Gujarati Handvo Recipe: Baked Rice and Lentil Cake

Gujarati Handvo Recipe: Baked Rice and Lentil Cake - original concept illustration
Original concept illustration, not to scale.

Handvo is a savory Gujarati rice-and-lentil cake with vegetables and a seeded tempering. This is a researched home-cooking guide adapted from the linked recipe, not a claim of personal kitchen testing. The method below uses soaked rice and dal, with an unfermented batter and a measured leavening step.

What ingredients should you prepare?

For the base, use 1 cup rice, ¼ cup tuvar dal, ¼ cup chana dal, 2 tablespoons urad dal and 2 tablespoons yellow moong dal. Keep ½ cup plain yogurt and about ½ cup water for grinding. For vegetables, prepare ¾ to 1 cup grated bottle gourd, ½ to ¾ cup grated carrot and 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped coriander. Add 1 tablespoon grated ginger, 1 to 2 chopped green chilies, ¼ teaspoon turmeric, ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chili powder, 1 teaspoon sugar, ⅛ teaspoon hing and ¾ to 1 teaspoon salt, adjusted to taste.

How do you make the batter?

Rinse the rice and dals and soak for 3 to 4 hours. Drain, then grind with the yogurt and water to a thick, pourable, slightly coarse batter. Mix in the vegetables and seasonings. Do not make it watery: vegetables release moisture too. The linked recipe also describes overnight fermentation, but do not mix its fermented and unfermented options without checking the method. This version follows its unfermented option.

How do you add the tempering and leavening?

For tempering, heat 1½ tablespoons oil and use ¾ teaspoon mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 to 1½ teaspoons sesame seeds. Let the seeds crackle without burning. Set aside part of the tempering for the top. For this unfermented batter, stir in ¼ teaspoon food-grade baking soda and 1 tablespoon lemon juice immediately before baking. Mix through rather than leaving pockets of soda.

How do you bake handvo and check the center?

Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F and grease a 6-inch baking dish. Put some tempering at the bottom, add batter and distribute the reserved tempering on top. The researched recipe gives roughly 35 to 45 minutes, with variation by oven and pan. Start checking at about 35 minutes: a tester inserted in the center should come out clean. A browned top alone does not prove that the middle is cooked. Use oven gloves and place the hot dish on a heat-safe surface.

Why can handvo turn dense or wet?

A thin batter, excess vegetable moisture, uneven leavening or an underbaked center can affect the result. Keep notes on your pan and oven instead of increasing soda to force a rise. Let the cake settle briefly before cutting and serve with a chutney you like. This guide does not promise a storage life, nutrition result or allergy suitability. Yogurt, sesame and other ingredients need to be considered for anyone with food allergies.

Frequently asked questions

Can I replace every dal with one type?

The source describes some substitutions, but this guide gives the mixed-dal version. Check the linked recipe before changing the ratio.

Is this an instant no-soak handvo?

No. The rice and dal still need the stated soaking step; skipping fermentation is not the same as skipping soaking.

Related guides

Sources

Last verified: October 27, 2026.

Related newer guide: Rava Dhokla Recipe: Soft Semolina Snack at Home

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