(Also known as ‘handvo’)

Recipe provided by Ranjanben Chandaria

Ingredients

• 500g handvo flour (ready made – available at Indian grocery shops, made from ground mixed lentils and rice)
• 125 ml fresh lime juice
• 500 ml warm water
• 3 tsp sugar
• 3 tsp salt
• ½ tsp turmeric

• 125 g grated courgette/dudhi
• A handful chopped methi leaves
• A handful chopped coriander
• 2-3 finely chopped green chillies
• 25 g (uncooked weight) rice
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp Eno
• Sesame seeds for topping

Vaghar:

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped (optional, leave out if Jain)
• Quarter tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• Half tsp asafetida (hing)

Method:

1. In a big pan, make a ‘kheero’ by mixing the handvo flour, sugar, salt, turmeric, lime juice and water.
2. Leave the bowl in a warm place for approx 8-10 hours (ie overnight)
3. The next day, add the dudhi, methi, coriander, ginger, green chilies, cooked rice and one tablespoon oil to the kheero and mix thoroughly.
4. Preheat the oven to 220°C, and grease an oven dish with oil.
5. In a separate saucepan, do a vaghar with 3 tablespoons oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, sesame seeds and asafetida (hing) and onion (if using).
6. Once the vaghar is done, add it to the keero, then add the eno and mix thoroughly.
7. Pour the kheero into the greased oven dish, and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top. Cook in a hot oven (220°C) for approximately 30 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 180°C and cook for a further 30 minutes, until browned. Then turn the oven off and leave the odvo inside for a while longer.
8. Take it out of the oven, cut into pieces and serve.