Guest Post: Handvo (Indian Savory Snack Cake)

There are many reasons I'm grateful to my best friend N. Just one among many is for introducing me to fantastic homemade Indian food in high school. Years later, this passion for Indian cuisine led me to discover a community of talented bloggers who inspired me to invest in some spices and dare to make Indian food in my own kitchen. One of those bloggers was Harini, who authors the lovely vegetarian Indian food blog Tongue Ticklers. Harini has the unique talent of not only cooking scrumptious Indian food, but also presenting and capturing it beautifully and creatively. Some of my favorite posts over the years have been her Vella Cheedai / Jaggery Balls, Mango Dessert Soup with Coconut Cream, Semiya Upma/Vermicelli Pasta Salad, and Keerai Masiyal / Mashed Greens Curry. Having enjoyed her work so much, I naturally wanted to share it with you. I'm delighted to introduce Harini today as my latest guest blogger. Please give her a warm welcome!

Hi, old and new friends :),

It is my pleasure to be invited as guest blogger to 6 Bittersweets, a home for delectable goodies and sinful visuals! Xiaolu as you all know, always puts her best food forward. So it was bit of tussle for me to choose a dish for I have to bring in something as gracious to the table! She gave me a free reign which made it a lot easier, her only wish being that I should bring in something Indian. Perfect! Indian food is comfort food to me.

Stove-top Variation

I am very proud of the diverse and wide culinary heritage India has to offer, and picking out one spectacular dish was a dilemma. We have more regional cuisines than States! I however decided on a dish that I feel has not received its share of the limelight. It is rustic but I am sure many of you can identify with it. For me this is an opportunity to show that Indian dishes serve more than just spicy curries.

Baked Variation

"Handvo" [haand – woe or aand-woe] is a savoury cake from the Western region of Gujarat. It is not traditionally a vegan dish but is easily adaptable. Along the way, I have made this dish my own, which I think is what cooking is all about. My version is quicker than the original version as I do not set aside the batter for fermentation. Instead I add baking powder to imitate the effect. A reason I chose handvo is that the recipe does not call for any hard-to-find ingredients. I am sure most of the ingredients are already stocked in your pantry!

Handvo makes a healthy, wholesome breakfast as it is a combination of lentils and rice. The original version calls for two tablespoon of wheat flour but since my daughter has allergies, my version is gluten free.

Pearl Millet Flour Variation

Handvo [Printable Recipe]
Serves 4

NOTES: My version is vegan, soy free, gluten free, nut free.

Ingredients:
To soak overnight:
4 Tbsp PLUS 1 tsp (61 g) rice
4 Tbsp PLUS 1 tsp (35 g) brown rice flour
4 Tbsp PLUS 1 tsp (61 g) split mung bean lentils [Optional]
4 Tbsp PLUS 1 tsp (61 g) split bengal gram lentils
4 Tbsp PLUS 1 tsp (61 g) husked black gram lentils
3/4 cup PLUS 1 Tbsp (200 ml) vegan buttermilk, and more if needed [Recipe follows]
About 3 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 2 small lemons

Spice mix:
1 Tbsp grated ginger
2 green chillies, chopped, or per taste
5 garlic cloves, or per taste, crushed lightly and peeled
3 Tbsp cilantro (coriander) leaves, finely chopped.
1/8 tsp asafoetida (hing)
4 to 5 Tbsp vegetable or any neutral oil
1 cup grated bottle gourd/zucchini, loosely packed

1 level tsp gluten free, aluminium free baking powder
A pinch of baking soda

1/8 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chilli powder [optional]
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp sugar

Seasoning:
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp white sesame seeds
1 sprig of curry leaves

Garnish:
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro (coriander) leaves
Fresh grated coconut [Optional]

Tools:
An 8” square cake tin or jelly pan, if baking
A skillet, if using stove top method
Mixing bowl
Grinder/blender

Method:
Prepare the tin (if you are baking):
Heat a shallow wok. Add a Tbsp of oil. When hot, add the mustard seeds. When they splutter add sesame seeds. Stand back! Sesame seeds tend to jump about as they splutter. When lightly golden, remove wok and immediately add curry leaves. Pour this into your cake tin. Using a half cut potato rub the hot oil and seasonings all over the bottom of the pan. Also grease the sides with the same oil. Set aside.

Prepare the batter:
Soak the rice and lentils together overnight in sufficient water. Next morning drain the water, rinse till water runs clean, drain, and grind to a paste. To grind add 1/4 cup of the prepared buttermilk or more if needed, a tablespoon at a time. Stop the motor in between and push the lentils down the sides so that the blend is even. The batter should resemble pancake batter so try and add buttermilk sparingly. You can increase the liquid towards the end if needed.

Pour into a mixing bowl. Add the grated bottle gourd or zucchini. Set aside.

Run the ginger, green chillies, and garlic cloves together in a mixer or just pound together in a mortar. Add to the batter along with coriander leaves. Heat 2 Tbsp of oil and add asafetida to it. Pour this into the batter.

Add turmeric powder, salt and sugar. Mix the batter well. If thick adjust with more buttermilk till it attains the consistency of pancake batter.

Add baking powder and a pinch of baking soda. Mix first in figures of eight and then beat well so that the seasonings and leavening agents are uniformly distributed. Taste and check the salt.

Oven Method:
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C [350 degrees F].

Pour batter into the prepared pan till it reaches half way up, carefully and evenly so that the seasonings are not pushed to the sides of the pan. Tap to even the surface. A jelly pan works best, but if you do not have one use a square cake pan. I also like to use a bundt pan as it makes cutting much easier.

Bake at 180 degrees C [350 degrees F] till the top starts browning, about 35-40 minutes. If the top is firm and browned the cake is done. If your oven has burn points, rotate half way through. If the batter starts browning in 15 minutes, reduce temperature to 160 degrees C [320 degrees F] and continue.

Remove and cool in pan for ten minutes before slicing. The cake tends to stick to the bottom and it is best to slice in the pan and remove with a pancake turner.

Stove top method:
Heat a skillet and season with mustard, sesame and curry leaves like you did earlier. Pour a thick layer of batter, about three ladles evenly. Level the surface without disturbing the seasoning.

Cover and cook on very low heat for about 7-10 minutes. With a flat spatula raise once corner and check whether browned underneath. If not cook a little more. Using a broad spoon and a broad pancake turner, carefully remove the cake and turn it over to cook the other side. Hold the cake on the top with one spoon while turning else it might break. Again cover and cook for the same time till the base is browned. Do not increase the heat.

Remove onto a plate. Cool for about 2-3 minutes before cutting into wedges.

Repeat with the rest of the batter. This will make 2 handvo cakes.

While serving garnish with extra seasoning and coriander leaves or fresh grated coconut. Serve with mint chutney or tamarind chutney. If its tea time you will not need the chutneys.

Recipe for vegan buttermilk:
I soak about 10 cashews in hot water till soft and blend to a fine paste. Thin it with warm water till it reaches the consistency of milk. Measure 1/2 cup and add lemon juice to make sour buttermilk. Alternatively, use fresh pressed coconut milk or any non-dairy milk of your choice, and add lemon juice. Set aside till needed. Taste and check for sourness. Adjust with more lemon juice as needed.

Texture:
The cake will be dense and not rise as much as regular cakes. If using bottle gourd or zucchini the cake tends to be a little sticky and not spongy. I noticed that if I use onions or carrots the cake gets a spongy texture. I suppose it has something to do with the liquid in the gourd. You can also try finely chopped coriander, spinach or fenugreek leaves.

Variations:
If you would like the cake really spicy add 1/2 a teaspoon of red chili powder alongwith salt. Substitute pearl millet flour or sorghum flour (4 Tbsp PLUS 1 tsp) instead of rice. I have reduced the quantity of the flour here because they are more dense than rice.

I enjoyed my time here and hope you enjoyed my post too.