Surti Undhiyu#PotluckParty

Undhiyu /Oondhiya is a classic Gujarati vegetable, which is prepared from fresh winter veggies. This recipe is from the city of Surat and hence also called Surti undhiyu. 

This recipe for Surti Undhiyu has long been overdue which is also one of our favorite winter veggie dishes, here I have a simple method which you can easily make it. I have broken this process in three parts which is not stressing one out in making this delicious dish. This has a perfect balance of sweet, tangy and right balance of spice, try it and you will love it too.

To make things even simpler I made the besan/gram flour dumplings (muthiya) a day before, steamed, fried what was required for the recipe and refrigerated, remaining I, freezed.

These muthiyas can be enjoyed as a snack too, when I fried them we couldn't stop enjoying them. To make this dish a lot of oil is used and makes it tasty, please do not try to reduce the oil the first time you make this dish, which is base and give that original taste to the dish.

Undhiyu literally means upside down, a method in which vegetables and tubers are cooked in a green chutney in an earthen pot, once ready, it’s turned upside down on a platter, the name Undhiyu (Undhu in Gujarati means upside down).

Ingredients
5 Baby Eggplant - slit in into cross but intact with the head on
100 Grams Suran/Yam - cut into pieces
3 Medium Potatoes - cut into cubes
1 Raw Bananas - peeled and cut into 4 pieces
100 Grams Purple Yam /Khand - cut into pieces
200 Grams Lilva Beans/Pigeon Peas/Fresh Tur
100 Grams Surati Broad Beans/Surati/Vaal Papdi
100 Grams Valor Papdi
1 Large Sweet Potato - cut into thick roundels
100 Grams Shelled Fresh Green Gram
100 Grams Shelled Fresh Green Peas
2 Green Tomatoes - chopped
For The Undhiyu Masala2 Cups Packed Chopped Coriander Leaves
3/4 Cup Fresh Grated Coconut
10 Fresh Green Garlic - finely chop white& green separately
Salt to taste
2 Tablespoons Sugar
A Juice Two Big Limes
2 Tablespoons Roasted Groundnut's Powder
1 Tablespoon Ajwain/Carom Seeds
2 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds
¼ Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
¼ Teaspoon Asafoetida
1Tablespoons Garlic Paste
2 Tablespoons Ginger Chilly Paste*see notes
¼ Teaspoon Garam Masala
2 Tablespoons Sugar powder
1¼ Teaspoon Heaped Salt
2 Tablespoons Groundnut Oil
1 Tablespoon Coriander Powder
1 Teaspoon Heaped Cumin Powder
½ Teaspoon Gujarati Masala - Homemade - optional

For The Tadka
½ to ¾ Cup Oil
1 Tablespoons Heaped White Sesame Seeds
1 Tablespoons Ajwain/Carom seeds
½ Teaspoon Asafoetida/Hing
For The Muthiya
2 Cups Besan/Gram Flour
1 Tablespoon Semolina/Rava/Sooji
½  Cup Packed Methi Leaves/Fenugreek -chopped
2 Tablespoons Wheat Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
Salt to taste
1 Tablespoon Sugar
A Juice of One Lime
2 Tablespoon Yogurt
2 Tablespoons Groundnut Oil
¼ Cup Chopped Coriander leaves
1 Tablespoon Heaped Ginger Green Chili Paste
Method

For The Muthiyas

Mix all the ingredients together. I didn’t use water but used whey from the yoghurt to make a smooth dough. Do not add water if necessary add more oil ( oil makes the muthiyas soft and tasty). Oil your hands and knead to a stiff dough. 

Make oblong or round dumplings(whatever shape you prefer) and let them sit for about 5 minutes. 

I boiled a liter of water in a large pot and when the water comes to a rolling boil add the muthiyas in batches and drop them into the boiling water. They will surface when cooked, fish them out with a slotted spoon and keep them a side, like wise cook all the muthiyas. 

Remove these into a colander and let them drain and cool completely. You can fry, then all directly, I prefer, not to fry them, this since you can fry them whenever needed ( if you freeze them raw i.e. without boiling them then the leafy veggies will release water and they will be soggy and the color of the veggies will change). Arrange them in a large tray in a single layer when cooled and freeze them till they harden , I kept them overnight. Once frozen store them in a airtight container, they will never stick to each other. Whenever required fry them and enjoy or use them in any vegetable, these taste so good.

Heat lots of groundnut oil in a deep frying pan/kadai and deep fry the muthiyas on medium high flame till golden brown.

In a large bowl, assemble all the ingredients for the Undhiyu Masala, mix all of it very well. Taste to make sure it tastes right - it should be a perfect blend of salt, sugar and lime (khatto meetho thikko as they say in Gujarati). 

Now fill the brinjals with this masala. Keep them aside.

These are all the veggies to be fried.

In the same oil that the muthiyas were fried, fry all the veggies one by one and the stuffed brinjals too. These should be half cooked. Remove and keep them aside. .

Now to Make the Surti Undhiyu

In a big bowl add all the bean, piegon peas, green gram, peas etc., in lots of water. When ready to used drain all the water.

In a pressure cooker heat 4 tablespoons oil( the oil used in this dish is in which we fried the muthiyas and veggies, use the same oil since all the flavor of the muthiyas and vegges is present in the same). Add the white part of the chopped garlic, 1 teaspoon of ajwain and ¼ teaspoon each asafoetida, turmeric powder, salt and a tablespoon heaped of the undhiyu masala and give it a good stir till it release a nice aroma.

Then add all the drained bean, peas, green gram, chopped green tomato. mix all of these well in the oil then add 2 tablespoons of the undhiyu masala, 350 Ml water and close the cooker with the lid and take one whistle on high flame, then switch off the flame. When the cooker is completely cooled open the lid.

Divide the remaining prepared undhiyu masala into four parts.

In the fried veggies mix on part of the masala well and keep aside. I also filled 2 big non spicy green chillies with the masala ( just give a slit to the green chilly in the center and fill it with this masala).

In a large thick bottom pan ( in the same pan you will serve this ) add ½ to ¾ cup oil ( the same oil that the muthiyas and veggies were fried ) and let it get nice and hot. To that add all the tadka ingredients, stir until the oil gets aromatic, the mixture of sesame and carom gives an aroma. Frist add the boiled veggies and sprinkle on part of the masala on top, add the fried veggies which are also mixed with the masala, arrange them well, then arrange the muthiyas on top, then the brinjals and green chillies sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt and then the remaining masala. Cover with a tight lid keep it on high flame for 5 -6 minutes. 

Then reduce the flame to low and let is cook for a good 40 to 45 minutes by end of the cooking s time, this should have divine aroma that is so typical of Gujarati homes and of a special meal that is being cooked.

Undhiyu should always sit for a while so the veggies marinate/marry in all the spices and the green chutney. Just before serving , sprinkle some fresh grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves on top.

We enjoyed this with Puris and a katori of yogurt!! 

This is a fantastic hearty get-your-fix-of-veggies dish... superb with its balance of spicy, sour, sweet and oh my goodness yumminess and finger licking ! Served a large bowl of this to my daughter's friends for them to enjoy for dinner.

My Notes

I ground 12 Big Long green chillies - that a not very spicy and 4 Inch big piece of Ginger and used this paste for the muthiyas and remaining for the masala.
The muthiya dough needs to be a firm one, so only add water if you need to, one small spoon at a time.
I freezed the extra muthiyas after frying them and they stayed good for a month. 
Labels: Potluck Party, Gujarat, Vegetarian, Mixed Vegetable, Main course, Sabzi 

Welcome to Potluck Party #2 (February 2022)

• Easiest Lasagna Recipe for a Crowd from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Mushroom Lo Mein from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Ram Ladoo from Magical Ingredients
• Surti Undhiyu from Sneha’s Recipe
• Tapita Fría Mar y Huerta from Patyco Candybar 
• Vegetable Quesadillas from Palatable Pastime

Marble Stuffed Coconut Pancakes -East Indian#SundayFunday

These stuffed and rolled sweet pancakes, is prepared with coconut, sugar and flour as the main ingredient. These are mainly made East Indian on pancake Tuesday, at must in every household. I made these with three different colors and gave a marble effect to the pancakes. They are soft, luscious and delicious, assure you, that, you can't stop at one.

Ingredients
For The Kesar Filling
1 Big Coconut - grated
1/3 Cup Cashew nuts chopped
¼ Cup Rasins
A pinch of Kesar color
2 - 3 Drops Kesar essence
¼ Teaspoon Cardamoms powder
½ Cup Granulated Sugar or adjust to your taste
1 Teaspoon Ghee
For The Pancake Batter
1½ Cups All Purpose Flour
2 Small Eggs
Water or Milk - as required to make a thin batter
¼ Teaspoon Vanilla essence

Method
For The Kesar Filling

Cook the grated coconut with sugar & color on low heat till the sugar melts. Add raisins, cashew nuts and cardamom powder. Cook till the coconut mixture is semi dry, there shouldn't be much moisture in it.

For The Batter

Beat the egg lightly. Mix the flour, milk or water to a fairly thin pouring consistency. 

Divide into 4 portions add the yellow color to one and the green color to the other, third one pink and rest white.
To Make The Pancakes

Take a 6" dia non stick pan. Smear it with oil and wipe it clean. Pour small spoons of different color batter's in the center and swirl the pan so that the batter covers it evenly, any excess batter take is out so that you get a thin pancake.
Cook for a minute or so and then turn it over on a board. (Repeat the process till all the batter is used).

Place  1 - 2 tablespoons of the filling. Fold the sides then roll up the pancake tight or u can even seal edges & roll.

Enjoy!!

My Notes

I have divided the batter into different colors and gradually added a small spoon of each while and swirling the pan.
Labels: Pancake, Stuffed, East Indian, Egg, Coconut, Marble, Sunday Funday, Sweets & Desserts, Festival Sweets

Sunday Funday

Mardis Gras & Fat Tuesday 

• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Cajun Nachos
• Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Muffuletta Sandwich
• Cook with Renu: Homemade Baked Donuts
• Food Lust People Love: Pecan Praline Cookies
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Cajun Stuffed Mushrooms
• Palatable Pastime: Bourbon Chicken Wings
• Sneha's Recipe : Marble Stuffed Coconut Pancakes

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes & Bell Pepper Soup#Soupswappers

This Italian roasted cherry tomatoes and red bell peppers soup reminds me that winter is in. I love the reddish orange color of this soup and it's the simplicity, a no-fuss cooking that makes it my favorite.

Serves 2
Ingredients 
8- 10 Cherry Tomatoes
1 Large Red Bell Pepper
2 Cloves Garlic cloves – crushed lightly
1 Teaspoon Olive oil
Sea salt to taste
¼ Teaspoon Lemon Pepper Seasoning
3 Cups Vegetable Stock
Crispy Fried Basil leaves – to garnish

Method 
Pre-heat oven at 200°C.

Wash and pat dry ,garlic, tomatoes and pepper. Place them in a foil tray, in a single layer and drizzle ½ teaspoon olive oil . Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the tomatoes break into juice and the bell pepper is charred.

Cool and blend in a mixer to smooth consistency. Remove in a sauce pan, add 3 cups of vegetable stock to thin and bring this to a boil. Add the seasoning of salt and lemon pepper. Taste, the soup, it should smooth and not too thick.

Serve as it is with a few drops of extra virgin olive oil on top, or with fried basil. Enjoy this delicious soup with any crusty bread.

Labels: Soup, Red Bell Pepper, Cherry Tomatoes, Oven Roasted, Garlic, Serves Two, Soup Swappers, Healthy, Appetizer, Main course, Dairy Free, Gluten free, Nut Free, Vegan, Italian, International Cuisine

Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm our host and author of Soup Swapper's group, today we are making Chilly Soups to celebrate National Chili Day.  

A Day in the Life on the Farm: Chicken Chile Verde 

Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Instant Pot Spicy Turkey Chili 

Sneha’s Recipe: Roasted Cherry Tomatoes & Bell Pepper Soup 

Magical Ingredients: Garbanzo Chili Verde

Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Turkey, Stout, & Sweet Potato Cincinnati Chili 

Our Good Life: Six Can Chili

Khuboni/Khube Curry - East Indian#FishFriday

With various types of seashells found along the sea coast, most of them are eaten as food. The type of shells that I cooked is the small sea snails/ sea shells, we East Indians call them khuba/khube which are also known as pin shells since a pin is used to remove the flesh from the shell. These shells are got from the rocks in the sea, they generally cling to these rocks and usually found in the market during the monsoons. My sister in law got these for me, I have eaten these after many years. I love these khubas. 

They are delicious to eat but tiresome to clean, they take a lot of time to clean. When I make this curry, I first enjoy eating the rice or hand bread/Appas, then clean all the khubas. Try this recipe and you will enjoy it.
How to clean shells and prepare for cooking.

Immerse the shells in a big pot water for 10 to 15 minutes to let the sand settle down. I put a pinch of potassium permanganate in the water, so that all dirt is removed completely, this is optional.
Now lift the khubas and immerse them in another pot of of water and like wise wash them well a three to four times in fresh water. When the water is clean and clear the khubas are ready to use, then transfer them into a big vessel.

Ingredients
Grind To Fine Paste
4 Dried Red Chillies
½ Teaspoon Cumin seeds
A Pinch Turmeric powder
1/3 Cup Fresh Grated Coconut
4 Whole Black Peppercorns
1 Teaspoon Tamarind
6 Cloves Garlic
Salt to taste
Other Ingredients
50 Khubas
1 Teaspoon Oil - optional

Method

Soak the chillies in hot water till they soften. 
Grind all the given ingredients to fine paste. 

Mix the oil and grounded paste well. Wash the mixer jar with water, add enough water to make thick consistency gravy. Add salt to taste. 

Boil this till it comes to a boil. Cover with a lid and low flame let it simmer for 7 minutes. Taste for salt and sourness, add if necessary. Add the Khubas and bring it to a boil. Reduce the flame to low and cook it for 8 to 10 minutes. Switch off the flame. 

Enjoy eating this with steamed rice or Hand Breads. 

To clean them take a safety pin, flip open the covering and pull out the snail from the shell. Enjoy, this is super delicious!!

Labels: East Indian, Khubas , Pin Shells, Fish Friday, Seafood/Fish, Main Course, Curry, Healthy

Sustainable Seafood #FishFridayFoodies Event: February 18, 2022 Hosted by Camilla  of Culinary Adventures with Camilla   

• Braised Cod with Potatoes and Onions by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Broiled Asian-inspired Red Snapper Fillets by Food Lust People Love
• Khuboni/Khube Curry - East Indian by Sneha’s Recipe
• L'Uovo di Seppia by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Pasta with Spiced Vegetables and Anchovies by A Day in the Life on the Farm

No Knead Pizza Bundt Bread#BundtBakers

This is a slash pizza bread with savory twist, that is to die for! No-kneading savory bread, easy to make, packed with textures, colors and flavors, so beautiful, and so..oo..o delicious!

I did not mix the veggies in the dough, so you can have a different flavor and texture in every bite. Also, if you add the dollops like I did, the bread will pull apart and the texture will be much more fluffier.

This dough after it doubles in volume I left it in the refrigerator overnight, baked it the next morning for brunch. Removed it out of the refrigerator and kept it on my kitchen counter for an hour then layered it in the bundt pan.

Cup Measurement = 250Ml
Ingredients
3 Cups All Purpose flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Level Tablespoon Instant yeast
360ml Warm Milk
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
Filling
2 Cups Cherry Tomatoes - halved
¼ Cup Olives - finely chopped
¼ Cup Diced Yellow Peppers
¼ Cup Diced Green Peppers
1 Medium Onion - thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Parsley
½ Teaspoon Salt or to taste
½ Teaspoon Pizza Seasonings
¼ Teaspoon Black pepper powder or to taste
¼ Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
3 Tablespoons Olive oil
1 Teaspoon Fresh Rosemary
½ Cup Grated Cheese

Method
For the Dough

Add all the dry ingredients for the dough to a bowl, mix to combine, then add the remainder of the ingredients. Mix until all is incorporated with the back of the wooden spoon till no dry flour is seen. 

Cover and let it rest for 45 minutes or until it doubles in size.
For the Filling

Add to a bowl all the ingredients for the filling and mix well.
Grease a bundt pan well with oil and flour it well.

Add dollops of the dough, alternatiing with the filling ( so that each bite with have filling)

Make layers, and finish with the filling on the top. Grate more cheese. 
Keep it covered till the oven is preheated. Set the oven to preheat at 185℃.

Put the bread in the oven and bake it for 45 to 50 minutes, and halfway through the cooking time, tent it with an aluminum foil on top of the baking tin so the bread top doesn’t burn.
Remove from the oven and brush it with olive oil.

If you are having this for dinner then serve it with a side of green salad or any dipping sauce or marinara sauce as a snack or for brunch.

Enjoy!! I served this to my guest and it was a hit!
Labels: Pizza, Bundt, Cherry Tomatoes, Fresh Herbs, Cheese, Breakfast, Main course, Breads

Let's take a look at what everyone baked up with Herbs today........

• Blueberry Citrus Thyme Bundt Cake from All That’s Left Are The Crumbs 
• Buttery Herb Sourdough Monkey Bread from Food Lust People Love 
• French Kissed Mini Bundts from A Day in the Life on the Farm Passion Kneaded:
• Lime and Thyme Mini Bundts from Passion Kneaded
• No Knead Pizza Bundt Bread from Sneha’s Recipe  
• Sweet Peppermint Bundt Cake from Patyco Candybar

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.