Gujarati Undhiyu

Gujaratis are known for many things but one of the big things is the ever popular Undhiyu recipe. The name originates from the word “undhu” which means “upside down” in Gujarati. Traditionally, undhiyu is cooked in earthen clay pots which are turned upside down onto an open fire. Made with a mix of different vegetables and spices, undhiyu and puri are common items at wedding feasts. Enjoy the delicious medley of flavors of the long awaited….UNDHIYU!

Step 1:
Make Muthiya – click here for recipe and video

Step 2:
Deep fry Potatoes and Sweet Potato

Potatoes – 4 medium (peeled, cubed into 1″ pieces)
Sweet Potato – 1 large (peeled, cubed into 1″ pieces)

Lightly sprinkle salt over the potatoes immediately as they come out of the hot oil.

Step 3:
Make Chutney

Ingredients:
Cilantro – 1 small bunch, roughly chopped
Garlic – 5 large cloves
Ginger – 1 Tbsp, chopped
Green Chili – 1 or to taste
Lemon/Lime Juice – 2 Tbsp
Sugar – 1 Tbsp
Salt – 1/2 Tbsp
Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
Dry Shredded Coconut – 1/4 cup

Grind above ingredients into a fine paste

Step 4:
Pressure Cook the following for 2 whistles:

Surti Papdi (or regular Papdi) – 3 cups, de-veined and split
Frozen Tuver Dana (Pigeon Peas) – 1 cup
Salt – 1 tsp
Water – 1 cup
Ajwain (Carrom Seeds) – 1/4 tsp

Step 5:
Stuff Eggplants

Small Indian Eggplants – 12 (stems kept on with 2 slits in the shape of an “x”)

– Divide Chutney into 2 portions and reserve one portion.
– Stuff Eggplants with 1/2 of the chutney.
– Lightly grease a casserole dish with Oil and arrange stuffed Eggplants.
– Drizzle 1 Tbsp Oil over the top, cover and microwave the eggplants approx 8 minutes (5 minutes, gently turn, another 3 minutes)

Step 6:
Put it all together

Ingredients:
Oil – 3 Tbsp
Ajwain (Carrom Seeds) – 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp
Water – 1 cup
Coriander Powder – 2 Tbsp
Cumin Powder – 2 tsp
Garam Masala – 1 Tbsp
Oil – 4 Tbsp (optional to garnish over top)

– Heat 3 Tbsp Oil in a large pan.
– Add Ajwain, Turmeric Powder and Asafoetida.
– Add reserved 1/2 chutney and cook for 30 seconds.
– Add cooked Papdi and Tuver along with the liquid.
– Add 1 cup Water and allow it to come to a boil.
– Add fried Potatoes, Sweet Potato and Muthiya. Mix well.
– Add Coriander Powder, Cumin Powder, Garam Masala and adjust Salt if necessary. Mix well.
– Add Eggplants along with any liquid and mix gently.
– Lower heat to a simmer and cook covered for 10 minutes.
– Optional: Heat 4 Tbsp Oil until just before it smokes and drizzle it over the top of the Undhiyu. Don’t mix.
– Mix gently just before serving.
– Optional: garnish with chopped onions, chutney or sev
– Serve with Puri

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0 thoughts on “Gujarati Undhiyu

  1. Hi Hetal&Anuja,

    This is an excellent recipe and I enjoyed making it following your step by step instructions!! This is a keeper came out super nice!! Thanks you!!
    K

  2. hi ladies,

    tried it today and it turned out great! 🙂 i did not find tuver, so i put peas instead 😛 and i did not use the coconut or sweet potato either. nonetheless it came out very tasty!! thank you for teaching me something totally new! 🙂

    1. Hi Sandhya,

      When in season, you can find it fresh at your local Indian grocery store. Otherwise, look for it in the frozen section at the Indian store.

  3. Hetal, Anuja,

    I had a big contribution towards Undhio being most requested recipe on SMTP 😀 After watching the video, I have been wanting to try it but either no time or was a little overwhelmed as it involves lot of prepation, deep frying and cleaning after the cooking!
    Anyway, I got vegetables this weekend but could not get to it. Decided to prepare it today. Since this is first time I am making it, decided to take many shortcuts.I skipped muthiyas, cooked potatoes and sweet potatoes along with surti-papdi in pressure cooker. Rest I did just like you guys mentioned. I know not deep frying and not having muthiyas is a big compromise but it turned out just AMAZING!!
    In my native place (Karnataka) we use only the surti seeds and throw away the skin. I had no idea it could be used for cooking. Actually this was a big hit today!! Very tasty!

    We were just used to frozen Undhio at Indian stores, used to love it and I was waiting for this video. The recipe is great! I am sure I will be preparing it more frequently. I can only imagine how it tastes if I deep fried and followed the recipe exactly! Some day I will – may be on a special occasion.

    Thanks for all your effort and time spent on this. We enjoyed the dinner today!

  4. Hi Hetal and Anuja,

    Once again, thank you for posting these wonderful videos! They are awesome and clear! Much appreciation from a college student who doesn’t always have time to cook big Desi Dishes, but I have put aside time to make Undhiyu for a get together 🙂

    I have a few questions regarding the preparation.

    I was wondering if the Undhiyu could be made with regular size eggplant since the baby eggplants are not available in my area.

    Also, what exactly is Surti Papdi or Papdi in English? I am not sure if its snow peas or not. Sorry if the question is stupid 🙁

    I was looking and I could not find a Puri recipe. Do you have the Puri recipe to accompany the Undhiyu?

    Sorry for the Long Comment and Thank You for Your Time and Effort!

    1. Hi Mosam,

      You can use regular eggplant but you will not be able to stuff it as you would the baby ones. Just make large cubes and deep fry them when you fry the potatoes. I don’t know of an English name for papdi but it is definitely not snow peas. You may be able to find it frozen at an Indian grocery store. Yes, we have a puri recipe. Here it is: https://34.233.61.50/breads/puri-poori.html

  5. Hetal/Anuja,

    Mine Unthiyu come out so so good… Thank you very much… Since so long wanted to make it after watched your recipe and finally got time to made it yesterday evening… Thank you again.

  6. Thanks a lot for the recipe. I thought of making Undhiyu since many years, but didn’t know the recipe. Your video encouraged me. Thanks a lot ladies !

  7. Thank you for simplify this receipe! The mixer grinder that you have used in this video, what’s product name and from where you bought it? I will appreciate your answer.
    Thanks in advance.

  8. hello hetal and anuja,
    as of being true surati gujarati,let me correct you at one place ,for main ingredients undhiyu never can made with tuvar dana,its always been whole surati papadi with surati papadi dana…sorry but its very true that it can change the whole taste of the recipe..thanks for the all great recipe any ways..

    1. u r true but in thesome part of USA v did not get the traditional surti papdi which contain “dana” in it. Hetal already mentioned it.that’s why using tuvar dana to get some “dana”..

      1. Actually the Surti Papdi Dana or lilva (just lilva) are easily available in the frozen section or any Indian grocery store and now a days a lot of American stores carry them too.

        When I make just Papdi nu shak, I add additional lilva to it so it taste really good.

    1. Hi Diya,

      Absolutely. Leave anything out that you don’t like. It should be enjoyable to you. Like some other have said, plantains are often used.

  9. Like the recipe,but i think you made green (lilu)undhiyu and in this whole recipe you use only one green chill. So my question is if we want to use tomato and red chill powder at what point we can use and in treditional verson chick pea flour with all spices is used to fill eggplant and baby potato. so if you have that recipe kindly so us that too pl.

    I will definitely try this too..great job…

  10. great reciepi. gonna try soon.Needs visit to grocery store. Fantastic. I love it.
    Also yes, Hetal are u pregnant?It looks like that.

    Thanks
    sonia

  11. Hetal and Anuja,

    Thank you very much for the recipe. The video makes it look very easy. I have requested this recipe many times and will definitely try it soon! I saw someone suggesting cooking vegetables in a pressure cooker. How about lightly coating them with oil and baking or sauteing them? I know it won’t be as great as deep frying but assuming it will still be good.

    1. Hi R,

      One of the things we were considering was baking the potatoes/sweet potatoes (lightly coated w oil), but we decided to go more traditional with this recipe. We did not try it but it seems like it would work and save some calories at the same time. We used a pressure cooker for the papdi and tuver dana because they are sometimes really hard to cook by sauteing (longer time depending on how mature the papdi is).

  12. Hi Hetal and Anuja,

    As always excellent efforts, just want to share an easy alternative method and to cut down some calories, you can make undhiyu with an authentic taste using rice cooker, I live in Toronto so we get surti papdi vey easily available and I try to make it very often during the season (I freeze my muthias) just to add little less water compared to the traditional method ( no need to fry any vegetable) I am very sure if you try this methods anyone would love to make it more often.

    I have tried most of your recipies and no doubt it all comes out great.
    Thanks again for your efforts.
    Purvi

  13. Hi Hetal/Anuja,

    Undhiyu is new for us but i will definitely try this time and let u know.

    I have a quick question. Where did u get that pan from, Which brand and which store? Hope u will answer as iam planning to buy one.

    Thanks and luv u both 🙂

      1. Thank you so much

        I went to HSN website but cannot find the same pan as yours 🙁

        Can u send me a link or can u tell me how to exactly search this. I mean non stick or hard anodized?
        Iam sorry for troubling u.

        Thank You

  14. Kudos for breaking the recipe into several easier parts. It does look intimating but I am sure many people would be ready to try this out after watching your video. Proud of you ladies!! 🙂

  15. Hi you girls really rock!! Can you please post a recipe for “tomato soup”. Its not that i’m not able to find one but i want a correct and better version which i believe you people can do that!

  16. WOW! That is one long recipe but you have broken it down so it should make it easier to follow. Will try it when I have a lot of time. Can’t wait to look at the video.

    Thanks again ladies.

    1. Traditional Undhiyu has Plantain but I’m glad you didn’t use them. My mom makes great undhiyu and she adds sesame seeds and red chili powder to it so her dish is more red in color than green. I think that’s the Surti way of making it. She cooks everything together in one pot (except muthiyas)without frying potatoes but does use a lot more oil than you have used. I prefer less eggplants because I don’t know anyone personally who fights for baby eggplants in undhiyu.

      I have never made undhiyu because it’s too much work and I get it from my mom when she makes it. But I will try your recipe too.

  17. Thank you so much!! you are the best:))I didn’t know my wish was going to come true this fast. Love you keep up the good work!!

  18. Thank you Hetal and Anuja the Undhiyu is looking really amazing and simple. My only concerned is that i dont use microwave oven, which is the other option to cook stuffed brinjal…….

    Thanking you in advance for amazing receipes.

      1. Hi Hetal

        Putting all the ingredients in pressure cooker is fine, but what abt stuffed brinjal, wont it become soggy and break. As when it is full it look yummy…

      2. Thank you both Hetal and Anuja,

        The recipes you provide and the work you put into each video is amazing! You are definately a welcome addition to my kitchen.

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