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Authentic Handvo Recipe (Gujarati Savory Cake) - Oven Baked with Instant Pot Option
This authentic Handvo recipe uses store-bought Handvo flour for an easy overnight-fermented batter, baked to golden crispy perfection with all the expert tips you need to get it right every time.
Servings: 12
Calories: 99kcal
Equipment
- 1 9" springform cake pan For oven-method
- 1 7 inch Cake Push Pan For Instant Pot method in notes.
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- 2½ cups handvo flour
- ⅓ cup plain yogurt or non-dairy yogurt
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1½ cup warm water
Tempering
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ teaspoons mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 dried red chilies optional
Vegetables
- 3 cups bottle gourd peeled and grated
- 1 cup carrots peeled and grated
- 1½ cups methi leaves finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger grated
- 4 green chilies minced
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- salt to taste
Other Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Mix all dough ingredients in a large mixing bowl and keep in warm place for 6-8 hours.
- Make tempering by heating oil in a small sauce pan. Add mustard seeds and once they start spluttering, turn the heat off, add sesame seeds and dried red chilies.
- Add the lauki, carrots, methi, ginger, green chilies, sugar, turmeric, and salt to the dough. Pour over the tempering and mix well.
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking pan by greasing all the sides.
- Add baking soda to the batter and mix well. Pour the batter in the cake pan, I used a spring foam pan but a bundt cake pan or any baking dish works well. Garnish with sesame seeds from part IV on top.
- Bake at 350 F for 30-45 mins, checking after first 25 minutes. For my convection oven it takes exactly 25 mins and then I broil for the last 5 mins to get a crispy browned top.
Notes
Instant Pot Handvo
Since we need a smaller cake pan to make the Handvo in a 6-QT Instant Pot, below are the adjusted ingredient quantities. Ingredients
Part I: Dough
1½ cups handvo flour available in Indian stores
¼ cup plain yogurt or non-dairy yogurt
1 tablespoon oil
¾ cup warm water
Part II: Vegetables
1½ cups peeled and grated bottle gourd
1 cup peeled and grated carrots
1 cup methi leaves chopped
½ tablespoon ginger, grated
2 to 3 green chilies, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon turmeric
kosher salt to taste
Part III: Tempering
½ tablespoon oil
¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ tablespoon brown sesame seeds
1 to 2 dried red chilies, optional
Part IV: Final Ingredients
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ tablespoon brown sesame seeds
Instructions
1. Prepare a 7-inch cake pan by greasing the bottom and the sides.
2. Mix all ingredients from part I in a large bowl and keep in a warm place for 6-8 hours.
3. Make tempering by heating oil in a small pot. Add mustard seeds and once they start spluttering, turn the heat off. Add sesame seeds and dried red chillies.
4. Add all the ingredients from Part II and the tempering to the dough. Mix well.
5. Add 1 cup of water to the Instant Pot insert.
6. Add baking soda to the batter and mix well. Pour the batter into the cake pan. Garnish with sesame seeds from part IV.
7. Cover the cake pan with aluminum foil. This will prevent any steam/water from getting into the handvo.
8. Place the cake pan on the trivet, and carefully put the trivet with the cake pan in the Instant Pot.
9. Close the Instant Pot lid with the pressure value to sealing. Pressure Cook (Hi) for 30 mins followed by natural pressure release.
10. Open the Instant Pot and carefully take out the trivet with the handvo.
Notes
- Broil in the oven for 5 minutes to get a crispy browned top.
- Instead of using Handvo flour, you can also soak ½ cup of rice and ½ cup of mixed lentils. Grind and then allow the batter to sit for 6-8 hours or overnight.
- Vegetables used in part II can vary - You can substitute zucchini or cabbage for dudhi.
Nutrition
Calories: 99kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Sodium: 173mg | Potassium: 211mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1860IU | Vitamin C: 13.2mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 1.3mg
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