Undhiyu - Gujarati Mix Veg Recipe

Undhiyu pronounced as 'Unn Dhe U' or 'UN DHEY YOU'. Undhiyu is a mixed vegetable recipe from the Gujarati cuisine. It is a specialty of the Saurashtra and Kathiawar district of Gujarat. 

 

 

Undhiyu is derived from a Gujarati word 'undhu' which means upside down, because the traditional way of cooking undhiyu is in maltu (traditional earthen pots) which were kept upside down under the ground and was lit up by fire from above.

Undhiyu consist of three (3) major parts:

1. Muthia (Fritters made with fenugreek (methi) leafs and chickpea flour (besan))
2. Special Vegetables (Surti Papdi (Board Beans) is a must ingredients)
3. Gravy 

So let us make Undhiyu. Let's Begin...

Ingredients & Steps:

For easy understanding, I am breaking the steps into three (3) parts. So we will make the Muthia (Fritter / Dumpling) first, then we will cook and prepare the vegetables and then we will make the gravy.

 

Preparing the Fritters / Muthia:

Heat up a pan. 

• Add 3 tsp oil
• Add 1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing)
• Add 3 tsp sesame seeds
• Add 2 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
• Add 1 bunch of chopped fenugreek leafs (methi)

Cook in low flame and saute the methi.
Once methi reduces and gets cooked.
Switch off your flames.
Keep the methi in the same pan, to be used later.

Take a bowl.

• Add 2 tsp oil
• Add 3 tsp sugar
• Add 2 tsp baking soda
• Add 2 tsp lemon juice

Mix Well.

• Add 1 cup chickpea flour (besan)
• Add 1 tsp garlic paste
• Add 2 tsp chilli paste
• Add 1 tsp turmeric
• Add 3 tsp ginger paste
• Add 1 tsp red chilli powder
• Add 1 tsp garam masala
• Add 1 tsp cumin (jeera) powder
• Add 1 tsp coriander (dhania) powder
• Add 1/4 tsp black pepper powder
• Add salt to taste

Mix well.

• Add Cooked methi (fenugreek leafs)
• Add little water (if required)

Mix and make a dough type batter.
Make smalls marble size balls from the dough type batter. 

[NOTE: If anything is left in the bowl of batter at the end, then add little water and make a liquid paste, which we will use later].

Now Heat up a pan.

• Add little oil for frying 

Keep the flames low.

• Fry the small muthia balls

Once golden brown, take them out and keep it aside, to be used later.
MUTHIA (Fritters) is ready.

(TIP: Keep the oil, we will use it to make the vegetables, so that the flavors of muthia comes in vegetables also.)

 

Preparing the Vegetables:

Heat up a pan.
Use the same oil which we had used for frying.
Once oil is hot.

• Add 1 cup Surti Papdi (Board Beans - The Must Ingredient)
• Add 1 cup Tendi (Ivy Gourd)
• Add 1/2 cup Tuver Dana (Pigeon Peas)
• Add 1/2 cup Matar (Green Peas)
• Add 1 cup Guvar (Cluster Beans)
• Add Salt as per taste

Mix properly.
Cook in low flame with closed lids for 5 - 7 minutes.

• Add 1 cup Kand (Purple Yam - chopped or diced)

Cook for another 2 minutes with lids closed.

• Add 1 cup Aloo (Potato - diced)

Mix and again cook for 2 - 3 minutes with lids closed.

• Add 1 cup Eggplant / Brinjal (Begun - diced)
• Add 1 cup Raw Banana / Green Banana (Kaccha Kela - diced)
• Add Salt again (if required)
• Add 1/4 cup water

Stir and mix properly.
Cook for 5 - 7 minutes with closed lids.
VEGETABLES are ready, let us keep it aside, to be used later. 

 

Preparing the Gravy:

Heat up a pan.

• Add 4 - 5 tbsp oil
• Add 1/2 tsp hing (asafoetida)
• Add 1 tbsp sesame seeds 
• Add 1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
• Add 1 tsp sauf (fennel seeds)
• Add 1 cup liquid paste made of (dhania patta (coriander leaf), lemon juice, green chilli, ginger and water)

Stir properly.

• Add 2 tsp cumin powder (jeera)
• Add 2 tsp coriander powder (dhania)
• Add salt as per taste (keep in mind that the other preparations are already having salt in them)
• Add 3 tsp sugar
• Add 5 tsp gur (jaggery)

Mix and cook for 3 - 4 minutes.
Gravy is also ready. 

Great now we need to combine all the three preparations to finish our cooking.
Let us do this quickly.

Heat up a deep pan.

• Add the vegetables - first
• Add the gravy - second

Mix and Stir properly.

• Add Muthia (Fritters) - third
• Add 1 cup water (made from the left over of muthia / fritters)

Mix properly.
Cook for 5 - 10 minutes with closed lids, until you see the oil floating on the top.
 

 

 

Undhiyu is ready

Garnish it with grated coconut, chopped coriander leafs.
 

Can be eaten with roti / chappati (Indian style breads) which are brushed with ghee (clarified butter). You can even serve undhiyu with poori (fried Indian style breads)