Handvo -Gujarati savoury cake(Shortcut way)

What is Handvo? 

It is a Gujarati  baked dish made from various pulses, sesame and spices. It is a part of the Gujarati cuisine. It is often made with a bottle gourd filling, though a lot of other vegetables can be added. Sometimes crushed peanuts are also added.

You will find Handvo recipes everywhere that are really tiresome and have a very lengthy process involving a LOT of ingredients. Generally rice and dal are soaked then grinded and so on and so forth... But this recipe is really simple yet very tasty & also very easy to make.

A lot of people don't like bottle gourd . Friends you will see that all the Handvo recipe has grated bottle gourd in it.

But HERE I have using grated carrots and frozen peas instead of bottle gourd which became a big hit amongst my family. My husband  who is born and brought up in Gujrat doesn't like the traditional handvo with bottle gourd, .But he really loved this version ( without bottle gourd)and thoroughly enjoyed it to my surprise ;)

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup green peas (frozen Safal )
• 1 cup grated carrot
• One onion (chopped finely)
• Green chillies-6 (finely chopped)
• Garlic pods- 5-6 (cut into small pieces)
• Semolina (Sooji) - 1 cup
• Curd- 1 cup (if required can use some more)
• A pinch of baking soda

For tempering:-

• White sesame seeds
• Mustard seeds
• Little cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp of aesofotida (Hing)
• Curry leaves chopped finely.

Procedure:-

1.Mix all the ingredients and prepare a batter like we do for pancakes. Add salt according to your taste. The batter should not be too thick or too thin like buttermilk.

2. Place a pan over the stove and add 2 Tsp of oil. When the oil heats up add cumin, mustard seeds and curry leaves. When these start spluttering in the oil add the sesame seeds & fry for 1 min .

3.Now pour the full batter into the pan (like in the picture below) Cover it with a lid. Let it cook on low flame until the bottom as well as the sides of the cake start getting golden brown and crispy.

4.This takes around 15 mins. Cooking it slowly is very important otherwise the inside will remain uncooked and raw. Check upon it in every 5 minutes so that bottom doesn't get burnt.

5.Now flip it upside down and let it cook again, covering it with a lid. While turning it over I have spread some sesame seeds. Cook till the other side gets brown and crispy. If required add few drops of oil on the other the side.

6. Once done take it out and slice it like a cake or pizza and serve with green chutney.

~ENJOY~