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Easy handvo
Moist, veggie-packed and easy to pull off. Learn how to make handvo at home. My version of this traditional Gujarati savoury cake is made with a blend of semolina and chickpea flour and loaded with cabbage, peas, onions and cilantro. An all-time favourite, it's one healthy Indian recipe that we devour — and make on-repeat!
SERVES
10
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cup semolina
- 1/2 cup chickpea flour
- 2 cup yogurt 2% fat
- 3 cup cabbage green, washed and thinly sliced
- 2/3 cup peas frozen
- 1 onion large, diced in very small chunks
- 5 scallions finely chopped
- 1 cup cilantro washed, finely chopped
- 2 green chilies optional - you can add more or less
- 1/2 tablespoon sea salt
- 6 cloves garlic crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice approximately juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ENO fruit salt
Tempering of seed and curry leaves:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dried curry leaves
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C or gas mark 4).
- In a large mixing bowl, add semolina, chickpea flour, yogurt, cabbage, peas, onion, scallions, coriander leaves, chillies, salt, garlic, turmeric, and lemon juice and mix well.
- Heat the oil in a small pan and fry the curry leaves, mustard and seasme seeds until golden.
- Pour the oil and add it to the semolina-vegetables batter, along with half of the tempered curry leaves and seeds. Mix well. Save the remaining leaves and seeds for the topping.
- Add the baking soda and ENO (fruit salt) to the batter. Mix to combine.
- Pour batter into a cake pan, using a flat spatula to spread evenly.
- Top with the remaining curry leaves and seeds on send to bake for 50-60 minutes.
- Bake in the oven for 50-60 mins at 350 F (180 C or gas mark 4). Always check with a fork and make sure it comes out clean — indicating your handvo is cooked through.
- Let it cool for at least 20 minutes before removing from the pan and serving.
Notes:
- The batter – The best part about handvo is that perfect golden crust accompanied by a moist interior. That's why I use the specific ratio of semolina to chickpea flour. Like with any baking project, exact measurements are vital to assuring success
- The vegetables – Dice the onions and scallions into very small chunks. If they're too tiny, you'll lose the texture. If too large, they'll be crunchy, and you'll end up with big chunks in your mouth. The same goes with the cabbage; slice thinly.
- The cilantro: Choose as fresh as possible. This makes all the difference and exudes heaps of flavour.
- Tempering leaves and seeds in oil – Make sure the oil is nice and hot before adding the whole spices. Keep an eye not to burn these; otherwise the recipe will end up tasting bitter. You want them to be golden.
- Mixing the ingredients: Ensure all the ingredients are nicely mixted before baking in the oven.
- The cake pan: Use a high-quality non-stick pan and always line with parchment paper. I use the oil residue from the pan to oil the sides of my cake pan.
- Baking time: This will vary depending on your oven and can be from 50-60 minutes. Always check with a fork and make sure it comes out clean to indicate that your handvo is cooked.
- Cool it down: Although it's tempting to dive in and enjoy your creation, let it cool for at least 20 minutes before removing from the pan and serving.
