Undhiyu

Dassana Amit associates Undhiyu with Gujarat’s winter vegetables. Her selected Surti version pressure-cooks layered vegetables and homemade fenugreek dumplings rather than using the separately described inverted earthen-pot method.

This version combines hyacinth and fava beans, selected fresh pigeon peas, small eggplants, baby potatoes, sweet potato, green plantain and purple yam. The eggplants and potatoes receive a stuffing.

Fresh fenugreek, gram flour, white sesame, an own ginger–green-chili paste, ground spices, lemon, sugar and salt make the dumplings. Water loosens their mixture before shaping with lightly oiled palms.

A second own paste of ginger, garlic and green chili joins coconut, coriander, white sesame, ground spices, lemon, sugar and salt. Part stuffs the vegetables; portions of the same remaining mixture go through the layers.

Carom, cumin and asafoetida temper in selected sesame oil. Beans form the bottom layer, followed by roots, plantain, stuffed vegetables and dumplings, with water and a final sprinkling of salt. The cooked mixture is gently combined and served hot with selected roti and an optional coriander garnish.