Why Undhiyu is a Gujarati Cult Dish

Undhiyu, the poster dish of Gujarati cuisine, is so beloved that there is even a National Undhiyu Day. Chaitali Patel digs into the layers of this complex dish.

My mother is a reluctant cook at best. When we were growing up, on days she felt that spark of inspiration, which wasn’t often, she would try her hand at a new recipe or dish. Lucky for us, the few meals she cooked usually turned out well. Her undhiyu, a dish she would make just once a year, during the cooler months, was one of my favourites. I suppose it was also watching her so absorbed in putting together this complex dish that made it more special. Either way, I have grown up to be an ardent undhiyu fan.

Made with a medley of seasonal vegetables, the undhiyu heralds the start of winter in Gujarat. The dish has attained cult status because of the seasonality of its ingredients and the laborious cooking process involved. It's eaten throughout the state, and each region adds its own unique touch. The undhiyu in Ahmedabad tends to be spicy and slightly heavier on oil, the one in Surat is garlicky, and in villages, it is often spiced very lightly, and cooked in an earthen pot without too many masalas.

I grew up in Chennai, and my mother would make the dish with vegetables that she could source locally. A purist would probably scoff at my mom's undhiyu, as many believe the dish must be made with surti papdi (flat green beans) and no other kind. Besides papdi, it also includes kand or purple yam, shakariya (sweet potatoes), bananas, tuvar (pigeon peas), brinjals and potatoes. No undhiyu is complete without muthiyas or fried dumplings made with gram flour and bitter methi leaves (fenugreek). Once the vegetables and muthiyas are individually prepped, they are cooked with a coarsely ground masala of coconut, chilli, garlic and coriander. To this day, I cannot resist stirring a pot that is simmering on the stove. I learnt most of my cooking peering into pots and pans, watching as spices were thrown in with a familiar hand. But my mother was protective of her undhiyu, stirring it sparingly and carefully, as she didn't want her dumplings disturbed. It was the one dish I was always hastily shooed from.

In Gujarat, undhiyu is the main dish cooked on Uttarayan, the festival of harvest and bounty, that is celebrated with kites. Families and friends congregate on rooftops, eat undhiyu with hot pooris and shrikhand, as colourful kites of all shapes and sizes crowd the skies. Back in Chennai, my mother always sent a big dabba of undhiyu to our friends next door. On days when they made undhiyu, we were always sent a box in return. The simple undhiyu exchange was done with no fanfare, but one that I eagerly looked forward to.

This winter, we were in Ahmedabad and I knew I was in for a treat. The joy of seasonal eating is unmatched; it is one of the finer pleasures in life that is quickly disappearing, as we have greater access to ingredients year round. Thankfully, the papdi hasn't relented and undhiyu continues to be a once-in-a-year winter dish. A close friend came to Ahmedabad to visit me, and finding good undhiyu was right up on our list of things do in the city. Swati Snacks serves a variety of regional dishes that aren't normally available in a restaurant setting, and their undhiyu is said to be a must-try. It arrived at the table steaming hot, with a side of bajri na rolta slathered with ghee, a fiery dark red garlic chutney, gaur (jaggery) and kadhi. It is an unusual green colour, which Shaan Zaveri, whose family owns the restaurant, later told me, comes from the green masala that is made with chilli and coriander. Swati has tied with up local farmers around Surat, from where fresh ingredients are sourced on a daily basis. The bright canteen-style restaurant serves undhiyu over a two month period, when the right ingredients like tender papdi are available in the markets. It is taken off the list of specials when the papdi doesn't match their standards, towards the end of the season.

The undhiyu we eat today, at home and in restaurants is cooked on the stove, but in the villages of southern Gujarat, it continues to be made the traditional way. Samar Khatiwala, winner of the 2017 Yan-Kit So Memorial Award for Food Writers on Asia, says that the umbadiyu, a southern Gujarati dish from which undhiyu as we know it today possibly evolved, is cooked in a matla (pot) and then mixed together. Different vegetables are added to the pot in layers, then sealed and buried underground. A fire is lit above, and the heat seeps through the porous walls of the pot, cooking the contents inside. Once cooked, the pot is emptied, and perfectly smoked vegetables are served with a generous drizzle of sesame oil, a robust green chutney and a pungent kotha (wood apple) ni chutney. The undhiyu, although different in taste and texture, derives its name from this cooking method. 'Undhu' in Gujarati translates to upside down.

Babubhai of Dungri village in Valsad, has a stall off the NH8 that does brisk business during winter, selling ubadiyu, a spin off on undhiyu. Also cooked in a matla, Babubhai's recipe includes papdi, bataka (potatoes), ratalu, kand and shakariya only. The matlas are sealed with a variety of leaves such as kalar, kamboi and ajwain, which he says lends a unique aroma to the the dish. While many stop by for take-aways, it is best eaten right there, when the vegetables come out hot, with a side of his signature green chutney and cold buttermilk.

From undhiyu parties, to winter wedding menus that feature the undhiyu, it is the poster dish of Gujarati cuisine. Such is the popularity of the dish, that January 14th has been marked as National Undhiyu Day. Ironically for me, it the one dish I never got around to learning. I blame it on my mother never letting me stir the pot.

RECIPE FOR UNDHIYU

Ingredients
500 g papdi
200 g shakariya
200 g ratalu
3-4 small brinjals
3-4 small potatoes
2 semi ripe bananas
2 bunches of coriander
2 bunches of green garlic
A small piece of ginger
3-4 green chillis
3 tbsp grated coconut
1 tbsp peanuts
1 tbsp white sesame seeds
1 tbsp khus khus
Turmeric powder, a pinch
1 tsp dhana jeeru powder
Hing, a pinch
1 tsp sugar
Salt, to taste
Oil

For the muthiyas
1 bunch methi leaves (you can add palak as well)
1 cup of wheat flour
2-3 tbsp of besan
1 tbsp jowar flour
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp dhana jeeru powder
1 tsp chilli powder
2-3 pods of garlic
Oil
Salt, to taste

Method
First make the muthiyas
In a bowl take washed and chopped methi leaves. To this add all the flours, masala, some oil and knead into a dough. Make small dumplings, fry till they are golden brown on the outside and keep aside.

Prep the vegetables
Wash and string the papdi. Peel and cut the ratalu and shakariya into big chunks.
Peel the potatoes and make a cross incision. Make similar incisions in the brinjal.
Cut the bananas along with their skin into two or three parts depending on the size and make a slit.
Grind the green masala
Make a coarse mixture of coriander, green garlic, green chilli, ginger, grated coconut, til, khus khus and peanuts. Add some oil, masalas and salt and mix it all together.
Stuff the brinjals, potatoes and bananas with this green masala. Give all the remaining vegetables a nice rub with this masala.
In a deep flat bottomed pan, heat some oil. Once its hot add a generous amount of hing. Then add the papdi, ratalu and shakariya. Next add the brinjals and potatoes, then cover and cook on a low flame. Add a little water to the vegetables.
After a while, add the muthiyas on top. Stir carefully as you don't want the muthiyas to crumble. When it's almost done add the bananas. In the end add some sugar and the remaining green masala. Don't add the sugar before as the papdi won't cook well then.
Once it's ready garnish with finely chopped green coriander and garlic on top.
You can make the dish in a pressure cooker, but remember to open the lid as soon as you turn off the gas, else the green colour will become dull.

Chaitali Patel is a freelance writer based in Dubai. Her words have appeared in Conde Nast Traveller India, Roads & Kingdoms, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Mint Lounge and others. 

Banner image: Lemon in Ginger

ALSO ON THE GOYA JOURNAL