Undhiyu is robust, unique Indian dish

I have always raved about the variety of dishes available across the length and breadth of India. The list is long and has so many varieties of cuisines and dishes it is impossible for anyone to know it all. One such dish is undhiyu from Gujrat, which is less known to people outside the state famous for its array of vegetarian dishes. Undhiyu means ‘upside down’ in Gujrati language, the name is drawn from the traditional method used to cook undhiyu in rural Gujrat. The dish traditionally is made using some vegetables that are specific to India, but adaptions to it have been made so that undhiyu can now be made throughout the world in both Indian restaurants and homes. There are three main parts to undhiyu, namely the vegetables, the dumplings, and the sauce. The dish is prepared in earthen pot with an array of wintry tubers and vegetables like surti papdi (flat beans), baby eggplants, yam, sweet and regular potato, seedless beans, unripe bananas, green peas, toor dal, fenugreek, chilies and seasonings. A rich garam masala made with green garlic, coconut, coriander, chilies, keeps the vegetables moistened and groundnut oil helps to seal together the various flavours. The traditional vessel used to make undhiyu is made with clay and these earthen pots are then buried in large underground furnace and covered with enormous pile of dried leaves which are then set on fire on the top. The dish often called as ‘malta nu undhiyu’ translating as ‘pot of undhiyu’ is thus cooked upside down. The dish is a seasonal one, comprising the vegetables that are available on the South Gujarat coastline, including the Surat, Navsari and Valsad regions. But like I always motivate the readers by saying that even if you do not get one or two ingredients in the recipe, still try it once or twice and try to improve it next time.Undhiyu requires a lot of preparation and is thus prepared in large quantity and is circulated among family members and neighbours so that next time when they make it they share it among the group. The root vegetables are peeled and cut into chunks. Potato, banana and eggplants are then layered deep in the vessel. The method is similar to cooking biryani. The vegetables that take the longest to cook are placed in the bottom. The tubers go in next, followed by the vegetables and coconut. Finally, the dish is layered with muthiyas (crispy fried spiced gram flour and fenugreek leaves). The undhiyu is thin and slowly simmered, the chutney and oil sealing together its various flavors and textures, the soft, sweetish banana undercut by the hard-earthy root vegetables, all of which is complimented by the brittle crunchy muthiyas. Undhiyu is a robust and unique dish with its own character. It is often eaten with fluffy pooris or bajra roti as preparing undhiyu requires a lot of oil and bajra roti helps counter balance the oil in the dish and you don’t feel bloated.UndhiyuIngredientsSurti Papdi (flat beans) 250 gmOil 200 mlToor Dal 250 gmGreen peas 200 gmYam 250 gmSweet potato 200 gmEggplant 200 gmRajgiri Banana 4 nos.For the green masalaCoriander, chopped 2 cupsGreen garlic, chopped 1 cupCoconut grated 2 cupsSalt to tasteCarom seeds 1 tspAsafetida ½ tspOil 2tbspFor the MuthiaMethi green 1 bunchGram flour 2 tbspGarlic, crushed 2-3 podsCaraway seeds 1 tspCoriander powder 2 tspRed chili powder 1 tspCumin powder 1 tspTurmeric powder 1 tspAsafetida powder ½ tspWater to bindSalt to tasteOil for fryingMethod:For the methi muthia, wash and dry the fenugreek leaves, chop and keep aside.Add gram flour, caraway seeds, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt, turmeric powder, asafetida powder.Shape into dumplings using small amount of water and oiled hands.Steam till soft and lightly pan fry to make it crispy, keep aside.For the vegetables, string the surti beans, shell green lentils and green peas, peel yam and suran and cut into big chunks, cut off brinjal crowns and slit in cross sections.Cut banana into chunks with skin on.For the masala, heat oil in a heavy bottom pan and temper with carom seeds and asafetida powder.Add chopped garlic and coconut and adjust the seasoning, add coriander chopped and blend to a smooth paste and keep aside.For the undhiyu, halve the masala and stuff in the above prepared vegetables.Heat oil in a heavy bottom pot and temper with caraway and asafetida, add rest of green masala ingredients.Sauté for 5-6 minutes, veggies in order of cooking time with the banana chunks and steamed deep fried muthias going in last.Cook on low heat with sealed cover, place some weight on the lid to seal it.Garnish with the leftover green masala ingredients, serve hot with choice of bread like poori or bajra roti.* Chef Tarun Kapoor,  Culinary Mastermind,  USA. He may be contacted at tarunkapoor83@gmail.com