Ingredients

• 2 cups - handvo flour (or cornmeal, as a second option)
• 1/2 cup - bottle gourd or zucchini
• 3 tsp - shredded carrot
• 1/4 cup - fenugreek leaves
• 1/4 cup - spinach leaves (optional)
• 2 - green chillies, finely chopped
• 4 to 5 - garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp - ginger paste
• 3 cups - buttermilk (or yogurt mixed with water)
• 1 tsp - soda bi carb (fruit salt)
• increase it by 1/2 tsp if you don't feel its frothy enough
• 1 tsp - each urad and channa dal
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp - lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp - sugar (optional)
• For Tempering:
• 1 tsp - mustard seeds
• 2 tsp - sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp - oil

How to Make Gujarati Handvo and Cornmeal Cake

• Take buttermilk in a large vessel.
• Add salt, bi-carbonate of soda and flour and mix well.
• As the mixture begins to froth, cover and set aside for 6-7 hours for fermentation.
• Grate the bottle-gourd or zucchini and squeeze out all excess water.
• Do this after the fermentation is done, as leaving bottle-gourd in air oxidizes it and makes it turn brown.
• Now add all the vegetables, bottle-gourd, spices and green chillies to the flour mixture.
• Heat oil in a pan, add urad and channa dals, and the mustard seeds.
• Allow to splutter, then pour half of it into the batter and mix thoroughly.
• Pour the mixture into a steel or aluminium container.
• Place in a steam cooker and cook like idlis, for about 25-30 mins, then check to make sure it's cooked through.
• Remove from flame and keep it covered for another 7-10 mins.
• Once cooled, you can slice it into wedges.