Undhiyu | Oondhiya – a traditional Gujarati dish

Undhiyu is a famous Gujarati mixed vegetable dish usually made during winters. Come winter and you will find all the vegetables required for Undhiyu in the market…….. surti papdi, tuvar beans, green garlic  to name a few.

Undhiyu requires elaborate preparation as it is prepared with variety of vegetables like surti papdi (flat beans), tuvar beans (fresh pigeon peas), brinjals, purple yam, raw banana, potatoes, green garlic etc.  There are different ways in which Undhiyu is prepared.  From one part of Gujarat to the other,  the taste and the form of Undhiyu is different. For eg…there is Surti Undhiyu, Kathiyawadi Undhiyu, Ahmedabadi Undhiyu and so on. The traditional method of Undhiyu requires a lot of oil as all the vegetables are cooked in oil without adding any water.  However, after making Undhiyu every winter, I have arrived at my own way of making Undhiyu. 

Firstly I prepare a green masala by blending Coriander leaves, ginger, green garlic, green chillies and rub all the chunky vegetables like banana, purple yam, potatoes and brinjals with the green masala.

 Then, I prepare a mixture of chopped coriander leaves, green garlic, carom seeds and grated coconut.  After which I prepare methi muthiyas.

Then, I saute the surti papdi and tuvar beans alongwith chopped coriander leaves and green garlic so that surti papdi and tuvar beans are partially cooked. Then I cook the sautéed surti papdi, tuvar beans, all the chunky vegetables alongwith the mixture of leafy greans in a pressure cooker for 2 to 3 whistles. After the vegetables are cooked, I add the fried methi muthiyas to it and cook it covered for few minutes.

Here’s the complete recipe:

Ingredients

150 grams Surti papdi, stringed whole (flat beans)
100 grams tuvar beans (pigeon peas)
1 raw banana
a medium sized purple yam 
a large sweet potato
100 grams small brinjals slit
100 grams baby potatoes or 1 large potato cut into cubes
2 cups of chopped green garlic + 2 tbsp chopped green garlic
4 to 5 green chillies
3 inches of ginger
2 cups chopped coriander (chopped) + 2 tbsp chopped coriander
1 tbsp methi leaves (chopped)
½ cup fresh grated coconut
½ tsp asafoetida (hing)
2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds) 
Salt as per taste
1 tsp sugar
1 Lemon

For Methi muthiyas

2 cups of methi leaves finely chopped
¾  cup gram flour
1 tsp red chilly powder
½  tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
1 tsp oil
Salt as per taste 
Oil for frying the muthiyas

Method :

Step 1 – Preparing the green masala

• Blend 1 cup of chopped coriander leaves, 1 cup of chopped green garlic (mostly the garlic cloves), ginger and green chillies to a fine paste.
• Keep this aside.

Step 2 – Rubbing the chunky vegetables with the green masala

• Peel a thin layer of banana skin and cut into medium sized cubes.
• Peel yam and sweet potato and cut into medium sized cubes.
• De-skin the potatoes.
• Slit the potatoes and brinjals. 
• Rub the sweet potato, yam, banana, brinjals and potatoes with the green masala paste and keep it aside.

Step 3 – Making a mixture of leafy greens

• In a mixing bowl, add 1 cup of chopped coriander leaves, 1 cup of chopped green garlic, ½ cup of fresh grated coconut, 1 tsp carom seeds and mix well.
• Keep this aside.

Step 4 – Making methi muthiyas

• In a mixing bowl, add chopped methi leaves, gram flour, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, oil, amd salt.
• Mix all the ingredients.
• Add little water and make a stiff dough.
• Form into small round dumplings.
• Heat oil and fry the methi muthiyas.
• Remove from oil and keep aside.

Step 5 – Sauteeing of surti papdi and tuvar beans

• Heat 6 tbsp oil in a pan.
• Add carom seeds.
• When the seeds start spluttering, add 2 tbsp chopped green garlic, 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander and 1 tbsp chopped methi leaves. Saute them.
• Add washed and stringed surti papdi, tuvar beans, saute and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. 

Step 6 – Cooking the vegetables in a pressure cooker

• Into a pressure cooker, add the chunky vegetables.
• Layer half the quanity of the leafy greens mixture.
• Add the sautéed surti papdi.
• Add the remaining leafy greens mixture, asafoetida, sugar and 1 cup of water.
• Pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles.

Step 7 – Adding fried muthiyas to the cooked vegetables.

• To the cooked vegetables, add the fried methi muthiyas.
• Add salt and cumin coriander powder.
• Give a gentle mix and cook covered for 7 to 10 minutes. 
• Turn off the heat. Squeeze lemon juice and garnish with chopped fresh coriander.  
• Serve hot with puris, phulkas or parathas.

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