Handvo (Gujarati Savoury Lentil and Rice Cake)
A golden, crusty-topped savoury cake of rice, lentils and grated veg, finished with a crackling sesame tadka. Good hot or cold.
- Time1 hr 20 plus soaking and fermenting
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.87 a head
- Oven200°C (180°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
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Method
- 1
Wash the rice and all three lentils together and soak in plenty of cold water for at least 6 hours or overnight. Drain well.
- 2
Blend the soaked rice and lentils with the yoghurt and 150 ml water to a thick, slightly coarse batter, like thick porridge. Cover and leave somewhere warm for 6 to 8 hours to ferment lightly. It should look puffy and smell pleasantly sour.
- 3
Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Squeeze the grated courgette dry in a clean cloth. Stir it into the batter with the carrot, peas, chillies, ginger, turmeric, sugar, salt and coriander.
- 4
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a small pan. Add the mustard seeds, half the sesame seeds and the curry leaves and sizzle for 30 seconds. Pour half into the batter and keep the rest.
- 5
Stir the bicarbonate of soda into the batter. Pour into a greased 20 cm round cake tin lined with baking paper. Pour over the remaining hot tadka and sprinkle with the rest of the sesame seeds.
- 6
Bake for 45 minutes until deep golden and a skewer comes out clean. Rest for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.
45 min
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.