Undhiyu Recipe

Undhiyu Recipe: Gujarat’s Winter Mixed Vegetable Speciality

Byorevia
Prep40 min
Cook50 min
Serves6
Total1 hr 30 min
2 min readJump to Recipe ↓

Undhiyu is made in Surat and across Gujarat when winter vegetables arrive.

In This Guide
  1. Did You Know?
  2. Undhiyu Recipe Ingredients
  3. Method
  4. A Tip Worth Knowing
  5. Common Mistakes to Avoid
  6. Storage and Reheating
  7. Quick Answers
  8. Cookware Note

Did You Know?

The name comes from the Gujarati word “undhu”, meaning upside down. Traditionally undhiyu was cooked upside down in earthen pots buried in the ground, with a fire lit above. Today most homes cook it in a heavy pot on the stove. It is a winter dish tied to the season of fresh surti papdi and other winter vegetables, especially around Uttarayan (Makar Sankranti).

Undhiyu Recipe Ingredients

  • 250 g surti papdi or green beans
  • 2 potatoes, 1 sweet potato, 1 raw banana, 1 small brinjal (all cubed)
  • 1 cup green masala: coriander, green chilli, ginger, garlic, coconut, sesame, sugar, lemon
  • Methi muthiya (fenugreek dumplings), fried
  • 1/2 tsp ajwain, 1 pinch hing
  • 3 tbsp oil, salt to taste

Method

  1. Mix the green masala and stuff a spoonful into the brinjal and potatoes.
  2. Heat oil in a heavy pot. Add ajwain, hing and papdi.
  3. Layer the remaining vegetables on top and spread the masala between layers.
  4. Add a splash of water, cover tightly and cook on low heat for 35 to 40 minutes without stirring much.
  5. Add the fried muthiya in the last 5 minutes and gently toss.

A Tip Worth Knowing

Do not stir hard. Let it steam and turn it only once or twice.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Stirring too much. The vegetables break up. Let them steam.
  • Skipping the stuffing. The green masala inside the potatoes and brinjals is part of the dish.
  • Adding the fried muthiya too early. They turn soggy.

Storage and Reheating

Undhiyu tastes better the next day. Keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat gently with a splash of water.

Quick Answers

Can I make it without surti papdi?

Yes. Use green beans or any fresh winter beans.

Is undhiyu eaten with something?

Often with puri or rotli, and sometimes with shrikhand during festivals.

Cookware Note

A heavy cast iron kadai or a thick triply stainless steel cookware pot gives the slow, even heat undhiyu needs.

Shop Cast Iron Kadai →
Written byorevia

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