredients.

The key components include rice, lentils (such as split green gram and split Bengal gram), yogurt, and an assortment of vegetables.

The magic, however, happens with the addition of a unique blend of spices, including mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, and curry leaves.

Traditionally, Handvo is cooked in a special pan called a ‘Handvo cooker’ or in a thick-bottomed pan on the stovetop.

However, modern adaptations often involve baking for convenience and the tantalizing aroma that fills the kitchen during baking is enough to whet anyone’s appetite.

Tried Our Recipe – AWESOME!!!

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Yield: 15 people

Baked Handvo Recipe - Savory Indian Lentil Cake

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Baked Handvo Recipe - Savory Indian Lentil Cake: originating from Gujarat, India, this is an extremely popular and delicious cake using rice, a mix of lentils, vegetables, spices, and herbs. Perfectly textured and great as an appetizer for festivals or tea/coffee.

Prep Time 50 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup white rice, I’m using white, you can use brown rice too

• 1/2 cup chana dal (Bengal split gram)
• 
1/4 cup toor dal (split pigeon peas)
• 1/4 cup moong dal (split green gram)
• 
2 tbsp urad dal 
1/2 cup yogurt (curd/dahi)
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp fruit salt (Eno)
• 2 tsp vegetable oil


Vegetables (Use as per choice or substitute):

• 1 cup Zucchini, can use lauki
• 1/4 cup Cabbage, grated or thinly chopped
• 1/4 cup Carrot, grated
• 1 Green Chilli, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp Ginger paste
• Few Sprigs of Coriander, finely chopped
• 1 Lemon, sliced or quartered

Spices:

• 1 tsp Turmeric powder (haldi)
• 1/2 tsp Salt

For Tempering:

• 3 tsp of Olive oil
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds (rae dana)
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 2 tsp Sesame Seed (til)
• Pinch of Asafoetida (hing)
• 2 tsp Coconut powder

Instructions

I'm diving the recipe into smaller parts for easier understanding and process:

Soaking the Lentil-Rice Mix:

• Take a large bowl/pan and add all the lentils, rice and water.
• Give it a quick stir and soak this for 30 minutes (for a quicker recipe or 4-5 hours if you have time for fermented airy texture).

Making the Mix Batter:

• Once soaked, drain the water and transfer this mix to a food processor or grinder.
• Make a granular batter by pulsing for 3-4 minutes.

Adding the Spices and Veggies:

• Now, transfer the batter to the same bowl and add the yogurt, spices and grated veggies.
• Add the fruit salt (eno) and Mix to form a consistent batter.

Baking the Handvo:

• Transfer this mixed batter to an oiled/buttered cake tin.
• Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 30-40 mins or until golden brown.

Making the Tempering (Optional Step) Highly Recommended for Flavors:

• Heat a pan and add all the tempering ingredients.
• Cook on low-medium flames for 2 minutes and turn of the heat.
• Drizzle this tempering over the warm cake.
• Add chopped cilantro, coconut powder, and add a few slices of lemon on top

Serve the Handvo or Savory Lentil Cake with your favorite refreshment.

Notes

Rice - I’m using white, you can use brown rice too


Lentils - I'm using a mix of lentils but you can make this using 1 kind of lentil or two.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

18

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 59Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 130mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 2g