Wintertime and if you are in western parts of India, you can’t miss the mention of Undhiyo/ Surti Undhiyo. It is a regional speciality of Surat. While living in Mumbai I used to buy it from stores that sold them as a Sunday special dish. After leaving Mumbai I was forced to make it myself.
Conservative Gujaratis would be very particular about wanting the specific ingredients and vegetables to make this classic dish.
With due apologies, I have tweaked it a bit to suit the local availability of ingredients.
It comprises of vegetables that are available during the winter, muthia (dumplings/fritters made with fenugreek leaves and spiced chickpea flour, and either steamed or fried), potatoes, and purple yam, and sometimes plantain. These are spiced with a dry curry paste usually cooked with a lot of oil.
Ingredients
- Indian Broad beans/ Papdi beans/ Avarakai: ½ cup (cut into squares)
- Regular Yam/ Purple Yam: ½ cup(cut in cubes)
- Potato: ½ cup(cut in cubes)
- Raw banana: ½ cup(cut in cubes)
- Small Eggplant: 4 (slit in quarters)
- Sweet potato: ½ cup( cut in cubes)
- Green peas: ¼ cup
- Ajwain: ½ tsp
- Hing: a pinch
- Turmeric: ½ tsp
- Rock salt: to taste
- Sesame seeds: 1 tsp
For muthias
- Methi leaves: 1 cup( chopped)
- Besan: 1/3 cup
- Ginger: ½ inch
- Green chili: 1 no
- Ajwain: ½ tsp
- Rock salt: to taste
For dry spice paste
- Coriander leaves: 1 cup
- Fresh coconut: ¾ cup(grated)
- Garlic: 3 cloves
- Ginger: 1 inch
- Green chili:1 no
- Jaggery: 1 tsp
- Rock salt: to taste
- Lime juice: 1 tbsp
Method
- Knead together all muthia ingredients into soft dough. Sprinkle very little water to bring it together. It will seem sticky but that is ok.
- Shape into oval/ oblong muthias and bake on a greased tray at 170 ° C for around 15-20 minutes until crisp.
- Blend all ingredients for dry spice paste without water and keep aside.
- Rub salt and turmeric powder on all cubed vegetables.
- Slit the eggplants into quarters and fill them with the coconut spice paste.
- Heat a heavy-bottomed pan. Add ajwain, hing and sesame seeds. Dry roast for a few minutes.
- Add ½ cup of water and place marinated vegetables in the pan, along with stuffed eggplant.
- Spread coconut spice paste on top of vegetables and cover the pan.
- Allow to cook the vegetables on slow fire for 20 minutes.
- Do keep a check to ensure that the vegetables are not burning at the bottom.
- If need be add ¼ cup water from the side of the pan.
- Check if the vegetables are cooked but don’t get mushy.
- Add muthias to the cooked vegetables and gently stir everything together.
- Add ¼ cup water and cover and cook for 5 mins.
- Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.
Wellcure Tip:
- You may want to use another recipe for makingmuthias
Eating guide:
- Food group: vegetables and nuts.
- Lightly cooked/steamed veggies ensure the water content and enzymes are retained, both a must for good digestion and overall nourishment through food!
- Veggies are loaded with enzymes and high water content. They aid in digestion and act as a daily dose of vitamins and minerals.
- Nuts provide good fats and protein for the body.