Undhiyu
A Surati mixed-vegetable dish whose name literally means 'upside-down,' referring to its genuine traditional cooking method: sealed earthen pots packed with vegetables were placed inverted over a pit dug in the ground, with hot coals built on top so the heat cooked the vegetables from above rather than below, a real rural technique now mostly replaced in everyday cooking by pressure cookers and ovens. It carries a genuine seasonal identity too, strongly tied to winter and the Makar Sankranti festival, when it's traditionally served alongside puri, chutney, and jalebi. Real undhiyu layers Surti papdi beans, purple yam, small eggplants, potatoes, sweet potato, and green peas with methi muthiya dumplings, brought together with a fresh paste of coconut, green garlic, cilantro, and chile.
⚠ Contains: Gluten. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 200g Surti papdi (flat beans)
- 1 purple yam, cubed
- 6 small eggplants
- 2 potatoes, cubed
- 1 sweet potato, cubed
- 1 cup green peas
- 1 cup fresh coconut, grated
- 1 bunch green garlic, chopped
- Cilantro, chopped
- 2 green chiles
- 1 cup gram flour, for the muthiya dumplings
- 1 bunch fenugreek leaves, chopped
- Oil
Steps
- Make the muthiya dumplings by mixing gram flour with chopped fenugreek leaves, spices, and a little oil, shaping into small logs, and steaming until firm, then pan-frying until golden.
- Blend the coconut, green garlic, cilantro, and chile into a coarse paste.
- Layer the papdi, yam, eggplant, potato, sweet potato, and peas in a heavy pot with the coconut paste and a little oil.
- Cover tightly and cook low and slow, stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables are tender, about 1.5 hours.
- Fold in the muthiya dumplings just before serving.