Undhiyu is made only in winter and that's one reason why despite all the effort that goes into making it, people still just love to rustle up this one-pot dish.

You usually find several versions of the Gujarati sabzi, and Maharaj Bhawar Singh shares his special Surti recipe that is very time-consuming. 

Many veggies are used in making this dish, and you can add/remove a few depending on your preference.

Brimming with bold flavours, undhiyu should be had with chapattis and pooris.

Surti Undhiyu

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients

• Hot water

For the coconut masala

• ½ cup green garlic, roughly chopped
• ½ cup grated coconut, make sure you don't use any of the brown peel 
• 1 tbsp raw peanuts, without the skin
• 6 tbsp chopped green dhania or coriander or cilantro

For the stuffing masala

• 30 gm fresh grated coconut
• Small bunch green dhania or coriander or cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tsp haldi or turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp dhania or coriander powder
• 1 tbsp cooking oil

For the fresh vegetables

• 75 gm shakarkand or sweet potatoes
• 75 gm ratalu or purple yams
• 75 gm suran or elephant yams
• 75 gm baby potatoes
• 50 gm tindola or ivy gourd
• 4 small baingan or brinjals or eggplants
• 1 raw banana, cut into 6 pieces
• 75 gm surti papdi or broad beans
• 75 gm green peas
• 50 gm lilva danaor raw toor dal or pigeon peas

For the methi muthiya

• 2 cups fresh chopped methi or fenugreek leaves
• 2 tsp green chilly paste
• 1½ tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tbsp white til or sesame seeds
• ½ tsp hing or asafoetida
• 1 tsp haldi or turmeric powder
• 1½ tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp dahi or yoghurt
• 1 cup besan or gram flour or chickpea flour
• ½ cup aatt khakra, or thin wheat crackers, available in Gujarati grocery stores
• ½ cup maida or all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp whole dhania or coriander
• 1 tsp whole jeera or cumin seeds
• Water, as required
• 1 tsp salt
• Oil for deep frying

For the masala mix

• 1 tbsp hing or asafoetida
• 1 tsp ajwain or carom seeds
• 1 tbsp white til or sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp jeera or cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp rai or mustard seeds
• 1 tsp haldi or turmeric powder
• 1 tsp dhania or coriander powder
• 1 tsp jeera or cumin seed powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp green chilly paste
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 100 gm garlic, chopped
• 50 gm imli or tamarind
• 100 gm fresh grated coconut
• Handful chopped fresh green dhania or coriander or cilantro
• Salt to taste, around 1 tsp

For tempering or tadka

• 100 gm cooking oil
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp hing or asafoetida
• 1 tsp ajwain or carom seeds
• 1 tsp green chilly paste
• 1 tsp rai or mustard seeds
• 50 gm green garlic, chopped

Method

• In a blender, combine all the ingredients for the coconut masala.
  Grind it into a coarse paste and keep aside.
• Mix the ingredients for the stuffing masala.
  Slit the baby potatoes, banana, baingan, tindola and stuff them with the masala.
• Cut the purple yam, shakarkand, suran to around 1-inch size pieces.
  Keep aside.
• Mix the ingredients (except the oil) for the methi muthiya.
  Knead into a dough.
  Divide into small portions and roll each portion out into roundels.
• Heat sufficient oil in a frying pan or kadhai over high heat.
  Deep fry the muthiya in batches, while continuously flipping over medium-high heat till golden brown.
  Drain from the oil and transfer onto a paper towel or tissue-lined paper. 
  In the same oil deep fry the cut vegetables (yam, shakarkand and suran).
  Drain from the oil and keep aside.
• Heat the oil for tempering in another kadhai or frying pan over medium heat.
  Add the hing.
  Add the rai and ajwain.
  When it splutters, add the chopped garlic, chilly paste, garlic paste.
  Mix and let it cook.
  Add the coarsely ground coconut masala and mix again.
  One by one, add the ingredients mentioned under the mixing masala.
  Add the stuffed vegetables.
  Add the surti papdi, green peas, lilva dana.
  Pour in some hot water.
  Add the deep-fried vegetables.
  Mix well.
  Add the methi muthiya once all the vegetables are cooked.
  Add more salt if reqhired.
  Take off heat and serve hot with rotis or pooris.

Maharaj Bhawar Singh is the corporate chef at Khandani Rajdhani, a chain of restaurants serving Rajasthani and Gujarati thalis.

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