Handvo recipe With step by step pics – Gujarati handvo is a savory baked snack made with mixed lentils & rice. In this recipe I am sharing how to make handvo in a pan. Since handvo is made from lentils and is fermented, it is a healthy snack.
This Gujarati handvo recipe comes from my sister’s friend. Her mom makes excellent handvo and my sis got this recipe from her. I tried and it gave good results. So I thought of sharing it.
Handvo is one of the popular Gujarati recipe. Usually there is a special handvo cooker that is used in making handvo. But handvo can be baked even in an oven or pressure cooker. I even baked this handvo recipe in a pressure cooker and the baked handvo was also good. Few more popular Gujarati recipes shared on blog are:
The uniqueness of this recipe is that it has more proportion of moong dal and does not use chana dal. Though chana dal can be added if you want. Bottle gourd (lauki) is also used in the recipe. But you can use other veggies like carrots, peas or spinach.
Handvo can be served as a breakfast or even an evening snack. You can serve handvo with coriander chutney or even papaya chutney.
Handvo Recipe
INGREDIENTS
for soaking & grinding:
- 1 cup regular rice (chawal)
- ½ cup moong dal (mung lentils)
- 1 tablespoon tuvar dal (pigeon pea lentils)
- 1 tablespoon urad dal (split & husked black gram)
- enough water for soaking
- ½ cup fresh curd (dahi or yogurt)
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
for paste:
- 1 inch ginger or 1 teaspoon chopped ginger (adrak)
- 4 medium garlic cloves or 1 teaspoon chopped garlic (lahsun)
- 1 to 2 green chilies or 2 teaspoons chopped green chilies
- 1 tablespoon water for grinding
for tempering:
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
- 5 to 6 fenugreek seeds (methi dana)
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 1 teaspoon chopped curry leaves (kadi patta)
- 1 cup tightly packed grated bottle gourd (lauki or ghia or dudhi or opo squash)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder (dhania powder)
- ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves (dhania patta)
other ingredient:
- salt as required
- 4 to 5 teaspoons oil for greasing pan
- white sesame seeds as required
INSTRUCTIONS
soaking rice and dals:
- In a bowl or pan take 1 cup rice, ½ cup moong dal. 1 tablespoon tuvar dal and 1 tablespoon urad dal
- You can add 1 tablespoon chana dal if you want.
- Rinse a couple of times with water and then soak rice & dals for 4 to 5 hours in enough water.
grinding & fermenting handvo batter:
- Later drain all the water and add the rice & dals in a grinder jar.
- Add ½ cup curd (dahi).
- Grind to a batter where you get a rava like consistency in the rice. You can grind the batter in batches also. Do not add any water while grinding.
- Remove the batter in a bowl. Add ¼ teaspoon baking soda.
- Mix very well. Cover the pan and ferment the batter for 8 to 9 hours or overnight.
- Next day the batter will have tiny bubbles and a faint sour aroma.
preparation and tempering for handvo batter:
- In a small grinder take 1 teaspoon chopped ginger, 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, 2 teaspoons chopped green chilies.
- Add 1 tablespoon water and grind to a smooth paste. Keep aside. You can even crush ginger, garlic and green chilies in a mortar-pestle.
- Rinse, peel and grate 1 small bottle gourd (lauki, ghia, dudhi, opo squash). You will need 1 cup tightly packed grated bottle gourd.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small pan.
- Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and let them crackle.
- Then add 5 to 6 fenugreek seeds, 1 pinch asafoetida and 1 teaspoon chopped curry leaves.
- Fry for a few seconds.
- Then add the ginger+garlic+green chilli paste.
- Saute till the raw aroma of ginger and garlic goes away.
- Add 1 cup tightly packed grated bottle gourd.
- Also add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and ½ teaspoon coriander powder.
- Mix well and then switch off the flame.
- Now add ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves and mix well again.
- Add the tempered bottle gourd mixture to the handvo batter.
- Add salt as required and again mix very well.
making handvo recipe in pan:
- Heat a pan and spread 1 to 2 teaspoons oil in it. Spread on the sides too. Keep the flame to a low.
- Now pour 1.5 to 2 ladles of the handvo batter in the pan. Keep a thickness of 1 to 1.5 inches. You can add more also, but then the handvo will increase in size and take a long time to cook.
- Gently shake the pan, so that the batter spreads neatly or you can level the batter with the spoon.
- Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top all over the batter.
- Cover the pan with a lid and then cook handvo on a low flame.
- Do check a couple of times when the handvo is cooking.
- When you see the sides golden, then with a spatula gently lift and turn over. The top will also look cooked. You will also see some golden spots on the base.
- If you use more oil, the entire base will be crisp and golden. If less oil is used, then some golden spots will be visible.
- Cook the second side too. If you want you can drizzle some oil from the sides. When cooking the second side, no need to cover with lid.
- Cook till you see golden spots on this side too and the handvo gets cooked well.
- Remove and serve handvo hot with coriander chutney, sesame chutney or papaya chutney. This way prepare handvo with the rest of the batter. If there is leftover batter, then refrigerate it and use it the next day.
NUTRITION INFO (approximate values)
how to make Gujarati handvo recipe:
A) soaking rice and dals:
1. In a bowl or pan take 1 cup rice and ½ cup moong dal.
2. Add 1 tablespoon tuvar dal and 1 tablespoon urad dal. You can add 1 tablespoon chana dal if you want.
3. Rinse a couple of times with water and then soak rice & dals for 4 to 5 hours in enough water.
B) grinding & fermenting handvo batter:
4. Later drain all the water and add the rice & dals in a grinder jar.
5. Add ½ cup curd (dahi).
6. Grind to a batter where you get a rava like consistency in the rice.
7. you can grind the batter in batches also. Do not add any water while grinding.
8. Add ¼ teaspoon baking soda.
8. Mix very well. Cover the pan and ferment the batter for 8 to 9 hours or overnight.
9. Below pic of handvo batter the next day. The batter will have tiny bubbles and faint sour aroma. Since proper fermentation depends on a warm room temperature, keep for a few hours more, if you live in a cool climate.
Preparation and tempering for handvo batter
10. In a small grinder take 1 teaspoon chopped ginger, 1 teaspoon chopped garlic and 2 teaspoons chopped green chilies.
11. add 1 tablespoon water and grind to a smooth paste. Keep aside. You can even crush ginger, garlic and green chilies in a mortar-pestle.
12. Rinse, peel and grate 1 small bottle gourd (lauki, ghia, dudhi, opo squash). You will need 1 cup tightly packed grated bottle gourd.
13. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small pan. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds. Keep the flame to a low.
15. Let the mustard seeds crackle.
16. Then add 5 to 6 fenugreek seeds, 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) and 1 teaspoon chopped curry leaves.
17. Fry for a few seconds.
18. Then add the ginger+garlic+green chilli paste. Be careful as the mixture can splutter if you have added more water when grinding the paste.
19. Saute till the raw aroma of ginger and garlic goes away.
20. Add 1 cup tightly packed grated bottle gourd (lauki).
21. Also add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and ½ teaspoon coriander powder.
22. Mix well and then switch off the flame.
23. Now add ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves.
24. Mix well again.
25. Add the tempered bottle gourd mixture to the handvo batter.
26. Add salt as required.
27. Mix very well.
Making handvo in pan
28. Heat a pan and spread 1 to 2 teaspoons oil in it. Spread on the sides too. Keep the flame to a low. I have added less oil. If you add more oil, the base of the handvo becomes crisp and golden.
29. Now pour 1.5 to 2 ladles of the handvo batter in the pan. Keep a thickness of 1 to 1.5 inches. You can add more also, but then the handvo will increase in size and take a long time to cook. gently shake the pan, so that the batter spreads neatly or you can level the batter with the spoon.
30. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top all over the batter.
31. Cover the pan with a lid and then cook handvo on a low flame.
32. Do check a couple of times.
33. When you see the sides golden, then with a spatula gently lift and turn over. The top will also look cooked. You will also see some golden spots on the base. If you use more oil, the entire base will be crisp and golden. If less oil is used, then some golden spots will be visible.
34. Cook the second side too. If you want you can drizzle some oil from the sides. When cooking the second side, no need to cover with lid.
35. Cook till you see golden spots on this side too and the handvo gets cooked well.
36. Remove and Serve handvo hot with coriander chutney, sesame chutney or papaya chutney. This way prepare handvo with the rest of the batter. If there is leftover batter, then refrigerate it and use it the next day.
Can we use buttermilk instead of curd
yes, you can use buttermilk.
Hi what can I use instead of curds? I’m Vegan.
curd is added as it helps in fermentation of the batter. you can use vegan curd – like almond curd or cashew curd. in the absence of any curd, use 1/4th cup urad dal and 1/4th cup moong dal. rest of the ingredients is the same. add 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice in the batter. this will give some sourness to the batter and also help in fermentation. hope this helps.
Hi Dassana,
Made handvo as explained by you, and it came out very well.
Thanks for making the recipe seem very simple.
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thanks jyoti for the feedback on handvo recipe. glad to know.
can we make it in instant pot? it is really a yummy receipe.
thanks shakuntala. i have not used instant pot. so i can’t say.
Hi Dassana,Can you share this in the baked version. Baking temperature,time etc. Thanks
yes suparna i will try to add. for baking most recipes like handvo, you can bake at 180 degrees celsius for 25 to 30 minutes. also preheat oven at the same temperature for 15 minutes.
Hi Dassana! Please share recipe using readymade handvo powder
rashmi, i will share readymade handvo powder recipe. have taken the note of your recipe request.