Gujarati

Undhiyu

By The Indian Hub Kitchen Vancouver, British Columbia

Mixed winter vegetables and muthiya dumplings, slow-cooked in spiced green masala.

Food Story

Undhiyu is the crown of Gujarati winter cuisine, traditionally cooked upside-down in earthen pots.

Prep

30 min

Cook

45 min

Serves

Ingredients

1
For the muthiya: in a bowl, mix 1 cup gram flour, 1/2 cup chopped fenugreek leaves, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp red chili powder, 1 tbsp oil, and salt. Add water to make a stiff dough. Shape into small oval dumplings and shallow-fry in oil until golden. Set aside.
2
Prepare the green masala: grind 1/2 cup coriander, 1/2 cup chopped green chilies, 1 inch ginger, 6 garlic cloves, and 1 tsp cumin into a coarse paste with a little oil.
3
Slit 1 small eggplant into four, keeping the stem attached. Stuff a generous amount of the green masala between the cuts.
4
In a heavy pot, heat 3 tbsp oil. Layer 200g surti papdi (green beans), 2 cubed potatoes, 1 cubed sweet potato, the stuffed eggplant, and the fried muthiya. Sprinkle the remaining green masala, 1 tsp cumin, and 1/2 tsp turmeric over the top.
5
Add 1/2 cup water, cover tightly, and cook on the lowest heat for 40 minutes. Do not stir - gently shake the pot occasionally to prevent sticking. The vegetables should be tender and infused with the masala.
6
Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with puri or rotli. Traditionally eaten during the Uttarayan kite festival in January.