Instant Handvo

Handvo is not much known outside of Gujarati home cooking; it's a savoury lentil snack which comes from the Kathiawad region. I have had the traditional recipe for handvo for a long time now, but have never got around to actually making it. Then when I was visiting my best friend last year, on my annual trip to Mumbai, I had this for breakfast at her place. Which was when I decided I had to make it - it was so delicious.

Of course, it took me a whole year to actually make it, since I initially wanted to make it by soaking and grinding it the traditional way. Finally, I gave up and decided to make an instant version of it - which was anyway the version I had at my friend's place - and it tasted great. Her version was cooked directly on a tava - I wasn't that brave so I tried pouring the batter into my muffin pan and baked it.

It made a really great breakfast served with some spicy coriander chutney - next time when I am a little more organised, I will make the longer version - till then, try this one, it makes for a really tasty and filling breakfast or snack.

I have made this a couple of times more after that first time and by cutting down on the green chillies in part of the batter, have managed to invent a lunch box item for my daughter who just started "big school" this week. This goes to this month's edition of Monthly Mingle - Meeta's wonderful event - which is being hosted by Srivalli who has decided to go with Kid's Lunches as the theme.

I am also sending this to Joelen's Tasty Tools event - the tool of the month is Muffin Pans

Instant Handvo (Savoury lentil cake)

1.5 cups semolina (sooji/rava)
1/2 cup gram flour (besan)
1 cup yoghurt
Pinch of asafoetida
salt to taste

Paste:
Green chillies - 3
Ginger - 1" piece

Grated bottle gourd (ghiya/dudhi) or pumpkin - 1/2 cup

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
oil - 1 tsp

1 tsp baking soda

1. Mix the semolina, gram flour and yoghurt together till smooth.
2. Add the paste and the grated vegetable along with the salt and asafoetida.
3. Pour some water if needed to make a thick batter. Mix in the baking soda.
4. Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds till the splutter. Pour over the handvo batter.
5. Drop spoonfuls of the batter into a greased muffin pan and bake covered with foil, in a preheated oven at 180 C (350F) for about 15 minutes till a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
6. Serve warm with green chutney.