Undhiyu

Undhiyu takes its name from undhu, meaning upside down. In villages around Surat the vegetables were packed into an earthen pot, sealed, turned upside down and buried in a pit with a fire on top. Today it is cooked on a stove, but it remains a winter dish, made when surti papdi, tuvar lilva, purple yam and small brinjals are in season, and especially on Uttarayan, the kite festival in January.

The flavour comes from a fresh green masala of coriander, green garlic, coconut, ginger, chilli and sesame that is stuffed into the brinjals and potatoes and coats everything else. Methi muthia, fried fenugreek dumplings, go in towards the end and soak up the oil and masala. The result is rich, slightly sweet and full of contrasting textures.

It is a feast dish, made in large quantities and eaten with puris, shrikhand or jalebi, and kadhi on the side. Many families prepare the muthia a day ahead to break up the work. The recipe below is the Surti style, which is green rather than red. Red, spicier versions are cooked around Bharuch and Ahmedabad.

At a glance

Region	Gujarat
Cuisine	Gujarati
Diet	Vegetarian
Course	Main course
Prep time	60 minutes
Cook time	60 minutes
Total time	120 minutes
Serves	6
Spice level	Medium
Difficulty	Hard
Gluten-free	No
Key ingredients	surti papdi / purple yam / baby brinjal / methi muthia

Ingredients

For the methi muthia

• 1 cup chopped fresh methi
• 1/2 cup coarse whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup besan
• 1 tsp ginger-chilli paste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp oil
• Oil for frying

For the green masala

• 1 1/2 cups chopped coriander
• 1 cup chopped green garlic (or 10 garlic cloves)
• 1/2 cup grated fresh coconut
• 2 tbsp ginger-green chilli paste
• 2 tbsp white sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp coriander-cumin powder
• 1 1/2 tsp salt

For the vegetables

• 250 g surti papdi, stringed
• 1/2 cup fresh tuvar lilva (pigeon peas)
• 8 small round brinjals
• 8 baby potatoes, peeled
• 200 g purple yam (kand), peeled and cubed
• 2 small sweet potatoes, cubed
• 1 raw banana, cut into thick rounds
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 tsp ajwain
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida
• 1/2 cup water

Method

1. Mix all muthia ingredients except frying oil into a stiff dough without adding water. Shape into 20 small finger-sized logs and deep fry on medium heat for 4-5 minutes until golden and cooked through. Drain.
2. Combine all the green masala ingredients in a bowl and mix with your hands. Set aside about one-third for stuffing.
3. Make a deep cross cut in each brinjal and potato, keeping the base intact, and stuff with the reserved masala. Fry the cubes of yam, sweet potato and raw banana lightly in hot oil for 3-4 minutes until the edges are golden; this keeps them from turning mushy.
4. Heat 1/2 cup oil in a wide heavy pot on medium. Add ajwain and asafoetida, then the papdi and tuvar lilva with half the remaining masala. Stir for 2 minutes.
5. Layer the stuffed potatoes and brinjals over the beans, then the fried yam, sweet potato and banana. Spread the rest of the masala on top and sprinkle 1/2 cup water around the edges.
6. Cover tightly and cook on low heat for 30-35 minutes without stirring. Shake the pot gently every 10 minutes to stop sticking.
7. Check that a knife slides easily through the potato and yam. Add the fried muthia, cover again and cook 5-7 minutes more until they soften slightly. Fold very gently and rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Tips

• Undhiyu should be oily; the oil carries the masala and stops the vegetables from catching. Reduce it only slightly.
• Do not stir with a spoon once layered; shaking the pot keeps the vegetables whole.
• If green garlic is out of season, use regular garlic and a handful of spring onion greens.

Serve with

Hot puris, shrikhand or jalebi, and a bowl of Gujarati kadhi.