One-Pot Signature Winter Dish - Undhiyu

Traditional Surti Undhiyu gets its name from the term ‘undhu’, which means upside down in Gujarati. It has its origins in the Umbadiyu, a dish farmer cooked in an earthen pot buried in the earth and set on fire.It is a unique winter special preparation, wherein most of the ingredients that go into its making comprise seasonal root vegetables that grow during the winter season.

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 15

Total Time 45

Servings: 4

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Calories: 354

Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

Ingredients for the green masala

2 cups chopped coriander leaves
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp ajwain/bishop's weed
1 tbsp ginger paste
3- tbsp chili paste optional
1/2 cup chopped green garlic
1 tbsp garam masala
2 tbsp grated coconut
3 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp jaggery powder
Salt as per taste

Ingredients for methi muthiya

1 cup methi/fenugreek leaves
1 cup jowar flour
2 tbsp besan/sattu flour
1/2 tbsp red chili powder
2 tsp lemon juice
To taste Natural salt mix Curated by Luke Coutinho
1/2 tbsp organic jaggery powder
Water as needed
1 tbsp cold pressed coconut oil
100 gm Surti papdi Hyacinth bean/lablab/field beans
100 gm papdi dana/peas as per availability broad bean seeds
8-10 baby brinjal
100 gm boiled yam
100 gm boiled sweet potato cubes

Equipment

A deep pan
Ladle
Steamer/pressure cooker

Method

To make methi muthiya:

Take a bowl, add jowar flour, besan, chopped methi, Salt, red chili powder, jaggery, oil, lemon juice, and water and mix well.
Keep the mixture slightly sticky so that the methi muthiya remains soft after cooking.
Apply some oil in your hand, shape the muthiya like a dumpling, and steam it in a cooker.
Keep aside.

For the green masala:

To a bowl add coriander, green garlic, chili paste, ginger paste, coriander powder, sesame seeds, garam masala, grated coconut, jaggery, lemon juice, and salt, and mix well.

For the undhiyu:

Clean the Surti papdi and papdi dana. Rinse very well.
ln a bowl of water, rinse and place the other veggies.
Take a pan, add 1 tbsp oil, add ajwain/bishop's weed, and a pinch of hing/asafoetida.
Add brinjal, yam, and sweet potato, and add 3 tbsp green masala and 1/2 cup water.
Cover the pan with its lid and medium flame for 10-15 minutes.
Once the brinjal is softer and cooked well.
Add papdi and papdi dana. Cook for another 10 minutes.
Lastly add steamed methi muthiya and green masala, add 1/2 cup water and cook for 7 to minutes on a slow flame.
Once the vegetables cook well and release an aroma, switch off the gas.
Garnish with fresh coriander, coconut grated and green garlic chopped if available.

Variations

Undhiyu has a good amount of root vegetables which Jains do not consume.
We can substitute it with a mix of cluster beans, raw bananas, and bottle gourd (doodhi/ lauki).

Nutrition

Calories: 354kcalCarbohydrates: 56.4gProtein: 11.2gFat: 9.23g

Notes

The variety of beans used in this dish makes it rich in thiamin, riboflavin, protein, folate, and B vitamins.
Yam and sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamins A, C, potassium, and fiber.
Green garlic not only adds a fresh flavor to the delicacies but is rich in allicin and manganese and also helps reduce inflammation in the body.
Relish this signature Gujarati winter dish with bhakri, thepla, roti, or even puris.