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Cook Time 1 hour
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 +1/2 cup broken rice/ Kanki - used Krishna Kamod here
  • 1 +1/4 cup pigeon pea lentil/Toor dal
  • 1 teaspoon methi dana/fenugreek seeds
  • 1 cup grams sour yogurt/dahi
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda/saaji na phool
  • 1/3 cup oil used while fermenting the batter
  • 2/3 cups oil used to temper groundnut oil always
  • 2 cups grated bottle gourd/doodhi/lauki
  • 3 - 4 teaspoons chilli and ginger minced
  • 6 teaspoons sugar more or less to balance the sourness of the batter
  • 2 teaspoons turmeric used in the batter and to temper
  • 4 teaspoons red chilli powder used in the batter and to temper
  • 1/3 cup sesame seeds
  • 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
  • 4-5 whole red chilli
  • 1 spring curry leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon hing/ asafoetida
  • salt to taste

Method
 

  1. Wash and soak the the rice, dal and fenugreek seeds for 5 hours.
  2. Discard the soaking water and wash the soaked grains.
  3. Using little water grind the mixture to an almost smooth consistency batter.
  4. Transfer the batter to a stainless steel or ceramic mixing bowl.
  5. Add 1/3 cup oil, sour yogurt and the soda bi carb.
  6. Stir well. Cover and allow the batter to ferment overnight or for 7-8 hours.
  7. Once you are ready to cook the handva, stir the batter well.
  8. Add grated bottle gourd, minced ginger chilli, 1 heaped teaspoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric, sugar and salt.
  9. Mix very well.
  10. Bring together curry leaves, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 2 teaspoons red chilli powder, hing in a bowl.
  11. Now heat a heavy bottom pan.
  12. Add 2/3 rd cup oil and allow it to heat up.
  13. Add the mustard and sesame seeds.
  14. Once the crackle and sizzle add contents of the bowl and turn off the flame. Important because you do not wat the chilli powder to burn and turn black.
  15. Immediately add the batter to the tempering.
  16. Stir well.
  17. Cover and cook on a slow flame.
  18. It takes around 45-50 minutes for Handva to cook as shown here.
  19. To check the doneness, insert a knife or spatula in to the Handva if it comes out clean the Handva is done. If it does not give it some more time.
  20. Handva tastes better after it has rested and the crumb is allowed to set a little, it is always eaten hot however, it tastes fabulous the next day as the flavours mature.
  21. Serve hot with pickle, tea and a drizzle of peanut oil.

Notes

We have tried to be as precise as we can be with the measurements. The chilli powder might overwhelm you but Handvo does use lot of red chilli. Feel free to adjust the spices to your taste. The use of sweetener which is sugar here should also be adjusted to the sourness of the batter after fermentation. You can use jaggery instead of sugar. The final batter will need to be flowy so add little water if required. Use sour yogurt. The usage of soda bicarb or saaji na phool gives lighter crumb.