Undhiyu (Gujarati Winter Mixed Vegetables)

Undhiyu is the pride of Surat and the star of Uttarayan, the kite festival. Winter vegetables – flat papdi beans, fresh pigeon peas (lilva), purple yam (ratalu), sweet potato, baby potatoes and small eggplants – cook slowly with a green masala of coriander, coconut, green chilli and ginger, together with little fried methi muthia dumplings. Frozen Surti papdi and lilva from Asian shops make it possible in Europe.

Video by Your Food Lab on YouTube. Our recipe below is our own home-style version, written in our own words – quantities and steps may differ from the video.

• Serves 6
• Prep 45 min
• Cook 50 min
• Vegetarian
• Famous in Gujarat (Surat)

Ingredients

• For the muthia: 100 g besan, 2 tbsp atta, 1 handful fresh methi (or 2 tbsp kasoori methi), 1 tsp ginger-chilli paste, ½ tsp each turmeric, sugar, salt, 1 tbsp oil, pinch of baking soda – oil for frying
• For the green masala: 1 big bunch coriander, 60 g grated coconut, 3 green chillies, 3 cm ginger, 6 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp peanuts, 1 tbsp sesame, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp salt
• Vegetables: 250 g papdi (flat beans, frozen ok), 100 g lilva (fresh pigeon peas, frozen ok), 200 g purple yam (ratalu) or more sweet potato, 1 sweet potato, 8 baby potatoes, 6 small eggplants – all in chunks
• 6 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp ajwain
• 1 pinch asafoetida
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander-cumin powder

Method

1. Mix the muthia ingredients with a little water to a firm dough, shape small finger-sized dumplings and deep-fry until golden. Set aside.
2. Grind the green masala coarsely. Slit the eggplants and baby potatoes and stuff with a little masala.
3. Heat the oil in a wide heavy pot, add ajwain and asafoetida, then papdi and lilva and stir for 2 minutes.
4. Layer the yam, sweet potato, potatoes and eggplants on top, spread the rest of the masala and the spice powders over, add 150 ml water, cover tightly and cook on low heat for 35–40 minutes without stirring – just shake the pot now and then.
5. Add the muthia for the last 10 minutes. Mix gently and serve with puri and shrikhand or jalebi.

Tip: Don't stir – shaking the pot keeps the vegetables whole, the way undhiyu should be.

Shop the ingredients

Everything you need for this recipe is in stock at Farmah’s – order online or pick it up at Annenstraße 41, Graz.