🙌 Here's the authentic and healthy recipe for Gujarati Handvo (Handwa) — a delicious, fiber-rich, protein-packed savory cake made with mixed lentils and rice, often served for breakfast or evening snacks. It’s diabetic and CKD-friendly when made with the right balance.

🥧✨ Gujarati Handvo Recipe

A nutritious savory lentil cake with vegetables – crispy outside, soft inside.

🛒 Ingredients

🔸 For the Batter (Fermented):

• Rice – 1 cup (regular or parboiled)

• Toor dal (split pigeon peas) – ¼ cup

• Moong dal (split green gram) – ¼ cup

• Chana dal (split Bengal gram) – ¼ cup

• Urad dal (split black gram) – 2 tbsp

• Curd (sour yogurt) – ½ cup

• Water – as needed

• Salt – to taste

🔸 After Fermentation:

• Grated bottle gourd (lauki) – 1 cup (squeezed slightly)

• Carrot (optional) – ¼ cup grated

• Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

• Red chili powder – ½ tsp

• Green chili + ginger paste – 1 tsp

• Baking soda or Eno fruit salt – ½ tsp

• Coriander leaves – a handful chopped

🔸 For Tempering (Tadka):

• Oil – 2 tbsp

• Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

• Sesame seeds (til) – 1 tbsp

• Curry leaves – 6-8

• Hing (asafoetida) – a pinch

🧑‍🍳 Instructions

🥣 1. Soak and Ferment:

• Wash and soak rice + all dals together for at least 5–6 hours or overnight.

• Grind into a coarse batter using curd and water as needed.

• Add salt and let it ferment overnight or 8 hours in a warm place.

🥗 2. Prepare the Batter:

• Once fermented, add grated lauki, turmeric, chili powder, ginger-chili paste, coriander, and mix well.

• Just before cooking, add baking soda or Eno and mix gently.

🔥 3. Prepare Tempering (Tadka):

• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. Once they crackle, add sesame seeds, curry leaves, and hing.

• Pour half the tempering into the batter and mix.

🍳 Cooking Options

🔹 Option 1: On Tawa (Stovetop):

1. Heat a heavy non-stick pan or tawa, grease it.

2. Pour batter like a thick pancake. Cover and cook on low heat until bottom is golden and crisp.

3. Flip and cook other side until done.

4. Pour a bit of leftover tempering on top while cooking.

🔹 Option 2: In Oven (Baked Handvo):

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).

2. Pour batter into a greased baking dish.

3. Pour tempering on top.

4. Bake for 35–40 minutes or until golden and a knife comes out clean.

✅ Health Tips (for Diabetics & CKD):

• Use less curd or substitute with lemon juice for fermentation in CKD.

• Skip baking soda and use Eno in small amounts.

• Add only low-potassium veggies (lauki, carrot, beans).

• Control oil and salt in tadka.