Whenever we make handvo at home, I always follow the traditional handvo recipe. It is such a hit in our house that I always have to make extra so we can eat it for the next 2/3 days!
Handvo is basically a favourite in gujarati households. It is a spongy, savoury cake made mostly from lentils. Ginger and chillis are incorporated into the lentil batter to make the handvo lightly spiced. The topping has to be the best part though! Tempered sesame seeds make the topping so delicious and crunchy that that should be a completely different recipe in its own right!
For the first time, however, I’ve decided to broaden my handvo horizon and make handvo made with potatos. Its basically a layered handvo with an alternating layer of spicy mashed potato and blended peas and crispy layers of toasted Oats !!
The end product was delightful! The slightly sweet, sour and spicy taste of the handvo was still gujarati authenticity but with a twist! Even this was eaten with the same enthusiasm as traditional handvo if not more!
You will need for potato layer:-
- 1/2 kg boiled and mashed potatoes
- 25 g green chillies and ginger paste or crushed
- 2 tbsp sugar ( optional )
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp garam masala
- handful fresh chopped corinader leaves
- Salt to taste
You will need for peas layer :-
- 250 g boiled or steamed and crushed green peas ( I used frozen )
- 2-3 tbsp green chillies and ginger paste
- 1-2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- Pinch of hing ( asafoetida )
You will need for vaghar ( tempering ) :-
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp mustard seeds ( rai )
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 3-4 dry red chillies
You will need some extra :-
- 3-4 tbsp rolled oats or beaten rice ( poha )
- 1 tsp oil
- small bowl of green chutney
- small bowl of Imli ( tarmarind ) chutney
- Few spoons of garlic chutney
Method :- make peas layer first.
Pre heat oven to gas mark 5-6 . First heat 1tbsp oil in a heavy bottom pan or kadai, add mustard seeds and hing. When splutter add sesame seeds and chilli ginger paste, saute for few seconds. Add crushed peas, salt, garam masala, sugar, lemon juice and mix well. Cook mixture on a low heat for few minutes , then on high heat for 2-3 minutes. Make sure mixture is cooked well and dry like kachori or samosa mix. Leave it aside. Place all the potato layer ingredients in a large bowl, mix well and leave it aside. Heat 1tsp oil in another pan and roast rolled oats till light pink or golden. Leave it aside. Take one cake tin ( spring form is better ) and grease with little oil. First Sprinkle 2 tbsp roasted oats evenly in the cake tin , then spread evenly half amount of potato mixture. Now pour few spoons of all the chutnies. Spread all the peas mixture and once again pour few spoons of chutnies. Now spread another layer of potato mix, spread evenly. Sprinkle left over roasted oats or poha. In a small pan heat 2 tbsp oil, add mustard seeds when splutter, add dry chillies and sesame seeds. Pour this vaghar evenly on the potato mix. Bake handvo at least 45-50 minutes in a pre heated oven. Let it cool at least 15-20 minutes, longer the better so you can cut pieces nicely, but if you prefer HOT then go ahead and don’t worry about perfect shape 🙂 Serve with imli and date chutney
Today we celebrate the Hindu festival, Ganesh Chaturthi which celebrates the birthday of Lord Ganesh. This festival is praised all over the world by the many hindus that live there. It is well known that Ganesh likes to eat sweets and especially on this day, ladoos of many varieties are made.
Ladoos or Laddu are usually round indian sweets made with flour and sugar/jaggery. Flours that are usually used are chickpea flour and wheat semolina. Ladoos are often made for prashad , weddings or festivals. Ladoos also prepared and distrubuted on many events like on the births of boys, or even if you buy car, computers or house in India. In current times traditional recipes are twisted a bit and people do experiment with some other ingredients to suit their needs.
This year, I have made ghotma ladoos, a traditional delicacy from Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The Jaisalmery food encompasses the city’s golden beauty.
Ghotma ladoo, are a different type of boondi ladoos. Ghotma translates Pounding, so these ladoos are made of pounded boondies ( sweet chick pea flour pearls ) which are fried in pure ghee, and loaded with khoya and dried fruits.
You will need :-
- 1 cup chick pea flour
- 1/2cup milk
- 10-12 saffron threads soaked in 2 tsp milk or water
- 1/2cup khoya or mawa
- 3/4 cup caster sugar
- 3-4 tbsp milk masala – Kesar Badam Masala
- Oil or ghee for deep frying
Method :- Whisk chick pea flour, milk and saffron milk in one bowl. Make sure there are no lumps in the batter. Heat oil or ghee in a deep kadai and make boondi. Please check this link and pics for HOW TO MAKE BOONDI.
After all the batter is used up on the boondi, then place all the boondi in a food processor and grind into a fine powder. ( If you fancy,you can crush boondi in a pastle and morterfrom the begining ). Add khoya, in to boondi powder.
Now mix everything and start pounding the boondi powder and khoya mix for 5-7 minutes and turn them into pulp.
Add sugar and milk masala powder,mix well and make ladoos. (I used a mould)
