Undhiyu

Undhiyu or undiyo is a winter special Surti (Gujarati) dish. It is a mild spicy, slightly sweet and a slightly tangy dish. Mixed vegetables combined with a mixture of coconut, spices and coriander leaves are slow cooked in layers with the topmost layer of methi muthia - dumplings made from fenugreek leaves and gram flour. Traditionally, Undhiyu is served with puri and shrikhand.

Measurement: 1 Cup = 180 ml

Serves: 5 to 6

Ingredients:

Vegetables:

1. Shelled pigeon peas (tuvar) or field beans (val / pavta) - 1/2 cup
2. Surti papdi (flat beans)- 10 to 12
3. Potatoes - 4 to 5 small sized
4. Baby brinjals - 4
5. Sweet potato - 1 cup
6. Yam / suran (peeled and cubed) - 1 cup (to be pre-cooked with tamarind pulp)

For the Masala:

1. Coconut (scrapped) - 1 1/2 to 2 cups
2. Coriander leaves (chopped) - 1 1/2 to 2 cups
3. Green chillies - 2 to 3
4. Ginger - 1/2" piece
5. Garlic - 8 to 10 cloves
6. Sesame seeds (roasted) - 1 tbsp
7. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
8. Coriander powder - 1 tsp
9. Cumin powder - 1 tsp
10. Garam masala - 1 tsp
11. Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
12. Sugar - 2 to 3 tsp approx
13. Salt - 2 tsp approx

For the Methi Muthia:

1. Fenugreek leaves (chopped) - 2 cups
2. Besan (gram flour) - 1 cup
3. Wheat flour - 1 tbsp
4. Sesame seeds - 1/2 tsp
5. Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Coriander powder - 1/2 to 3/4 tsp
8. Cumin powder - 1/2 to 3/4 tsp
9. Lemon juice - 1 tsp
10. Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
11. Salt - 1 tsp approx
12. Oil - for deep frying

For the Tempering:

1. Oil - 2 to  3 tbsp or more as per your requirement
2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp (optional)
3. Carom seeds - 1/2 tsp
4. Asafoetida - 1/3 tsp

Procedure:

For preparing Methi Muthia:

• Take a mixing bowl and combine all the ingredients required for making muthia except oil. 
• Slowly add little water and and make soft dough. 
• Divide the dough into 8 to10 parts. 
• Grease your palms and give the balls cylindrical shape. 
• Heat oil in a deep frying pan and deep fry muthia on low to medium flame till golden brown. Deep fry in batches. Keep aside.

For the Masala:

• Coarsely dry grind coconut. 
• Crush ginger, garlic and green chillies.
• Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl required for masala. Keep aside.

For preparing the Vegetables:

• Pressure cook yam with little salt and 1 tbsp tamarind pulp till 1 whistle. ( Yam has the property of causing itching, hence it is advisable to pre-cook it with tamarind pulp.)
• Peel the sweet potato and cut into medium size pieces.
• String the surti papdi and cut into 1" long pieces. 
• Discard the stems of brinjals and slit them, place them in a bowl of water.
• Cut the potato vertically at the centre, give it 1/2 to 3/4th cut (do not cut it into halves). Give it one more vertical 1/2 to 3/4th cut at the centre, but in an opposite direction. Cutting it in this manner will keep your potato intact.
• Stuff the potatoes and brinjals with little masala mixture and keep aside. Keep some masala mixture aside.

For preparing Undhiyu:

• Heat oil in a non stick pan. Alternately, you may use a pressure cooker.
• Add mustard seeds, let them splutter.
• Add carom seeds and asafoetida.
• Add field beans and surti papdi, stir fry for half a minute.
• Sprinkle little salt and add 1/3 of the masala mixture, stir fry for 10 to 15 seconds.
• Keep it covered for a minute.
• Now, place yam and sweet potatoes. (If you are using raw banana, then place chunks of that too.)  Sprinkle little salt and add another 1/3 of the masala mixture.
• Now, place potatoes, brinjals, sprinkle little salt and add remaining 1/3 of he masala mixture.
• Place methi muthia.
• Add 1 1/2 cup of water. Cover the pan and cook on high flame for 2-3 min, switch it to low flame till done. Prick the potato with a knife after 20 to 25 min and check if it is cooked. Add more water if required. (If potatoes are not cooked and water is evaporated, only then add water.) In case, you are pressure cooking then add lesser water and pressure cook till 2 whistles.
• When it is done, you may mix it. Do not use a spoon for mixing, use a spatula.
• Serve hot with puri and shrikhand.