Handwa aka Handvo is not only an unfailing part of Gujrati food lore but is now ubiquitously Indian as well! Made in a myriad ways, this recipe was taught to me by a dear friend Sonal Teli during her stay with us at Indore.
As opposed to the usual technique of fermenting the rice and pulse batter for a few hours, this recipe uses steel-cut gluten, free oats & semolina…is relatively healthier while it gives you the convenience of instant preparation!
An awesome snack when paired with refreshing buttermilk or an invigorating cup of masala chai especially when the rains come pitter-patter creating that beautiful romantic mood.
For that added visual treat you can bake these in mini muffin moulds or in a Bundt cake pan as well!
Looking forward to your feedback!
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| Course | Snack |
| Servings | 6 persons |
| Preparation Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 30 minutes |
Ingredients for the Oat & Semolina Handvo(1cup=200ml, 1 tbsp=15ml)
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| 1 cup | Steel cut or rolled oats (I used True Elements Brand) |
| 1 cup | Semolina (sooji) |
| 2 cup | Curd |
| ½ cup | Cabbage finely chopped |
| ½ cup | Carrot grated |
| ½ cup | Bottle gourd grated (lauki); (squeeze out the water) |
| ½ cup | Green beans, finely chopped |
| 2 tbsp | Ginger-chili paste |
| ½ cup | Turmeric powder |
| 1 tbsp | Cumin powder |
| 1 tbsp | Coriander powder |
| 1 tsp | Red chili powder |
| 1 tbsp | Amchur powder |
| Salt to taste | |
| 2 tbsp | Lemon juice |
| 1 tbsp | Sugar |
| ½ tsp | Hing |
| 1 – 1½ cups | Water (approx.) |
| 3 – 4 tbsp | White sesame seeds (til) |
| 4 tbsp | Mustard seeds (rai) |
| A handful | Curry leaves |
| 4 – 5 tbsp | Oil |
| 1 packet | Eno fruit salt |
| 3 – 4 | Whole red chilies |
For Garnish(1cup=200ml, 1 tbsp=15ml) |
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| 1/2 cup | Freshly grated coconut |
| ¼ cup | Coriander leaves, finely chopped |
Instructions for the Oat & Semolina Handvo |
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| 1 | Grind the oats in a blender into a fine powder. (Make sure the blender is not moist and the powder should not clump).  |
| 2 | Dry roast the semolina and oat together in a pan for a few minutes until the raw smell disappears.  |
| 3 | In a bowl, mix the roasted oat and semolina, the vegetables, the masalas and curd. Mix well. Add salt to taste, lemon juice, sugar and ginger-chili paste. Mix well. Add ½ cup water and mix.  |
| 4 | Heat two tbsp. oil and add two tbsp. sesame seeds, hing, 2 tbsp mustard seeds, 1 tbsp neem leaves. Add this tempering to the batter.  |
| 5 | Keep the batter covered for 10 – 15 minutes. It softens the semolina and oats. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 180°C.  |
| 6 | After 15 minutes check the batter. In case it is dry, add ½ cup to 1 cup water, mix well. Check for consistency. It should not be too thick, nor thin. |
| 7 | Add the Eno fruit salt and mix well. Immediately transfer the mix to a baking dish.
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| 8 | Heat the remaining oil, sauté sesame seeds, mustard seeds, red chilies and curry leaves for a few minutes. Sprinkle all over the batter uniformly.  |
| 9 | Bake in a preheated hot oven @ 180°C for 30-35 minutes. The top should be nice and deep brown. It should be crusty. Insert a toothpick and check. The center should clean and dry.  |
| 10 | Before serving, you can pan roast it a little with oil, add some fresh coconut grated and coriander leaves and serve hot with chutney. |
