Undhiyu Recipe | Surti Undhiyu

If you are a fan of mixed vegetable recipes from the Indian cuisine, this recipe post is sure for you. And even if you are not, then post trying this classic Gujarati recipe, I’m sure you would be. This is a super delicious Surti Undhiyu Recipe, which does not take much time as compared to the traditional one. This Undhiyu is a Gujarati style mixed vegetable dish, which is prepared majorly with the seasonal fresh produce that the winters in India bring along. You can’t really not try it, as if you do, you’ll miss out on something tasty as well as wholesome.

What is Undhiyu

Undhiyu is a one-pot vegetable casserole dish that is the hallmark of vegetarian cuisine in the Gujarati food repertoire. Essentially, an Undhiyu Recipe takes a lot of time to get done and needs a good amount of patience. This is because, traditionally, the array of vegetables is cooked or fried in batches.

However, this particular Surti Undhiyu Recipe does not take much time, as all the veggies along with the Methi Muthia (fenugreek leaves dumplings) are steamed together in a pressure cooker. Though, if you want, you can also cook the vegetables in a large pot or pan. Thus, the method becomes easy and less time consuming.

Undhiyu is so called as it is derived from the Gujarati word ‘undhu,’ which means ‘upside down.’ An authentic way of cooking this entire dish is to cook it in earthen pots, called ‘matlu’ in Gujarati and ‘matka‘ in Hindi. The pots are sealed and placed upside down in a fire pit dug inside the ground. The slow-cooking in the earthen pot gives the dish an earthy and rustic flavor.

An Undhiyu Recipe is usually bursting with flavors, aroma and textures because of the different veggies, a special masala and the muthias (fenugreek dumplings) that go in its making. Not just this, it is also a hearty and nutritious dish. Especially, this one, where I have also added less oil than what is generally added.

More on Undhiyu Recipe

Undhiyu is a personal favorite. I have had it many times while living in Mumbai. One of the best ones was at a Gujarati function in Mithibai College, Juhu, Mumbai. Right from the starters to the dessert, the entire Gujarati buffet there was absolutely stunning and spot on with flavors. We took small portions of everything and had a lovely hearty meal.

The vegetables added in an Undhiyu Recipe are mostly root veggies like purple yam (kand), regular yam, sweet potatoes and baby potatoes. Others are small brinjals, raw or ripe bananas, ivy gourd and Indian flat beans (surti papdi). Fresh pigeon peas (tuvar lilva) are also added.

In the absence of fresh pigeon peas, you can also add fresh green peas or fresh green chickpeas in the Undhiyu. Another lilva special recipe is this Gujarati Lilva Ni Kachori, which is also famous during the winter season.

This Undhiyu Recipe is vegan. If you want to make a gluten-free version, skip asafoetida. You can also make a satvik or no onion, no garlic variation by skipping garlic. This recipe serves 10 to 12 servings. You can easily halve the recipe.

Undhiyu is best served with pooris and Aamras or Shrikhand. You can also serve this healthy mixed vegetable casserole with soft phulkas, jowar roti or bajra roti.

Variations

Undhiyu is a winter delicacy, and is typically from Southern Gujarat. Some of the vegetables added in it are only available in the winter season.

There is another variation of the Undhiyu Recipe, which is made by the farmers of South Gujarat and is called as ‘umbadiyu.’ The recipes and ingredients are different, but all of the elements are cooked in upside down earthen pots only.

Another dish from the Parsi cuisine called ‘umberiu’ has a close resemblance to the Gujarati Undhiyu. The Parsi style umberiu is also cooked in the similar manner. That is, in an upside-down earthen pot in a fire pit.

How to make Undhiyu

Prep Vegetables

1. String and pod the surti papdi beans. I used half-half of surti papdi (hyacinth beans) and valor papdi (fava beans).

After stringing and halving them, rinse very well. Strain and keep aside. I used a total of 150 grams of beans which yielded 2 cups stringed and podded beans.

2. In a bowl of water, peel, rinse and place the other vegetables – 10 to 12 baby potatoes, 1 medium sweet potato, 1.5 to 2 cups chopped purple yam and 8 to 10 small brinjals.

Note: Only the upper stalk of the brinjals have been removed and they have not been slit. You can also just rinse and keep the brinjals aside.

Make Methi Muthia

3. Take 1 cup tightly packed finely chopped methi leaves and 1 cup gram flour (besan) in a mixing bowl.

4. Add the following ingredients:

• 1 pinch of baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon coriander powder
• ½ tablespoon oil
• ¾ to 1 teaspoon sugar or as required
• ½ teaspoon salt or as required
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon ginger and green chilli paste (or ½ inch peeled ginger + 1 to 2 green chilies – crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle)

5. Mix everything evenly and keep aside covered for 10 to 15 minutes.

6. Then, add 1 to 1.5 tablespoons water and mix well. Keep the mixture slightly sticky, so that the muthias remain soft after cooking.

7. Apply some oil in your palms and shape the muthias. Keep aside, covered with a bowl or lid.

If you want, you can also deep fry muthia. If fried, add lastly once the undhiyu is cooked through. But then simmer for 4 to 5 minutes after adding the fried methi muthia.

Make Green Masala Stuffing

8. Take ½ cup tightly packed grated fresh coconut and 3 tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves or ¼ cup finely chopped coriander leaves in a mixing bowl.

9. In a mortar-pestle, crush to a paste – 1 to 1.5 inch peeled ginger, 8 to 10 small to medium garlic cloves and 2 to 3 green chilies (about 1 to 2 teaspoons, chopped).

You can also crush or grind or blend all 3 of them together. If using readymade paste, then add ½ tablespoon ginger paste, ½ tablespoon garlic paste and ½ tablespoon green chilli paste.

You can also add garlic chives, instead of garlic.

10. Add the below listed ingredients to the coconut and coriander leaves in a bowl.

• 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
• ½ tablespoon ginger paste
• ½ tablespoon garlic paste or finely chopped green garlic chives
• ½ tablespoon green chili paste
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon red chili powder
• 3 teaspoons coriander powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ¾ to 1 teaspoon salt or as needed

11. Mix very well and then check the taste of the green masala. Add more lemon juice, salt or sugar, if required.

I have kept all the flavors balanced in the dish. But if you want, you can have a more spicy, sweet or tangy taste in Undhiyu.

12. On the base, give a crisscross slit to the brinjals and stuff the prepared green masala in them.

In the same way, stuff the masala in the potatoes. If you want, you can stuff the masala in the raw bananas too.

Keep the stuffed vegetables aside. Some green masala mixture will be left. Keep this aside.

Make Undhiyu

13. Heat 4 to 5 tablespoons sesame oil or peanut oil in a 3 litre pressure cooker. Add ½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain) and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds.

Stir and fry the spices for a few seconds or till they change their color. You can also use sunflower oil or safflower oil.

14. Then, add ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida (hing) and stir.

15. Now, add the stringed and podded beans. If you are using fresh pigeon peas, you can add them at this step.

16. Stir well. To preserve the green color of the beans, you can add a pinch of baking soda. I did not add.

17. Now, add half a portion of the leftover green masala stuffing mixture.

18. Stir and very well. Sauté on low to medium heat for 3 minutes. Then, lower the heat and make a neat layer of the beans at the bottom.

Layer Vegetables

19. Then, place the chopped purple yam in a neat layer.

20. Then, make another layer of chopped raw unripe bananas and sweet potato.

21. Now, sprinkle ¼ of the green masala mixture evenly. Don’t stir.

22. Make the next layer of stuffed brinjals and potatoes.

Cook Undhiyu

23. Add ½ cup water from the sides. Don’t stir.

24. Now, gently place the prepared methi muthia in a layer. Sprinkle 2 to 3 pinches of salt all over.

25. Cover the pressure cooker with its lid and pressure cook on medium to high heat for 2 whistles or 8 to 10 minutes.

Do use a 3 litre pressure cooker to make this recipe. If you have used a 4 or 5 litre pressure cooker then adjust the water and cooking time as needed.

26. When the pressure settles down naturally, remove the lid and gently mix everything, without breaking the stuffed vegetables and muthias.

27. Serve hot Undhiyu with poori or roti. While serving, if you want, you can garnish with chopped coriander leaves or some grated coconut.

Ingredient Swaps

• Purple Yam: In place of purple yam, use elephant foot yam or regular yam.
• Small Eggplants: In place of baby eggplants or small brinjals, use medium sized brinjals. Do not use large-sized eggplants.
• Pigeon Peas: In place of fresh pigeon peas (lilva), use fresh green chickpeas, Edamame or green peas. You can also omit adding any of the fresh peas.
• Green Beans: In place of surti papdi (hyacinth beans), use fava beans, or fresh lima beans.
• Baby Potatoes: In place of baby potatoes, use medium or large-sized potatoes. Peel and chop them. But do not stuff them with the green stuffing masala.
• Garlic: In place of garlic, use garlic chives. Finely chop the chives and add them to the green stuffing masala mixture.

Expert Tips

• Keeping the methi muthia mixture slightly sticky will result in softer muthias, after cooking.
• While shaping the methi muthias, grease your palms with some oil. You can also deep-fry the muthias if you prefer.
• If you are using readymade paste, then add ½ tablespoon each of ginger paste, garlic paste and green chili paste.
• The lemon juice, salt and sugar in the green masala mixture can be adjusted according to your preferences.
• In addition to stuffing the brinjals and potatoes with the green masala mixture, you can also stuff the raw banana with it.
• You can use sesame oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil or safflower oil to cook this dish.
• To preserve the green color of the beans, you can add a pinch of cooking soda.

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This Undhiyu Recipe from the blog archives, first published in April 2015 has been republished and updated on December 2022.