Undhiyu facts for kids
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| Type | Mixed Vegetable Dish |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Surat, Gujarat, India |
| Main ingredients | Vegetables |
Undhiyu is a super yummy mixed vegetable dish from Gujarat, India. It's a special food from the city of Surat. The name "Undhiyu" comes from a Gujarati word meaning "upside down." This is because it was traditionally cooked upside down!
Contents
What is Undhiyu?
Undhiyu is a famous dish from the Gujarati cuisine. It's a mix of many different vegetables. People in Gujarat often eat it during the winter months.
How is Undhiyu Made?
This dish is special because of how it used to be cooked. Traditionally, people would cook Undhiyu underground. They put all the vegetables into special earthen pots called "matlu." Then, they would turn the pots upside down and cook them with fire from above. This unique way of cooking gives the dish its name.
What's in Undhiyu?
Undhiyu uses many fresh vegetables that grow in South Gujarat during winter. These include places like Surat, Navsari, and Valsad. Some common vegetables you'll find are:
- Green beans or new peas (with their pods)
- Unripe banana
- Small eggplants
- Potatoes
- Purple yam
- Sometimes plantain
A special part of Undhiyu is "muthia." These are like small dumplings or fritters. They are made from fenugreek leaves and spiced chickpea flour. Muthia can be steamed or fried before being added to the dish.
The Flavorful Spice Mix
The vegetables are mixed with a delicious dry spice paste. This paste usually has:
- Cilantro leaves
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Green chili pepper
- Sugar
- Sometimes fresh coconut that has been grated
All these ingredients are slow-cooked together. Only a little bit of vegetable oil and water are used. This helps the root vegetables steam perfectly.
Cooking it Just Right
The finished Undhiyu is usually dry, not watery. Each piece of vegetable is coated with spices and oil. They keep their shape and don't get mushy. To make sure everything cooks well, some vegetables are added in stages. For example, root vegetables and eggplant might be half-cooked first. Then, faster-cooking things like bean pods are added later. This helps keep crunchy vegetables a little crisp.
Before serving, people often garnish Undhiyu. They add chopped cilantro leaves and a squeeze of lemon or lime juice.
Surti Undhiyu
There's a special version called Surti undhiyu. This is often served at weddings and big parties. It's also a mixed vegetable casserole. This version might include red lentils. It's seasoned with spices, grated coconut, and palm sugar in a mild sauce. It's usually topped with chopped peanuts and toasted grated coconut. People often eat it with rice.
Undhiyu with puri (a type of fried bread) and shrikhand (a sweet yogurt dish) is a popular meal in Gujarati homes during winter.
Similar Dishes Around the World
Many cultures have dishes that are similar to Undhiyu. They also cook seasonal vegetables into a stew.
- Avial from Kerala cuisine in India is a spicy mixed vegetable stew.
- Shukto from Bengali cuisine and Ghanta from Odia Cuisine are also similar. Like Gujarati food, Odia food often has mild and sweet main courses.
- The famous French dish called Ratatouille is also a mixed vegetable stew.
