Undhiyu Recipe

Undhiyu is a traditional Gujarati mixed vegetable curry and the quintessential dish during Uttarayan (Makar Sankranti )festival. This one-pot dish is very delicious and has few resemblance to the Maharashtrian Bhogichi Bhaji as both the curries celebrates the seasonal bounty of Winter vegetables. This vegetable casserole is typically served with poori and Shrikhand on festive occasions. You can serve it with Bajra roti or chapati as well.

The word Undhiyu means upside down in Gujarati. Seasonal vegetables are deep fried in the traditional recipe and cooked in earthen pots that are sealed and placed upside down in a fire pit dug in the ground . Source

Here i have shared an easy and guilt free recipe in which all the veggies along with methi muthia are steamed in a pressure cooker. This method requires comparatively less time and oil than the traditional method. I have adapted the recipe from here.

Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious days for Hindus and usually falls on 14th January. As the first festival in the year's calendar, it is eagerly awaited by one and all. It marks the end of the long winter, as the sun begins its northward journey and so this festival is called Uttarayan also. After sankranthi the days start becoming longer and warmer and the chill of winter declines. Farmers pray on the occasion to be blessed with bountiful harvest.

This harvest festival is celebrated in different parts of India by different names. In North India, large bonfires are lit on the eve of Sankranti , known as Lohri. In  many states of South India, it s celebrated for 4 day long festival called Pongal. In Gujarat it is known as Uttarayan, in Maharashtra , Makar Sankranti, in Uttar Pradesh as Khichri. Lord Sun is worshiped on this day and people take dip in holy rivers. 

#HarvestHarmony is the #178th theme on #FoodieMondayBloghop and this delicious and healthy Undhiyu is my contribution to the theme.

                                    

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:

Vegetables for Undhiyu

• 100 grams Surti papdi beans (hyacinth beans)
• 100 grams purple yam
• 5-6 small brinjals
• 1 small sweet potato
• 1 medium size raw banana
• 3-4 baby potatoes or 1 large potato , cubed
• 50 grams fresh green chickpeas / choliya

For Methi Muthia:

• 1 cup besan
• 1 cup tightly packed methi leaves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ginger green chili paste
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander cumin powder
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt to taste
• Pinch of baking soda

For Masala:

• 1/4 cup tightly packed scrapped coconut
• 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon roasted peanut powder
• 1/4 cup fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ginger green chili paste
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt to taste

Other Ingredients:

• Oil for deep frying the muthia and for tempering the undhiyu
• 1/4 teaspoon carom seeds
•  1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• Pinch of asafoetida

Method:

Preparing vegetables for Undhiyu

1. Wash the baby egg plants, remove the upper stalk and make 4 slit on each of them in such a way that they do not fall apart.
2. String and pod the surti papdi beans. Rinse them well , strain and keep aside.
3. Peel and chop the potatoes, yam, sweet potato and plantain.
4. Mix everything under the list masala in a bowl. Do a taste test. Adjust the seasonings as per your taste.
5. Stuff the masala inside the slits of the brinjal. 

Preparaing methi muthia 

1. Take the chickpea flour and chopped fenugreek (methi)leaves in a bowl. Add all the ingredients under the list of muthia in it. Blend well. 
2. Add little water and make a slightly sticky dough . Apply oil on your palms and shape the muthia. Deep fry the muthia in batches until they become crisp and golden brown from all sides. Remove them with a slotted ladle and allow to drain on absorbent paper. 

Cooking Undhiyu:

1. In a pressure cooker, heat 2 tablespoon oil. Add carom seeds and cumin seeds. Fry the seeds for few seconds. 
2. Next add asafoetida followed by the green chickpeas and the stringed and pod beans. Stir fry them for a minute or so. 

    3. Add the sweet potato, potato, plantain and yam pieces. Stir fry them also for a minute or so. Add the remaining masala and blend well. 

4. Next add the stuffed brinjal and add 1/2 cup of water to the pressure cooker. Sprinkle salt and cover the cooker with the lid. Cook for just 1 whistle and put off the flame. Open the lid once all the pressure has been released . Now add the fried methi muthia and simmer the undhiyu for 4-5 minutes.

  5. Serve the delicious undhiyu with poori and Shrikhand .

  Recipe Notes:

• Do not over cook the veggies . The vegetables in Undhiyu should retain their shape and crunch.
• Left over methi muthia can be served as tea time snack with some chutney or dip of your choice.
• Undhiyu can be made with available winter veggies. Feel free to substitute one or two veggies as per availability. For instance normal potatoes can be substituted for baby potatoes, yam for purple yam etc.

For more Makar Sankranti recipes, check out the following posts from my blog.

• Til Gul Ladoo

                             

• Gulachi Poli

                             

• Sakkarai Pongal

                             

• Til Ki Burfi

                            

• Bhogi Chi Bhaji

                            

• Makke ki Roti da Sarsan ka Saag