Mixed Dal and Rice  Handavo is a traditional Gujarati Savoury Cake, which is a nutritious meal in its own right when served with chutney.  This original recipe takes too long because you have to soak the daal and the rice for 5 hours and then you have to let it rest overnight before you cook it.  I do not know who came up with the instant Handavo  but this recipe is good.  My mum and grandmother always used the original recipe and that tastes different and better than the instant recipe. Hondavo is also known as Ondavo.

Eno (Eno’s Fruit Salt)

Eno is a mixture of Sodium Bicarbonate citric acid and tartaric acid.  You can substitute eno  with baking powder.

Hondavo can be served for a tea party, as a  light  lunch or mid afternoon snack.

Ingredients

•  3                 cups Wheat lets (Sojee)
• ½                 cup grated Zucchini
• ½                 cup grated Onion
• 1                  tsp freshly ground Ginger
• 1                  tsp freshly  ground  Garlic
• 1                  tsp freshly ground Jalapeno
• ½                 tsp Ajwan
• ½                 tsp freshly crushed Cumin
• ½                 tsp freshly crushed Black Pepper
• ½                 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1                  tsp Salt (salt to taste)
• ½                 tsp Chili Powder (optional)
• 2                  tbsp sugar
• 1 ½              tsp Citric Acid
•                     or
• 4                  tbsp Lemon Juice
• 2                  tbsp chopped Cilantro
• 1                  cup yoghurt
• 1                  cup water
• 1                  rounded tbsp Baking Powder
• 1                  rounded tablespoon eno

For Vagar

• 1/2              cup oil
• 10                curry leaves
• ½                 tsp fenugreek seed
• 1/2              tsp Mustard seeds
• ½                 tsp cumin seeds
• 2                  tbsp sesame seeds

For Decoration

•                     a few onion rings and cilantro (for decoration)
• 2                   tbsp sesame seeds

Instructions

1. In a bowl put the wheat lets, Zucchini, onions, ginger garlic, jalapeño, ajwan, cumin, black pepper, turmeric powder, salt, chili powder, sugar, citric acid, I tablespoon cilantro,  yoghurt and water and make a thick mixture (like cake)
2. In a small saucepan make a vagar.  Heat the oil, add the curry leaves, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds. When it starts to pop, take it and pour it in the wheat let mix.   Add baking powder and eno and mix well.
3. Pour this in a prepared 9” round cake Pan. (9 x 3)
4. Decorate with sliced onions, cilantro and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
5. Bake in a preheated oven (350 degrees) on the mid shelf for about an hour. ( put a bamboo stick in the middle of the Hondavo, if it comes out clean it is done).
6. Let it cool in the pan for about ½  hour before you put it on a plate.

Serve it with Tomato chutney.