Undhiyu kinda love

I've always been a fan of Gujarati undhiyu and wait for the cooler months to savour this winter favourite every year.

Today, for the very first time, I decided to try my hand at making some of my own instead of landing up at my mum's place, ordering it by the kilo or picking up a boxful from Chetana.

My minimal prep was to order an Undhiyu Mix from www.greencart.in and ensure that I had ajwain (carom seeds) at home. The mix came with yam, raw banana, brinjal, paapdi, methi, vaal, coriander, peas and green garlic. I love sweet potato in my undhiyu so it was fortuitous that I had some in my fridge.

First, I made the methi gatta, for which I basically had to fry balls rolled from a stiff dough made using besan (gram flour), chopped methi leaves, a little red chilli powder, a dash of water and a pinch of salt.

Next, I prepped the chunky veggies by washing, peeling and chopping into similar sized pieces. I kept the peel of the banana on while everything else was scraped clean.

I also grated some fresh, aromatic ginger, a few pods of garlic and chopped a couple of green chillies and a handful of coriander. This bit was for grinding into a green paste. I use only a small, handheld mixer but it wasn't long before I got a nice paste, which I could use to rub onto the chunky veggies. I tossed them in a bit of oil before I left them to marinate for about half an hour.

Now it was time to turn my attention to the greens and beans. I shelled the peas, threaded the paapdi, chopped the green garlic, and washed the vaal.

I took a heavy bottomed vessel and heated up the oil I'd used to fry the gatta, adding a little more for good luck! Here's where I innovated a bit... I roasted some til (white sesame) before adding the chunky veggies which were nicely coated with the green paste by now. I sautéed these for a while, then covered the pan and cooked the mixture for five minutes.

Once I took off the lid, I got a whiff of the true undhiyu fragrance, but I knew there were some finishing touches that would make it perfect. I added a generous amount of ajwain, a teeny bit of hing (asafoetida), a dash of turmeric powder and a few tablespoonfuls of wheat flour (to thicken).

I put in a teaspoonful of ghee (clarified butter) and covered the vessel again so the chunky veggies could cook in peace.

About 10 minutes later, I had the undhiyu I'd been craving. And it was doubly delicious since I had made it myself! :)

Polished it off with methi thepla (made by my cook) and with this yummy powder I learned from my ma-in-law (roast white sesame, add salt and sugar, grind, scarf!).