Undhiyu is a traditional Gujarati mixed vegetable dish, cooked mainly in winter using seasonal, plant-based ingredients like brinjals, raw bananas, sweet potatoes, Surti papdi, and methi muthiyas. It is flavoured with a spicy-sweet green masala made of coriander, coconut, garlic, green chilies, sesame, and jaggery. Slow cooked with tempering of mustard, cumin, and fenugreek, Undhiyu is rich, earthy, and best enjoyed with puri or rotis during festivals and family feasts.
Undhiyu (Mixed Winter Vegetables)
Surti papdi (flat green beans)
Val papdi (broad beans)
Lilva (fresh pigeon peas)
Small brinjals (baby eggplants)
Raw bananas (peeled & chopped)
Kand (Purple yam)
Sweet potatoes
Potatoes
Green Masala Paste (The Heart of Udhiyu)
Fresh coriander leaves
Green garlic (Haraa lehsun) – seasonal & key to flavour
Green chilies
Ginger
Garlic cloves
Grated coconut
Lemon juice
Sugar
Salt
Cumin seeds
Sesame seeds (optional)
Asafoetida (heeng)
Fenugreek dumplings (Muthiya)
Fenugreek (Methi) leaves – finely chopped
Wheat flour and chickpea flour (Besan)
Salt
Sugar (optional)
Turmeric powder
Red chili powder
Coriander-cumin powder
Mustard seeds
Carom seeds (Ajwain)
Asafoetida (Heeng)
Oil (traditionally peanut or vegetable oil)
Cut vegetables like Surti papdi, potatoes, sweet potatoes, raw bananas and purple yam. Mix fenugreek leaves (Methi), chickpea flour and spices. Shape into small rolls and fry. Make green masala with coriander, green chilies, garlic, ginger, coconut, and spices. In a deep pan, layer vegetables, masala, and muthiya. Cook slowly on low flame. Sprinkle lemon juice and coriander. Serve hot with puri or roti.
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Ketan Shah is a recipe specialist from Gujarat