Cook in a Curry

One thing I do love about a place like Bombay is that no matter what part of the city you live in, you’re always guaranteed to be able to sample food from most parts of India all in one city! That is just pure joy and I have had the privilege of having a Maharashtrian lunch and then moving onto a Mughlai dinner. A South Indian breakfast of fresh steamed idlis (rice cakes) with sambar or Gujarati snack anytime of the day! I think that’s where my fondness for Indian food stems from. And by ‘Indian’ I do mean a variety of regional goodies that are cooked in households & restaurants everyday but still seem a tad bit special. Ingredients used are simple and fresh, with at least 4-5 different dishes served, including chapattis, rice, and even something to traditional to drink (like a lassi or chaas; yoghurt drinks that are perfect thirst quenchers for the hot weather) which summed up a delectable and flavoursome meal.

Growing up always holds special memories, with friends galore and not a care in the world. It’s when we look back at the years, we realise how our meals defined our eating experiences in every which ways. For me, having south indian, gujarati or bengali friends made the experience even more meaningful and interesting. As a young girl being invited to my friends for lunch or dinner was always a brilliant experience.  Getting to see their way of living, celebrating festivals, traditions and the best part was I got to eat a traditional home cooked fare.

Undhiyo is one such dish that I have sampled at homes and even at restaurants.  A typical Gujarati dish. Gujarati food is primarily vegetarian but don’t let that put you off. The Gujarati diet is based around vegetables & lentils with the use of jaggery, salt, lemon and tomatoes; giving it the sour, sweet, tart & salty flavour. Making this cuisine delicious and very moreish. As there are so many dishes to choose from in te repotoire, the best thing to do would be to have a thali. A little of everything – all in one plate! If you ever yearn for a good gujarati thali, there are loads of places to try it out. Undhiyo is also has its place as a part of a thali.
Undhiyo is traditionally a mixed vegetable casserole, made with seasonal root veg, green banana and yam, layered and slow cooked in a clay pot. It is served with savoury gram flour dumplings called ‘Muthiya’ and a garnish of grated coconut  and peanuts. I decided to cook it because I was yearning the flavours of a typical Undhiyo, and my take on the recipe though inspired by the dishes I have sampled back in India is adapted, keeping it simple and easy to cook using readily available vegetables.

I paired this dish with an accompaniment of Khatti Meethi Dal – Sweet & Sour Lentils. A tempering of chilli & mustard seeds and a combination of tamarind, jaggery & lentils, the dal is delightful! Served with chapattis or even with some rice.

Ingredients

3 tbsp vegetable oil
1/8 tsp asafoetida
½ tsp carom seeds
½ tsp cumin powder
1 ½ tsp coriander powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 medium potato peeled and cut into bite size pieces
1 small aubergine cut into bite size pieces
1 carrot cut into bite size pieces
50gms green peas
150mls water
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander to garnish
Grated coconut to garnish

For the paste;

3 green chillies (deseeded if required)
5 cloves of garlic peeled & roughly chopped
1 inch piece of ginger peeled & roughly chopped
70gms grated coconut, fresh or the frozen variety available in Asian stores
2 tbsp coriander leaves and stalks roughly chopped
1 tbsp roasted peanuts
2 tsp lemon juice
Pinch of sugar

For the paste, add all the ingredients to a food processor. Add a 2 tbsp of water if required and pulse to a smooth thick paste.

Heat oil in a large non stick pan, add the asafoetida and carom seeds. Fry for 20 seconds and let them splutter. Now add the paste and cook for 5 minutes on a medium heat stirring frequently. Add the ground spices and stir through, frying for a further minute. Put the potatoes and carrots in the pan and cook for 3minutes before adding rest of the vegetables. Add 150mls water and bring to boil. Cover & simmer for 15-20minutes, occasionally stirring.

Serve warm garnished with coriander & coconut served with chapattis.