Baked Spicy Lentil Cake (Handvo)

April 30, 2022 / Lyn Jones / 0 Comments

A popular Gujrati snack. This is a baked, spicy lentil cake made with rice and different lentils fermented batter mixed with spices. This is served with chutney. Handvo is crisp outside and soft inside.  serves 8

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup rice – small grain
  • 1/4 cup chana dal (split chickpeas)
  • 1/4 cup urad dal** split with skin (**use mung beans or azuki beans instead)
  • 1/4 cup toor dal*** (***use yellow lentils or any beans)
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • About 1 inch piece ginger chopped
  • 1-2 green chilli adjust to taste
  • 1-3/4 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon asafetida^ (use garlic or onion powder instead^ )
  • 1/2 cup yogurt
  • 2 tablespoon oil
  • 1 cup laucki* shredded (subs zucchini, yellow squash, butternut squash, pumpkin)
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Eno fruit salt (contains bicarb, citric acid and salt or use baking powder
    or whipped egg or cashew white perhaps

For Seasoning

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1/8 teaspoon asafetida*
  • 1 Tab sesame seeds

Also need

  • 2 teaspoon oil to grease the baking pan
  • 8×8 baking pan (preferably glass)

Method

TO FERMENT – or instead buy handvo flour already made up

  1. Wash and soak rice, chana dal, toor dal, and urad dal in about four cups of water for at least four hours.
  2. Drain the water and in a blender, or processor, blend the soaked rice & lentils, ginger & chilli to a lightly coarse texture (no water).  Add yogurt, turmeric, salt, sugar and asafetida* and blend it again for few more seconds. Transfer the dal mix into a bowl and let the mix ferment for about 10 to 12 hours.
  3. Add the squash, 2 tablespoons of oil and lemon juice to the fermented dal mix – mix it well. Add ENO to the mixture and mix (this will make the handvo mix light & fluffy)
  4. Grease the 8×8 baking pan generously and pour the handvo mix into the greased pan.
    Tap the pan; it will help to spread the mix evenly.
  5. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the batter.SEASONING –
  6. Heat the oil for seasoning in a small pan over medium heat – after oil is moderately hot, add the mustard seeds and asafetida*. As the mustard seeds crack, turn off the heat.
  7. Drizzle the seasoning over the top of the sesame seeds. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C.
  8. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place it on middle oven rack and bake for 20 minutes.
  9. Remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes until top of the handvo is light golden brown or until knife inserted in centre of cake comes out clean.
  10. Let the handvo cool off for about 15 minutes. Cut into sixteen pieces and serve.*  A ½ teaspoon of the asafetida powder can be substituted by 2-minced garlic gloves or 2/3 of a cup of minced onion. Tiny amounts of asafetida give a gentle lift to cheese dishes, egg, salad dressings and fish.

Lemongrass Mung Beans over Spaghetti Squash

September 17, 2017 / Lyn Jones / 0 Comments

This will make for a light and nourishing lunch or dinner . Something magical happens when coconut milk mixes with the spice of ginger and chili, citrus, lemongrass and tamari into a creamy sauce. Mung beans, and later spaghetti squash absorb the flavors of the sauce, while broccoli and carrots provide a freshness and crunch. The garnish of toasted sesame seeds and herbs adds a bold finishing touch.

for the spaghetti squash
1 medium spaghetti squash
coconut oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

for the lemongrass mung beans
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil*
2 stalks lemongrass – bruised with the back of a chef’s knife and chopped finely
1 tablespoon grated ginger root
2 cups sprouted or cooked mung beans
2 teaspoons sriracha (hot sauce)
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 teaspoons brown rice vinegar
sea salt
2 cups broccoli florets
2 large carrots – julienned
3/4 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons tamari (try miso?)
toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup chopped spring onions
basil or cilantro leaves

to cook spaghetti squash
Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Rub the flesh with coconut oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place onto a rimmed baking sheet, cut side down. Bake for 30 minutes or longer, until soft throughout. Let cool.

to make lemongrass mung beans
Warm up coconut oil and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add lemongrass, ginger, mung beans, sriracha, lime juice, rice vinegar and a pinch of salt. Saute for 4-5 minutes. Add broccoli, carrots, coconut milk, remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and soy sauce. Stir over the heat for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

to assemble
Scoop out the spaghetti squash and distribute between bowls. Spoon lemongrass beans and veggies over the squash. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, green onion and basil/cilantro leaves.

  •  Heat pressed sesame oil (but not toasted) is used for higher temp cooking or frying/stir frying. And – toasted sesame oil is a SEASONING oil that you add for flavor. If you got a bad taste from toasted sesame oil – then you added too much or overheated it!