Indian Savoury Cake.

Indian Savoury Cake 

Food Blogging Marathon from 2/9/2013 to 30/9/2013. Each day a new alphabet. 4 categories. 

Regional Food, 

Baked Dishes, 

International Flavors / Fusion flavors, 

Street Food / Condiments / Misc / Recipe less Posts on Food

This is a great savoury cake that is baked. This is a regional recipe from Gujarat and is called Handvo. I renamed it, as my friend from Switzerland had liked it and was unable to remember the word Handvo so I told her to remember it as Indian Savoury Cake. Traditionally it was baked by keeping the batter filled pan inside a bigger pan with hot sand/coals in it and covered with a lid with hot burning coals and left to cook this way till done or till all the burning coal is covered in ash and has cooled down. The heat of the coal and the hot sand bakes it to a prefect golden brown, crunchy goodness. This was of course the before electricity had reached our homes. 

Now of course it is done in electric or gas or even microwave ovens.

This is a very high protein and low calorie cake that is eaten in Gujarat as a breakfast or tea time snack. Each family has its own version. Here I give you my version of it.

This is my recipe for the month long Food Blogging Marathon A to Z. 

Today it is alphabet I for Indian Savoury Cake.

Ingredients:

1 cup rice

1/2 cup toor/tovar/arhar/yellow Dal

1/4 cup udid/urid Dal

1/4 cup chana/bengal gram Dal

1/4 cup Poha

1 tsp methi/fenugreek seeds

Wash and soak all the above ingredients in water for 6 to 8 hours. Grind to make a batter that is not very smooth in texture rather like idlli batter. Add 1/2 cup sour curds/dahi/yogurt. Keep aside and let it ferment overnight.

To this batter add

1/4 cup grated doodhi/lauki/ash gourd

1/4 cup grated carrots

2-4 finely chopped green chillies 

1 tblsp of finely cut ginger

1/4 tsp of haldi/turmeric powder

1/2 tsp of baking soda or baking powder

salt to taste

1 tblsp sugar (optional) 

Mix everything together and make a baking pan ready as follows:

Heat 2 tblsp oil in a small pan and add 

1/2 tsp rai/mustard seed

1/2 tsp jeera/cumin seeds

2 tblsp til/seasme seeds

2-3 sprigs of curry leaves 

3-4 dry red chillies

When all the mustard seeds have spluttered and the red chillies have changed colour to brown pour this in the baking tray and let it spread all over the pan equally. Slowly pour the ready batter over this tempering and bake in a moderate oven at 170 degrees celcius for 30 to 40 minutes or till the top is gloden brown in colour.

                                                       

  The savoury cake baking in the oven

Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Turn out on a plate. 

                                                         

 Close up with the tempering in the upturned Indian Savoury Cake. The sesame seeds and the curry leaves not only look pretty but add crunch to every bite.

Let cool and then cut into pieces or wedges and serve with curds and green chutney or tomato sauce.