Handvo/Bhakhro is one of my dad’s favorite tea time snacks, as I’ve grown older and moved away from home it is still one of the things I’m nostalgic for. Chai, bhakhro, and a big bowl of chevdo round out a perfect breakfast for me. So many people have a million ways to make it, but I think this way is the best and the easiest. I love baking them in cupcake tins or smaller trays so you get more crispy edge pieces. In addition to that I always try to bake it really thin so that you get this wonderful crunch all the way around.
This dish can easily be made toddler-friendly by omitting the chili paste and other heavy spices. Feel free to include other veggies in your paste with the lilva to create a nutrient dense option for your family. This is a great way to sneak in an extra serving of veggies when the little ones aren’t looking.
Handvo/Bhakhro
Ingredients
Handvo/Bhakhro
- 4 cups Handvo flour We grind ours at home but most grocers will have it!
- 2.5 cups water
- 3/4 cup frozen Toovar Lilva, ground into a paste This will also be an easy find in your local Indian grocers
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup. frozen methi, thawed and drained We use 2 blocks of the Deep brand!
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
- 1/4 cup yogurt
- 2 tbsp. ginger paste
- 1.5 tbsp. green chili paste
- 1 tbsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. garlic paste
- 1 tsp. turmeric
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
Crunchy Topping
- 1/4 cup mustard seeds, popped
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat you oven to 450° and grease your tray with non-stick cooking spray.
- On medium heat, pop your mustard seeds in a completely dry pan. Feel free to cover the pan to prevent spluttering.
- Combine all of the ingredients aside from the water, and thoroughly combine. Slowly add water 1/2 cup at a time until you get a dough similar to cake batter.
- Pour your ingredients into a greased pan and top with the mustard seeds and sesame seeds to make a crunchy topping.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes until the edges have pulled away from the pan and you have nice even browning on the top.
