Food special: Undhiyu - Delectable, demystified

Mention Undhiyu and watch a Gujaratirsquos face light up as heshe swears by all things worldly that the version heshe grew up eating is second to noneUndhiyu gets its name from the term lsquoundhursquo which means lsquoupside downrsquo in Gujarati PICSSHADAB KHANA delicacy made of winter vegetables Undhiyu comprises Surti Papdi an Indian bean that grows in Surat kand purple yam sakariya sweet potatoes rajgiri kela banana arya kakdi seedless zucchinilike cucumber grown in Surat brinjal and muthias steamed and fried wheat balls mdash all slowcooked in a masala of green garlic green chillies coriander andgrated coconutUndhiyu is made of brinjal Surti papdi Kand purple yam Sakariya sweet potato and Arya Kakdi cucumberBeing a Gujarati I too grew up eating Undhiyu but the version I have come to swear by is the one my motherinlaw makes Fiftyyearold Dipti Dalalrsquos eyes brighten up at the very mention of Undhiyu ldquoMaking this dish is a very tedious affair as the preparation of just its ingredients takes all day Add to that another four hours to cook the dishFinely chopped coriander and grated coconut some of the dishes core ingredientsBut when I was a child every member of the house gave a helping hand All of us would sit in a circle to clean and chop the vegetables roll the muthiyas grate the coconut and grind the masala Communal cooking simplifies the processrdquo says the Andheri resident who unfailingly makes the Undhiyu every year during winter ldquoWhen I plan to make Undhiyu I draw up a list of all my friends and neighbours who love the dish and make it a point to send it across to them Undhiyu after all is acommunity delicacy of sorts so you always make it in bulkrdquo she smilesChopped green garlic and spring onion used for Undhiyursquos preparationFirst there was UmbadiyuUndhiyu gets its name from the term lsquoundhursquo which means lsquoupside downrsquo in Gujarati It has its origins in the Umbadiyu a dish farmers cooked in an earthen pot buried in the earth and set to fireldquoToday we eat an evolved version of the dish which is made in large vessels or a cooker at home There are two types of Undhiyu mdash one which has garam masala and the Surti Undhiyu which is more popular and is made with the green masalardquo says Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal food writer and founder of APB Cook StudioAll the way from SuratSurat is 280 km away from Mumbai but this city is lucky to get a decent supply of fresh vegetables for Undhiyu from the neighbouring state every dayGaurang Shah coowner of 80yearold Hiralal Kashidas Bhajiawala at CP Tank is one of the few in the city who can claim to cook authentic Undhiyu He makes five to 50 kg of the delicacy daily and ensures his cooks replicate his grandfatherrsquos ageold recipe using vegetables sourced all the way from SuratldquoMy vendor in Surat sends me the supply every day We make authentic Undhiyu which is cooked in groundnut oil without any water The vegetables are first layered in a large vessel mdash the first layer is of papdi which takes the longest to cook followed by kand brinjal aloo and kela Muthias are placed last at the top so they donrsquot fall apart as we begin cooking the dish The vessel is topped with coriander and coconut masala This is the same masala thatrsquos stuffed into each vegetable piece by making a crossincisionrdquo says Shah whose grandfather was a caterer in Surat for decades before they moved to Mumbai ldquoHe cooked elaborate wedding meals and if the guests knew he was the caterer for the evening they didnrsquot miss the feast for anything Today my 63yearold brother Bakul and I run the shoprdquo says Shah who remembers helping out at the shop as a child during busy days and festivals ldquoMy grandfather passed away when I was five but we had cooks who were trained under him The taste of our Undhiyu is consistent because every ingredient is acutely measured and added to itrdquosays ShahShah knows he is doing it right Numerous patrons across the city throng his shop during the winter since 30 years ldquoThey often tell me how they were introduced to our Undhiyu by their parents And while the old generation still wants their share of oil in the dish the younger lot does ask us to drain excess oil I always tell them lsquoYou need a little grease to keep the bones supple Work it out in the gym if you like but enjoy the Undhiyu as it isrsquordquo laughs ShahHiralal Kashidas Bhajiawala has started selling its Undhiyu but we await that nip in the air When we call 92yearold Maganji Purohit the owner of the 70yearold legend Thakkar Bhojnalaya at Kalbadevi and enquire about the availability of Undhiyu this year he says ldquoWhen all the green veggies are in stock and are of good quality only then will we serve the Surti delicacyrdquoSo while the city markets stock up their Undhiyu ingredients we suggest you nurture a kingrsquos appetite to savour the traditional dish While the winter delicacy is devoured on its own it goes well with a serving of white rice and Gujarati kadhi ldquoEvery household has its traditional recipe but one thing is common to all Gujarati homes who love their Undhiyu mdash we slip into a leisurely deep slumber after the mealrdquo Dalal signs off