Grind the soaked lentils and rice in a blender until completely smooth. Refer to the video to see exactly what kind of texture you need. You may need to add around 100ml water to the batter to help it grind properly. NOTE: DO NOT ADD MORE THAN 100ml water. Keep stopping the blender to scrape down the sides as necessary. Heat the oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds and allow them to finish popping. Finally, add the asafoetida and stir to incorporate. Switch the heat off. To the fermented batter, add diced potatoes, courgettes, carrots, peas, sweetcorn, onions, chilli, turmeric, ginger, salt, sugar and lemon juice. You may also add peanuts at this stage (if using). Mix everything well and set aside while you make the first tempering.

Immediately pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for at 160°C/320°F for 90 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the handvo comes out clean. Herbs & Spices: I used fresh parsley, ground cumin, onion powder, salt & pepper, and red pepper flakes. This is fairly versatile to what herbs you have available. Easily add more protein with a handful of walnuts or sunflower seeds added to the patties when processing the patty mixture. Autumn is tapping at our door. We’ve had some low temperatures in the the mid 40’s and the apples are rapidly gaining size as they dangle from our trees. Along with these tell-tale signs comes another that we have anxiously awaited – the arrival of ripe, plump tomatoes. I can’t get enough of them and as summer lingers for a few more weeks I plan to put these juicy red signs of late summer to good use.For the full ingredients list, measurements, complete recipe method, and nutritional information, read the recipe card below. Remove the stand from the steamer (or remove the cups from the pressure cooker) and wait for two minutes before scooping out the idlis with an idli spoon or a flat spoon. Serve with coconut chutney and sambar.

For crispier outsides feel free to press some breadcrumbs like panko (gluten-free, if needed) to the outside of the lentil fritters before cooking. Pour the batter into a large pan or bowl. Add the semolina, yoghurt and fenugreek seeds. Beat well using clean hands - the heat from them will help speed up fermentation. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and leave in a warm place to ferment. This could take anywhere from 12 hours, to 24 hours depending on how warm it is. If it's a really warm day, it may take less than 12 hours. You'll know the mixture has fermented by the smell. Once it starts smelling a little sour, develops a layer of water on top, and bubbles appear at the sides, it's ready. Carefully spoon this tempering all over the baked handvo, making sure the entire surface is covered. Add everything, including all of the flavourful oil. We actually call this dish Ondhwo, since my family have roots in East Africa (Ondhwo or Ondhwa is the name many Gujaratis with ties to East Africa use for Handvo). Add the vegetables to the curry sauce and simmer for 3 minutes, then add the cauliflower and golden raisins. Let simmer until all vegetables are tender and then squeeze in lime juice and add chopped cilantro.

Procedure

Although I hold no objection to vegetarian recipes and lifestyles, I don’t gravitate toward either. I’ve always thought it was fun to mix things up a little though, if for no other reason but to keep life interesting. With that in mind, I put together a little creation that caught my eye. It’s primary ingredients are lentils and tomatoes, simple and delicious and healthy sounding, I thought. In addition to regular steamed idli, he also serves crispy, fried triangle-shaped idli that are perfect as bar nibbles, as well as idli stuffed with spicy minced meat. I suggest spraying/brushing them with a little oil and cooking at 360 °F/180 °C for around 12 minutes in an Air Fryer, flipping after 8 minutes.

Fridge: Store the leftover lentil patties in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Add the lentils, cooked veggies, spices, parsley, ground chia seeds, and flour to a food processor. Pulse several times until the mixture is combined but still has texture. Be careful not to over-process it, as you want it to be ‘chunky.’I haven’t yet tried cooking these in my Air-fryer or oven, but there’s no reason why they shouldn’t work- although each method will affect how crispy the outside of the red lentil fritters are. Eggs: To bind the ingredients together. To make these lentil cakes vegan, you can substitute with a flax egg. Idli rava is widely available in Indian/Asian stores. Alternatively, wash any short-grained rice and soak for 4 hours, then drain and dry completely. Coarse grind the dried rice to the consistency of semolina before using. Wash the urad dal thoroughly till the water runs clear. Soak in 2 cups of water for 2-3 hours, until the dal can easily be crushed between your thumb and finger.