Shree Tirupati Khiru
Social WorkerShree Tirupati Khiru was founded in 2012, by 5 Batter, with 1 Store store & 1 big dream – to
Remove the Tirupati Khiru’s Handvo batter into a big bowl or vessel. Then briskly whip with a spatula, spoon or a wired whisk for 2 to 3 minutes.
In a small grinder take 1 teaspoon chopped ginger, 1 teaspoon chopped garlic and 2 teaspoons chopped green chilies. Then add 1 tablespoon of water and grind to a smooth paste. Keep aside. You can even crush ginger, garlic and green chilies in a mortar-pestle.
Rinse, peel and grate 1 small bottle gourd (lauki, ghia, dudhi, opo squash). You will need 1 cup tightly packed grated bottle gourd. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small pan. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds. Keep the flame to a low. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Then add 5 to 6 fenugreek seeds, 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) and 1 teaspoon chopped curry leaves. Fry for a few seconds.
Then add the ginger+garlic+green chilli paste. Be careful as the mixture can splutter if you have added more water when grinding the paste. Saute till the raw aroma of ginger and garlic goes away. Add 1 cup of tightly packed grated bottle gourd. Also add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and ½ teaspoon coriander powder. Mix well and then switch off the flame.Now add ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves. Mix well again. Add the tempered bottle gourd mixture to the handvo batter. Add salt as required.
Heat a pan and spread 1 to 2 teaspoons of oil in it. Spread on the sides too. Keep the flame to a low. I have added less oil. If you add more oil, the base of the handvo becomes crisp and golden. Now pour 1.5 to 2 ladles of the handvo batter in the pan. Keep a thickness of 1 to 1.5 inches. You can add more also, but then the handvo will increase in size and take a long time to cook. Gently shake the pan, so that the batter spreads neatly or you can level the batter with the spoon. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top all over the batter. Cover the pan with a lid and then cook handvo on a low flame. Do check a couple of times.
When you see the sides golden, then with a spatula gently lift and turn over. The top will also look cooked. You will also see some golden spots on the base.
If you use more oil, the entire base will be crisp and golden. If less oil is used, then some golden spots will be visible. Cook the second side too. If you want you can drizzle some oil from the sides. When cooking the second side, no need to cover with lid. Cook till you see golden spots on this side too and the handvo gets cooked well. Remove and Serve handvo hot with coriander chutney, sesame chutney or papaya chutney. This way prepare handvo with the rest of the batter. If there is leftover batter, then refrigerate it and use it the next day.
