'Undhiyu jamvu chhe?'

“It reminds me of my childhood,” grins actor Prachi Shah. “I grew up in Panchgani and winter breaks meant time to off to my grandmother’ place in Surat for some fun frolic and great food - methi laddoos and undhiya - that was always on our table.”  

For someone who doesn’t get much time off from a busy schedule to try her hand at cooking, she makes an exception when it comes to this Gujarati delicacy. “I love the colours of the vegetables especially kand (yam) but I go easier on the oil,” she says.

Made with five to six vegetables - namely papadi, kand (rataloo), small potatoes, sweet potatoes and brinjals - undhiya got its name from the Gujarati word ‘undhu’ when local folk filled earthen pots with fresh vegetables and buried them under the ground in order to cook the ingredients. The pot was then cooked upside down under a fire.

“This traditional way of preparing it only prevails in some parts of Gujarat today,” says food expert Tarla Dalal. “One can make it easily at home too. The main ingredient is papadi, which is known as Surti papdi and the spices used are ajwain along with haldi, dhania, jeera, mirchi, a paste of green chillies and ginger along with garlic.”

She maintains that while undhiya can be quite rich, one can bake or then steam it in the pressure cooker without using coconut or oil. “Instead of coconut, grated cauliflower is a healthy substitute.”

Tarla’s Healthy Undhiya
Here’s a healthy modification of the dish which is ordinarily loaded with oil. Tarla has cut down on the oil along with the invisible fat which you get from coconut.

Methi muthias added to this recipe are baked to a wonderful rich golden colour that are very appealing and also cut down the calories you get from the fried version.  A good amount of iron and calcium is available from this hearty dish.

Preparation time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 30 minutes. Serves: 6.
For the Oondhiya
2 cups surti papadi (double beans), 1¼ cups kand (purple yam), peeled and cut into cubes, 1 cup baby potatoes, 1¼ cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes, 3 to 4 small brinjals, ½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain), A pinch soda bi-carb

Salt to taste

To be mixed into a masala, 1 cup chopped coriander, ½ cup poha (beaten rice flakes), ¼ cup green garlic, chopped, 3 teaspoons coriander-cumin seed (dhania-jeera) powder, 1 teaspoon ginger-green chilli paste, 1 teaspoon chilli powder, 1 teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain), ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi), ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing), 1 ripe banana, mashed, Salt to taste

Other ingredients
1 recipe baked methi muthia, recipe below, For the garnish, 1 tablespoon chopped coriander

For the Undhiya
1. String the surti papadi taking care not to separate the 2 sides.
2. Wash the papadi, add the carom seeds, soda bi-carb and salt and mix well.
3. Make criss-cross slits in the kand, baby potatoes, sweet potatoes and brinjals taking care not to separate the segments.
4. Fill half the masala mixture into the slits of kand, baby potatoes, sweet potatoes and brinjals. Keep aside the remaining masala mixture.
5. Combine the surti papadi, stuffed vegetables, remaining masala mixture with 3 cups of water and pressure cook for two whistles.