Undhiyuઊંધિયું
Undhiyu is the crown of the Gujarati winter table: green beans, purple yam, potatoes, raw banana and small methi dumplings slow-cooked with a fresh green coconut-coriander masala. It is made in almost every Surti home for Uttarayan (the kite festival) in January, and is served with puri.
Ingredients
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- Surti papdi (broad beans), small brinjals, potatoes, sweet potato, purple yam, raw banana
- Muthiya: fenugreek leaves and gram flour dumplings, fried
- Green masala: coriander, green garlic, fresh coconut, ginger-chilli, sesame seeds, sugar, lemon
- Carom seeds, asafoetida, turmeric, coriander-cumin powder
- Oil and salt
Method
- Blend or mix the green masala ingredients together.
- Make the muthiya dough, shape small dumplings and deep fry them.
- Slit the brinjals and potatoes and stuff them with the green masala.
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil, temper with carom seeds and asafoetida, and layer the papdi and firm vegetables at the bottom.
- Add the stuffed vegetables and remaining masala on top, sprinkle a little water, cover and cook on low heat for 35-40 minutes. Shake the pot instead of stirring.
- Fold in the fried muthiya at the end, rest 5 minutes and serve with hot puri.
Tips
- Never stir undhiyu with a spoon; shake the pot so the vegetables stay whole.
- Green garlic is only in season in winter and is what gives undhiyu its real flavour.
- Add the muthiya last, or they disintegrate into the masala.
Storing and reheating
Undhiyu keeps for three days in the fridge and tastes better on the second day, as the masala settles into the vegetables. Reheat gently, covered, with a splash of water. The muthiya go soft, so if you expect leftovers keep them aside and add them as you serve. It freezes for a month, though the vegetables lose their texture.
What you can swap
- No Surti papdi? Use val or French beans. The taste shifts a little but the dish holds.
- No purple yam (kand)? Double the potatoes, or use sweet potato.
- No green garlic? Use ordinary garlic with spring onion greens.
- Steam the muthiya instead of frying them for a lighter version.
What to serve with it
Undhiyu is eaten with hot puri, and with jalebi or shrikhand beside it the winter meal is complete. Keep buttermilk and a sharp kachumber on the table, because undhiyu is rich.
Mistakes to avoid
- Do not add all the vegetables together. The slow ones first — potato, yam, sweet potato — and papdi and peas last.
- Never stir with a spoon. Shake the pan instead, or everything turns to mash.
- Do not grind the green masala smooth. Its coarseness is the texture of the dish.
- Do not cut the oil. Undhiyu is preserved by it, and it tastes dry without enough.
Questions people ask
Why is it called undhiyu?
Traditionally the pot was buried upside down in the earth with a fire lit above it, and the dish cooked slowly underground. 'Undhu' means upside down. Today it is made in a pan at home, but the slow-cooking principle is the same.
Why is it only made around Uttarayan?
Nearly everything in it — Surti papdi, fresh pigeon peas, purple yam, sweet potato, green garlic — is in season only in winter. It is a winter dish, and Uttarayan falls right in the middle of that window.
Can you make undhiyu without muthiya?
Yes, and many households do when time is short. But the muthiya give the dish body and a faint sweetness, so keep them if you can.
