Undhiyu Authentic Gujarati Specialty

History and Origin

Undhiyu is derived from the Gujarati word “Undhu” which mean upside down. The dish was cooked in earthen pots in the initial times where the pots are dug deep in the ground kept upside down and the fire is lit. This is such a famous delight in India that there is a National Undhiyu day celebrated in on January 14. Originally, this regional favorite was cooked on wooden fires in pre-industrial India. Even today, deep in the heart of Gujarat, it is still made in a traditional manner. Undhiyu’s flavor is provided by the pure freshness of the vegetables, the smokiness of the earthen pot, and the biofuel.

Ingredients

Prepping for the Muthadi/ Muthiya

1. Wash Methi and chop the Methi/ Fenugreek leaves.

Method for the Muthadi/ Muthiya

1. For muthadi, take a large bowl and add the chopped up methi. Add some gram flour along with wheat flour, and then coarse the whole wheat flour, Turmeric, Kashmiri red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, sugar, ginger, chilli paste, salt and the soda bicarb and oil. Mix it nicely with your hand and kneed it into a dough adding little water to it as needed.
2. Using little bit of oil in your hand, make small lime-sized round balls of the dough.
3. Initially, it’s a good idea to deep fry half of the dough balls in the same batch and fry them until they are golden in color on all sides before removing them on paper towels. The muthadis taste very good.

Prepping for the Undhiyu

1. Fresh Dhania / Cilantro should be washed and chopped
2. Prepare the coconut by grating it
3. Remove the dana from the vegetables and peel the papdis

Method for the Undhiyu

1. Prepare the stuffing for unthiyu first. Add some coriander/ cilantro in a large mixing bowl. Add grated coconut and green garlic to the mix followed by salt, sugar, coriander, cumin, kashmiri red chilli powder, ginger chilli paste, turmeric powder, soda bicarb and 2 tbsp oil. Mix everything and keep it aside.
2. Add ½ cups of oil to a large pan or wok (you can use the oil you used to fry the muthadis), and once the oil is hot, add the vegetables.
3. Now, add the Asafoetida / Hing, followed by the tuvar dana, then the val dana and the harbara dana, then the surti val papdi, then the Carom seeds / Ajwain then ⅛ tsp of Soda bicarb and mix it well
4. You can add about 1 ½ cups of water and mix again. Then add 2-3 tbsp. of the prepared masala stuffing and cook for 5 minutes on medium flame.
5. Put the lid back on and remove the bringles and cut them in four. You should still have the bottom intact. Add the masala stuffing in there, and place all Bringle in the pan horizontally.
6. Spread the purple yam (big cubes) in the pan after you have cut them up.
7. Finally, add the potatoes by slicing them in half, placing the prepared masala stuffing in the middle of the potatoes and arranging the whole batch in a horizontal position in the pan.
8. On top of the veggies, add about 2 tablespoons of the prepared masala stuffing, and then cover with a lid and sprinkle some water on top.
9. The potatoes and beans should be fully cooked in about 20-25 minutes. Don’t forget to set the flame to low.
10. Remove the lid, and check the potatoes and bringles with a toothpick after 25 minutes.
11. In a large skillet, add the prepared masala stuffing mix to the bananas that have already been sliced and panned.
12. Using a spatula, gently press all the veggies down onto the mutandis along with any leftover masala stuffing. Cook for 10 minutes with a lid on low heat, covered with water.
13. Serve hot after 10 minutes.

Nutritional Value for 100 grams of Undhiyu

1. Calories: 288
2. Carbs: 56g
3. Fat 4g
4. Protein 9g

For more recipes click here.

• Instagram