Undhiyu
Posted by: Radhakrishnan Nair on: January 14, 2010
“Tum Gujarati logon ke khaane itne khatarnak kyun hote hain?” Dhokla, Fafda, Handwa, Thepla, Khakhra etc. (why do you Gujaratis have such dangerously named foods?) ~ Kareena Kapoor as pia in the Movie 3 Idiots.
Kareena’s Gujarati delicacies dialogue in the movie “3 idiots” has almost made the items even more popular and the dishes have successfully made their way in the mind and in the “wish-to-eat” list of those people who are curious to know what these items tastes or looks like. Did she miss out on any other famous Gujarati dish?? There are few others too but I was primarily disheartened when I realized that my favourite Undhiyu was not mentioned in the dialogue 
( though it’s a very famous ubiquitous Gujarati dish and also sounds Khatarnak types??? Unnnnndhiyyuuuuuuuu…doesn’t it sound like a weapon of mass destruction, guys?? Well it won’t sound that dangerous now on this blog..maybe it would have sounded that destructive if she would have mentioned it while delivering that dialogue in that particular drunken tone…aahh..my sympathies with undhiyu..Hugs to undhiyu…aal izz well undhiyu..aal izz well..don’t worry..I have rated the movie only 4 on a scale of 5 to avenge on deliberately ignoring Undhiyu otherwise I would have rated it 4.5 
Also, I have decided to dedicate a full page blog article on Undhiyu.
Jokes apart, those who are not aware, Undhiyu has got the name after the Gujarati word “Undhu” and is traditionally prepared in an earthern pot with 7-8 main seasonal vegetables in it namely small potatoes, small brinjals (ravaiya), Surti papadi, purple yam, raw banana, tuvar lilva (Pigeon Peas) and carrot. Also, gram flour/wheat flour dumplings called Muthiya is one of the primary ingredient of the dish. The earthern pot is then put upside down under a fire and the ingredients are then cooked. Upside down in gujarati is “Undhu” and hence the name of this delicacy “Undhiyu“. But I guess hardly this method of preparing Undhiyu now prevails in Gujarat.
Enough of blabbering let me show you on how to make Undhiyu
Ingredients:
200 gms kg small potatoes (no need to peel but make sure that you clean it properly )
200 gms small brinjals (Ravaiya – small eggplant)
200 gms Surti papdi (Hyacinth Beans)
200 gms kand (purple yam)
300 gms Green tuvar dal (pigeon peas)
100 gms Carrot
200 gms raw banana
1 tbs ginger (chopped)
1 tbs garlic (chopped)
3 nos green chillies
1/2 cup finely chopped coriander leaves
1 cup grated coconut
1 tbs wheat flour
2 tbs Jaggery
2 tbs coriander powder
2 tbs Jeera powder (cumin powder)
1 tbs ajwain
1/2 tbs asafoetida (hing)
1/2 tbs turmeric powder
Salt (as per requirement)
Oil – 200 ml (Yup..it’s too much but this dish requires it to be loaded with oil)
For Muthiya (Flour dumplings)
Half bunch finely chopped methi leaves (Fenugreek leaves)
1 cup coarse wheat flour (would be excellent if you put some bajra and gram flour in it)
1 teaspoons of ginger garlic paste
1 tbs sugar
A pinch of coriander powder
A pinch of turmeric powder
A pinch of Red chilli powder
A pinch of Asafoetida (hing)
A pinch of Ajwain
A pinch of soda powder
Salt (as per requirement)
Two tablespoons oil for making dough
How to prepare Muthiya (flour Dumplings):
- Mix all the above muthiya ingredients in a bowl and make dough.
- Form round sized dumplings.
- Take a pan , add some oil in it and deep fry the dumplings.
- Muthiyas are done. Keep it aside
How to prepare Undhiyu:
- Form a paste of chopped ginger, garlic, green chillies and coriander leaves.
- Cut slit potato, brinjals, carrot, purple yam and raw banana in a way that you can stuff the above paste in it.
- Now, as said above, you need to stuff the paste in it. Once done, keep all the stuffed vegetables aside.
- Take a pan and heat 200 ml oil in it and add all the stuffed vegetables in the pan. Cook for around 15 minutes.
- Add jeera powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, ajwain, grated coconut, wheat flour, hing and salt in the above mixture. Saute it for around 1 min.
- Now, add green tuvar (pigeon peas), Surti papdi and jaggery in the pan, sprinkle some water in the pan and cook for around 10 minutes more.
- Finally, add the Muthiyas in the pan and cook till all the vegetables are cooked properly.
Yip..yip..yip..yipee the spicy.. Tasty..Undhiyu is ready to be served. I usually have it with Puri but it goes very well with roti and paranthas too.
Wish you all a very happy and safe Uttarayan 
Kela nu shak – Banana curry
Posted by: Radhakrishnan Nair on: December 23, 2009
A quick dish to prepare for breakfast, lunch or dinner and goes well with roti, parantha or naan. The bitter and sweet taste of this dish will definitely leave your taste buds starve for more.
Ingredients:
Ripe bananas – 2 Nos – chopped into pieces
Ghee – 3 tbs
Fenugreek seeds (Methi dana) – 1/2 tbs
Turmeric powder – 1 pinch
Red chilli powder – 1/2 tbs
Coriander powder – 1/2 tbs
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tbs
Curry leaves – 1 whole strand
How to prepare Kela nu shak:
- Take a pan and add 3 tbs ghee in it.
- Add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter.
- Now add fenugreek seeds (methi ) and curry leaves in the pan.
- Add red chilli powder, coriander and turmeric powder in it and then immediately add the chopped bananas. Stir all the contents well on low flame for around 3 minutes.
Kela nu shak is ready to be served.
Sing, Batata ane Vatananu shak (Drumsticks, Potato and Green Peas curry)
Posted by: Radhakrishnan Nair on: December 20, 2009
Gujarati Khoja (Ismaili) dishes have always left me spellbound with it’s taste. Simple yet delicious dishes, prepared in a unique traditional way like adding smoky flavor using charcoal, use of preserved hara masala and use of fried onions after drying it in sunlight are the things which differentiates Ismaili cuisine from other Gujarati cuisines.
My best pal is a Khoja who is basically from Vapi, Gujarat but he has been brought up in Ahmedabad. We are chaddi-buddies and his Mom is no less than my own biological mom and she considers me no less than her own son. I have relished and learnt quite a few common Gujarati Ismaili dishes from Jebun Aunty. Not only recipes, but I have tried to imbibe many good qualities which she possesses. She is a gem of a person in true sense!
I’m dedicating my first Khoja (Ismaili) recipe to Jebun Aunty… it’s Sing, batata ane Vatananu shak (drumsticks, potato and green peas curry)
First of all, let me show you how to prepare Hara Masala which you can preserve in refrigerator. This hara masala is a common ingredient used in most of the Khoja recipes…so here it goes:
How to prepare Hara Masala:
Garlic – 10 medium sized pods
Ginger – One small piece (which can give you a paste of around 3 spoons)
Green chillies – 2 Nos finely chopped
Cilantro leaves (Coriander leaves) chopped - 5 tbs
Cooking oil – 2 tbs
Make a fine paste of all the above ingredients in a mixture grinder.
Ingredients:
Sing (Drumsticks) – 2 drumsticks cut at a finger length size – around 10~13 pcs
Batata (Potato) – 2 large or 3 medium sized cut into quarter size (4 part)
Vatana (fresh green peas) – half bowl
Tomato – 1 Nos
Coconut – 1/4th part (chopped)
Hara Masala – 1 tbs
Chilly powder – 1/2 tbs
Coriander powder – 1/2 tbs
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tbs
Cumin powder – 1 tbs
Mustard for spluttering
Curry leaves – 1 whole strand
How to prepare Sing, batata ane Vatananu shak (drumsticks, potato and green peas curry):
- First of all, grind chopped coconut, tomato, hara masala paste, chilly, coriander, turmeric, cumin powder and salt and prepare a fine paste. Keep this mixture aside.
- Now take a pan and add 4 tbs oil in it. Add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter and then add curry leaves.
- Now add the above mixture and simmer it for around 3-4 minutes.
- Now add a glass full of water in it and then add drumstick pcs, potato pcs and green peas in the pan.
- Keep it on medium flame and cook till the vegetables are fully cooked.
Yipee! it’s done Relish it with roti or hot steamed rice.
Muringyappo thoran – Drumstick Flowers
Posted by: Radhakrishnan Nair on: December 8, 2009
A sequel to the previous blog post on Drumstick leaves recipe, let me today show you how you can prepare Muringappo thoran (Drumstick flowers). The preparation methodology is pretty much same compared to the Drumstick leaves recipe. “Udad dal” being the only addition in this recipe..rest everything is same. The drumstick flowers are edible when cooked, and tastes like mushrooms. The flowers are also cooked and relished as a delicacy in West Bengal and Bangladesh, especially during early spring. It’s called sojne phool over there and is usually cooked with green peas and potato.
Muringyappo thoran – Drumstick Flowers
Ingredients:
Plucked, cleaned and drained Muringyappo – 5 cups (plucked drumstick flowers)
Grated Coconut – 1 cup
Garlic – 6 pods
Turmeric powder – ½ tbs
Dry red chillies – 3 nos
Cumin seeds – ½ tbs (Jeera)
Udad dal – ½ tbs (skinless split black gram)
Cooking Oil – 4 tbs (You may use coconut oil if you wish to go by the Nadan ishtyle )
Mustard seeds for spluttering – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – half strand
Salt – per your requirement
How to prepare Muringyappo thoran – Drumstick flowers:
- Take a mixture grinder and grind grated coconut, cumin seeds, garlic pods and turmeric powder. Once done, keep this grinded mixture aside.
- Take a pan and heat some oil in it.
- Add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter.
- Now add udad dal, dry red chillies and curry leaves. Saute it for few seconds.
- Add the grinded mixture along with the plucked Muringyappo (drumstick flowers) in the pan and mix well.
- Cover it with a lid and cook for around 4 minutes. Also, make sure that you keep on stirring at regular interval so that no lumps are formed. Yipee! It’s done
Muringya Ela thoran – Drumstick leaves
Posted by: Radhakrishnan Nair on: December 2, 2009
Yesterday, I went to my elder sister’s house for a small get-together as my sister’s husband had come from “duffaiiii” . As I didn’t see my sis in the front room, I enquired about her whereabouts and came to know that she was in kitchen busy preparing noon meals..She was plucking the drumstick leaves for making Muringya ela thoran..this reminded me of my dad..he loved drumstick leaves thoran a lot…So I’m dedicating this recipe to my dad..without whom, I wouldn’t have stepped in this world..without whom I wouldn’t have come across a “cook” in me.
It’s said that drumstick leaves are good for eyes…yaaaa..but honestly it has been no good for my eyes so far …on the contrary, I was wondering whether this drumstick leaves thoran is the real culprit for me having spectacles?? hehehe 
Just kidding ok…Green leaves are good for eyes. 
And it’s also good for diabetic patients..
Muringya Ela thoran – Drumstick leaves
Ingredients:
Plucked, cleaned and drained Muringya ela – 4 cups (plucked drumstick leaves)
Grated Coconut – 1 cup
Garlic – 6 pods
Turmeric powder – ½ tbs
Dry red chillies – 3 nos
Cumin seeds – ½ tbs (Jeera)
Cooking Oil – 4 tbs (You may use coconut oil if you wish to go by the Nadan ishtyle )
Mustard seeds for spluttering – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – half strand
Salt – per your requirement
How to prepare Muringya Ela thoran – Drumstick leaves:
- Take a mixture grinder and grind grated coconut, cumin seeds, garlic pods and turmeric powder. Once done, keep this grinded mixture aside.
- Take a pan and heat some oil in it.
- Add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter.
- Now add dry red chillies and curry leaves. Saute it for few seconds.
- Add the grinded mixture along with the plucked Muringya ela (drumstick leaves) in the pan and mix well.
- Cover it and cook for around 5 minutes. Also, make sure that you keep on stirring at regular interval so that no lumps are formed. Yipee! It’s done.
Potato Stew – (Eshtu/Ishtu/Ishtoo)
Posted by: Radhakrishnan Nair on: November 29, 2009
We believe that at the end of the 15th century, to fulfil his father’s dream of discovering an ocean route from Portugal, Vasco da Gama led an expedition that opened the sea route to India by way of the Cape of Good Hope and reached Calicut. This is what was taught to us in school. But this is not true! It’s the Potato stew which led him to discover the route accidentally! Yes, it’s the Potato stew!
It was when their ship was somewhere XX°XX’N, XX°XX’E (longitude and latitude)..around 10 metres far from the Calicut coastal region. Suddenly, Vasco da gama smelled an enthralling aroma of some food..May be some kozhikodans (Calicut locals) living near the sea coast were preparing Appam and Potato Stew that evening for some feast…(I was wondering..Did they know that the *Star cruise members * were going to come??). However, Vasco da Gama couldn’t resist and said to the helmsmen:
Hey helmsmen.. Você dirigiria o navio ao leste? Eu cheiro algo exótico. .head para lá ( Translation: Hey helmsmen. Would you steer the ship to the east? I smell something exotic. .head for there)
The helmsmen, who co-incidentally turned out to be a true blue mallu said “Saar, do not saiyy **head para lá** It’s Kera lá..we are in kerala…”
Well, they then reached the Calicut coastal region and relished Appam and Potato Stew with the locals. The sad part is that few of the poor locals had to sleep empty stomach that night because of these unexpected guests from Europe.
So now Vasco da Gama and his party, during their after-meal talks, thought that “What would the coming generation say when they will learn the history lessons in the classes.. that we halted over here to have Appam and Potato Stew!!!??? No way..burp! burp! 
. That would be sheer shame for us..burp! . To this concern, Vasco da gama replied “No, we won’t disclose this…we would say that “We explored this route so that we can trade spices from here..burp!” And all of their colleagues agreed to this..burp! opsss..why am I burping?? 
hehe.
Well, rest is history…
Thanks for reading this story, guys. Just for your information, the above story is totally fake..fabricated one…fictitious..don’t believe this.. Just meant for fun…hehehehehehe 
A cooked up story for all of you who loves cooking!
Actually, I wanted to post this recipe since long but for some or the other reason I was not able to and kept postponing it. Finally, I thought to post it with an eye catcher story. So this is it. A fabricated story relating Vasco da Gama with Potato Stew! hahahaa..:mrgreen:
Anyways, jokes apart, let me show you how to prepare Potato Stew! (Hey.. how would this sound…Potato Phew! hehehehe…funny huh! )
Ingredients:
Potatoes – 2 Nos
Carrots – 1 (sliced) *optional
Capsicum- 1 (sliced) *optional
Onion – 1 (Big size) or 2 medium sized – sliced
Garlic cloves – 2 cloves finely chopped
Ginger – 1 tbs ginger finely chopped
Cinnamon – 2 medium sized piece
Bay leaves – 2 nos
Cardamom – 3 nos
Cloves – 5 nos
Green chillies – 2 nos split
Curry leaves – 2 whole strands
Coconut milk – 2.5 cup
Ground pepper – 1/2 tbs(or more)
Coconut oil – 5-6 tbs (Per your need..take your judgement call on this)
Salt to taste
How to prepare Potato Stew – Eshtu/Ishtu
- Cut potato into small cubes after peeling off the skin. Pressure cook the potato cubes with water and salt. Keep it aside.
- Now, grind Cinnamon, Cardamom and Cloves in a mixture grinder. Keep this mixture aside.
- Now, take a pan and add some coconut oil in it. Add the above grinded masala (Cinnamon, Cardamom and Cloves mixture) in the pan along with the bay leaves. Sauté it for few seconds.
- Add finely chopped ginger and garlic in the pan. Sauté it for few seconds then add sliced onions, finely chopped carrots and capsicum in the pan and sauté it till the onions turns transparent coloured.
- Now, add the pressure cooked potatoes along with some water. Cook for few minutes and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the flame and now add the coconut milk. Cook for few more minutes till it slightly thickens.
- Add curry leaves and 1 tbs coconut oil, mix well and remove from flame.
Yipee! Potota Stew is ready to be served. You can have it with Vellayappam, Noolappam/Idiyappam, dosha (I guess so..). Also, with Roti/Rotli and Puri too! Happy cooking.
Kozhukatta – Rice balls
Posted by: Radhakrishnan Nair on: November 24, 2009
I’m not sure how many of malayalee people, who are born and brought up outside kerala, are aware of this dish, but here is my one more attempt on posting a not-so-common malayalee dish called Kozhukatta. It’s generally a breakfast item. Don’t mistake this dish with the South Indian desert ‘Kozhukatta’ (rice flour dumplings filled with coconut, sugar/jaggery). Though the names are same, both the dishes are totally different. I don’t know the origin of this dish but I believe it rooted from Kerala only ?? or Tamil nadu?? (not sure..anyways leave it..)
Honestly, I hated this dish like anything when I was kid. Though it tasted good, I always used to offend (don’t know why..) and would make up faces when served to me. Mom soon figured out that by all means it would be in the best interest to stop making this dish better than dumping it in the dustbin at the end of the day after seeing my firm demur. But honestly, this dish kozhukatta tastes really good Try out and let me know your feedback.
Ingredients:
1 cup rice flour
1 cup grated coconut
1 tbs roasted and crushed jeera
10 shallots (small onions) finely chopped or 1 big sized onion finely chopped
2 tbs oil (You may use coconut oil if you wish to prepare it in the traditional way – Nadan style)
2 pinches Asafoetida powder (kayam/Hing powder)
1 tbs mustard seeds
1 tbs white sesame seeds (til) – This is an exception. You may add if you want to.
3 nos dry red chilli
1 whole curry leaves strand
Salt to taste
How to prepare kozhukatta – Rice balls.
- Take a bowl and mix rice flour, jeera and grated coconut. Keep it aside.
- Boil 1 cup water with salt and asafoetida powder (Kayam/hing powder). Now add this boiled water in the above mixture slowly…keep on stirring this mixture with a spoon while you are pouring the hot water into the mixture in order to make sure no lumps are formed. Keep on stirring till it thickens.
- Now, allow the whole mixture to cool.
- Apply a bit of oil on both your palms. Roll the above mixture into small balls. Now take a “vernier caliper” instrument to measure whether all the small balls are of same diameter or not ..hehehehe.. just kidding.. you don’t have to.
- Now steam these balls for 5-10 minutes. Take your judgment call on this..
- Heat oil in a pan.
- Add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter.
- Now add the finely chopped onions and stir till it turns light brown
- Add curry leaves, dry red chillies and sesame seeds in the pan.
- Finally, add the rice balls and stir it for 2-3 minutes.
That’s it! Serve hot
Pindi Thoran (Banana stem)
Posted by: Radhakrishnan Nair on: September 25, 2009
Ingredients:
Chopped Pindi (banana stem) – 2 cup
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Jeera powder – 1/2 tsp
Grated Coconut – 1/2 cup
Red chilly powder – 1 tsp
Finely chopped Shallots – 10 nos or 1 finely chopped onion full
Curry leaves – One whole strand
Mustard seeds- As per requirement
Salt – As per requirement
How to prepare Pindi (banana stem) thoran:
Add 2tbs coconut oil in a pan then add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Now add finely chopped shallots/onion, grated coconut, chilly powder, turmeric powder and jeera powder. Fry it for a minute or two. Then finally add the chopped pindi in the pan. Stir it for a minute or two. Add 1 cup water to this and then stir until the water vaporizes. Voila! The pindi thoran is ready to be served.
Kadachakka Varutharachathu (Breadfruit Curry)
Posted by: Radhakrishnan Nair on: September 2, 2009
One of the recipes which I learnt from my kochamma. Her name is Meera. All credit goes to her. Thanks Kochamma for patiently answering all my insane questions about this recipe. I would be bugging you more on my next visit to Kerala… Don’t worry! Hahaha.. =)
Kadachakka Varutharachathu (Breadfruit Curry)
Ingredients:
Kadachakka (Breadfruit): 1
Nicely Sliced Shallots (Small onions): 10 or (2 normal big onions) – Divide the whole in two portions.
Grated coconut: 1 full
Green chillies: 2
Finely chopped ginger: 1 small piece (around 2.5 inch)
Fennel seeds: 2 pinch
Coriander powder: 2 tbs.
Chilli powder: 1/2 tbs.
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tbs.
Garam masala: 1/4 tbs. (optional)
Black Pepper powder: 1/2 tbs.
Mustard seeds: 1.5 tbs.
Salt: As per requirement
Curry leaves: 2 whole strands
Water: 3 cups
Oil: 6 tbs.
How to prepare Kadachakka Varutharachathu (Breadfruit Curry):
First of all, peel and clean the Kadachakka (Breadfruit). Cut it into small or medium sized cube. Add the kadachakka pieces in a cooker along with 1.5 cup of water and salt. Pressure cook till 2 whistles. Keep it half cooked…I mean it should not be completely cooked (It should taste half raw – half cooked).
Heat 1 tbs. oil in a pan, add one portion of sliced shallots (around 5 small onions or 1 big onion), Grated coconut, finely chopped ginger, Green chillies, Fennel seeds, 4-5 curry leaves. Fry it till the grated coconut turns to light brown in colour. Now, lower the heat and add chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder (Garam masala is optional. If you wish, you can add it). Sauté and bring down the pan from the fire. Allow it to cool and make a fine paste of this mixture by blending this whole mixture in a mixture grinder along with some water. Keep this mixture paste aside.
Now heat 5 tbs. oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. Once it starts spluttering, add the remaining portion of sliced shallots (around 5 small onions or 1 big onion). Fry it till it turns golden brown. Now add curry leaves and pour the mixture paste in the pan along with a cup of water. Allow it to boil for 1 minute. Now add the half cooked kadachakka (Breadfruit) and ½ tbs. pepper powder in it. Close the pan for around 10 minutes or till the kadachakka is tender cooked. Yipee! Kadachakka Varutharachathu is ready to be served.
Kappa – Chicken biryani (Tapioca – Chicken biryani)
Posted by: Radhakrishnan Nair on: September 1, 2009
For Chicken:
Chicken: 1/2 kg
Ginger & garlic Paste: 1 tbs each
Onion: 2 (Sliced)
Coriander powder: 1 tbs
Red Chilli powder: 1 tbs
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tbs
Pepper powder: 1 tbs
Chicken Masala: 1 tbs (Eastern Masala would be a good option)
For Kappa:
Kappa (Tapioca): 1/2 kg
Chilli powder: 1 tbs
Coriander powder: 1 tbs
Scraped coconut: 1 cup
Shallots/ Small onions – 5-6
Mustard seeds – 1 tbs
Oil – As required
Salt: As required
Curry leaves (Vepilla) – 1 Whole strand
How to prepare Kappa – Chicken biryani:
Remove the skin of Kappa (Tapioca) and clean it properly. Cut it into medium sized pieces and boil it along with some salt. When the kappa (Tapioca) is cooked, it will become soft. Drain the excessive water, mash it and keep it aside. Heat 2 tbs oil in a pan and marinate chicken within onion, ginger and garlic paste, Eastern chicken masala powder and salt. Cook the chicken till it becomes soft. Now, add the mashed tapioca to the chicken mixture and mix it well.
Now take another pan and fry scraped coconut, chilli powder and coriander powder till the colour turns to golden brown. Now grind this mixture in a mixer grinder and add this to the chicken – kappa (tapioca) mixture and mix it well. Heat oil in a pan, add shallots (small onions), Curry leaves and splutter mustard seeds. Saute it for around 5 minutes. Now, add the chicken-kappa mixture in it and mix it well. Keep stirring for 5 minutes. Hurray! the yummy Kappa-Chicken biryani is ready to be served.
It’s me
Born in Alwaye District, Kerala and brought up in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, I'm a Mallu-Gujju fusion...who is still in the dilemma as to whether to go for Dhokla or Idli...Meethi dal or Sambhar...Undhiyu or Avial...Khichdi or Kanji (Rice Porridge)...Porotta or bhakri/thepla.. On a serious note, I'm a fun loving jovial guy, who if not found in the kitchen in his free time (ahem..which I rarely get nowadays), would be somewhere strumming the guitar. Click on my picture above to know more about me and about this blog.
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