Surti Undhiyu (Instant Pot)
Undhiyu Recipe is a classic winter vegetable dish from Surat, Gujarat. It is cooked especially on Makar Sankranti. Today we are cooking this delicious, quick surti undhiyu in Instant pot (pressure cooker).
❤️ About This Undhiyu Recipe
The meaning of the dish name ‘Undhiyu’: It is derived from the Gujarati language word ‘Undhu’ means upside down. Traditionally, the masala coated veggies are added into the earthen pot (matlu or matka). Then it is sealed properly and placed upside down in the fire pit dug into the ground. Plus, hot coal is also added on top. All the veggies in an earthen pot are slow-cooked which gives unique flavor and aroma.
This traditional method of making undhiyu is still alive in some villages. But nowadays in the modern home kitchen, people use big kadai or pressure cooker. In restaurants, they deep fry the root vegetables and the rest of the veggies are cooked in a big vessel and later mixed all together.
The root vegetables and other veggies used in making undhiyu recipe are seasonally available during winter months only.
Because it is a mixture of different veggies and it has many different elements, undhiyu is usually prepared in large quantities. The portion I have made is enough for 6 people.
Texture: Traditionally undhiyu is a dry veggie preparation where slightly moist masala is coated to the veggies. All the veggies retain their shape (they are cooked and tender, but not overcooked that they get mushy).
But some people like it if it has little gravy, in this case, add a little more water and increase the cooking time for a minute or two.
There is another similar dish called ubadiyu (or umbadiyu) and it is from Valsad, Gujarat. The procedure is the same but few ingredients differ like the use of wild beans (locally grown) and curry leaves stalks. Plus, it is garnished with sev while serving.
The procedure of undhiyu looks lengthy, but it is very easy to make. Let’s divide the whole procedure into 3 steps:
- Make muthia: You can prepare a day before. I usually make a big batch (in air fryer) and freeze them. It comes in handy to make a quick undhiyu.
- Make undhiyu masala: It’s simple, just add ingredients into the food processor and pulse, masala is ready.
- Prep veggies and Cook undhiyu in instant pot.
👩🍳 Making Muthia For Undhiyu Recipe
Here are all the ingredients you’ll need to make muthia. Traditionally these are deep-fried. But to cut down oil and calories, I have air-fried them. Here instead of fresh methi leaves, you can use frozen one. See the amount detail below in the recipe card.
1) Take wheat flour, besan, spices (turmeric, red chili powder), salt, sugar, baking soda, ginger paste, green chilies in a bowl. Mix well.
2) Add oil and lemon juice. Mix well by rubbing between your fingers and thumb.
3) Add methi leaves and mix.
4) Now add little water at a time and knead into a smooth and soft dough. Don’t make it too soft otherwise, it becomes too sticky.
TIP: You may need more or less amount of water. It depends on how much water particles are left in your methi leaves after washing. It also depends on you’re using fresh or frozen leaves.
5) Grease your palm with oil and take about 2 teaspoons of portion, shape into small oval-shaped dumplings. During the half-way through of shaping process, the dough may start to stick. Wash the hands, grease again and shape.
6) While you’re shaping, preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 5 minutes. Arrange the shaped methi muthia into the air fryer tray. Spray it lightly with cooking oil spray.
7) Air fry for 10 minutes. Halfway through open and give it a shake for even browning all the sides. This time may vary depending on the size of your muthiya.
8) You can prepare them a day before. Or you can freeze once cool and use later.
👩🍳 Making Undhiyu Masala
Here are all the ingredients you’ll need to make undhiyu masala. All of them are basic and easily available. I have used desiccated coconut. But some prefer to use fresh, grated coconut.
1) Take dry masala stuff (dry coconut, peanuts, sesame seeds, salt, sugar, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder) in a food processor.
2) Pulse it and make a semi-coarse powder.
3) Now add ginger, garlic, green chilies, cilantro and lemon(lime) juice.
4) Again pulse and make a coarse, dry mixture.
5) Remove it to a bowl. This mixture is moist (yet pretty dry).
👩🍳 Making Undhiyu Recipe In Instant Pot
Here are all the veggies and tempering ingredients you’ll need to make undhiyu. Here in the USA, I do not get a few veggies fresh even in the winter season. So I have used frozen, you can see in the below pic.
Apart from these shown veggies, you can use other vegetables like suran (elephant foot yam), raw banana, valor papdi, etc.
1) To prep my veggies, I have lightly scrubbed the skin of the baby potatoes instead of peeling. As they were new potatoes and have very thin skin. Also, peeled and cubed the sweet potato.
Make a cross ‘+’ sign at the bottom of the baby eggplant (careful not to cut into pieces) and stuff the center with prepared masala. Then add remaining masala into the veggies and mix.
2) Heat the oil in instant pot on saute mode. Once hot add cumin seeds and ajwain. Let them sizzle a bit. Then add hing.
3) Immediately add masala coated veggies, stuffed eggplants and air-fried methi muthia. Plus, add water and lightly mix.
4) Cover the instant pot with a lid, keep the vent to sealing. Cook on manual (high pressure) for 6 minutes. After 5 minutes, do QPR. Once the pin drops, open the lid and surti undhiyu is ready to enjoy.
💭 Expert Tips For Best Undhiyu
- Stovetop Pressure Cooker: Cook for 2 whistles on medium-high heat.
- Use your choice of veggies. If you don’t like purple yam then don’t add. Increase or decrease the amount of the veggie as per your liking. E.g. I do not like eggplant, so I have added only 4 just for hubby.
- Do not skip or reduce the amount of methi muthia. It is the heart of the undhiyu.
- If green garlic is available in the season, then add while making green masala. It adds a really nice flavor.
- Adjust the green chilies as per your liking spice level. The amount mentioned gives a medium spicy taste.
🥣 Storage Instructions
- Because undhiyu recipe is made in large quantities, I freeze the leftovers in freezer-safe containers in the portions. It stays good for around 2 months.
- Undhiyu stays good for 2 days in the refrigerator.
🍽 When & How To Serve Undhiyu?
Undhiyu is served with poori or bajra bhakri. It can be eaten with phulka roti as well.
On Makar Sankranti festival, the meal consists of undhiyu, puri, chutney and jalebi. This meal is a must in most families in Gujarat. Many like to have shrikhand instead of jalebi.
Check Out Other Winter Special Recipes
PS Tried this surti undhiyu recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback! Plus, Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for all the latest updates.
Surti Undhiyu Recipe (Instant Pot)
US measuring cups are used (1 cup = 240 ml)
Ingredients
For Muthia:
- 2 cups Fenugreek leaves (methi leaves), plucked, measured then washed {if using frozen, use only ¼ cup}
- ½ cup Whole wheat flour (Chapati atta)
- ½ cup Besan (gram flour)
- 1 Green chilies, chopped finely
- 1 teaspoon Ginger paste or freshly grated or crushed
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon Baking soda
- Salt, to taste
- 2 ½ teaspoons Sugar
- 2-3 teaspoon Lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons Oil
- 2-3 tablespoons Water, or more or less
- Cooking oil spray, for air-frying
For Green Masala:
- ⅓ cup Desiccated coconut
- ¼ cup Peanuts
- 2 tablespoons Sesame seeds
- 3 teaspoons Red chili powder
- 2 teaspoons Coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
- Salt, to taste
- 2 tablespoons Lemon juice or Lime juice
- ½ cup Cilantro or coriander leaves
- 4-5 Green chilies
- ½ inch Ginger
- 2 cloves Garlic
For Undhiyu:
- 5 tablespoons Oil
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Ajwain (Carom seeds)
- ¼ teaspoon Hing (Asafoetida)
- 4 Small baingan (baby eggplant)
- 7-8 Baby potatoes
- ½ cup Sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- ½ cup Green peas
- ⅓ cup Purple yam (Kand or ratalu)
- 1 cup Fresh tuvar dana (Green pigeon peas or lilva)
- 1 cup Surti papdi
- 1 to 1 ½ cups Water, {1 cup for 6QT, 1 ½ cups for 8QT}
Instructions
Making Muthia:
- Take wheat flour, besan, spices (turmeric, red chili powder), salt, sugar, baking soda, ginger paste, green chilies in a bowl. Mix well.
- Add oil and lemon juice. Mix well by rubbing between your fingers and thumb.
- Add methi leaves and mix.
- Now add little water at a time and knead into a smooth and soft dough. Don’t make it too soft otherwise, it becomes too sticky.
- TIP: You may need more or less amount of water. It depends on how much water particles are left in your methi leaves after washing. It also depends on you’re using fresh or frozen leaves.
- Grease your palm with oil and take about 2 teaspoons of portion, shape into small oval-shaped dumplings. During the half-way through of shaping process, the dough may start to stick. Wash the hands, grease again and shape.
- While you’re shaping, preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 5 minutes. Arrange the shaped methi muthia into the air fryer tray. Spray it lightly with cooking oil spray.
- Air fry for 10 minutes. Halfway through open and give it a shake for even browning all the sides. This time may vary depending on the size of your muthiya.
Making Green Masala:
- Take dry masala stuff (dry coconut, peanuts, sesame seeds, salt, sugar, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder) in a food processor. Pulse it and make a semi-coarse powder.
- Now add ginger, garlic, green chilies, cilantro and lemon(lime) juice. Again pulse and make a coarse, dry mixture.
- Remove it to a bowl and keep it ready.
Making Undhiyu Recipe (Instant Pot)
- Lightly scrub the skin of the baby potatoes instead of peeling. Also, peeled and cubed the sweet potato.
- Make a cross ‘+’ sign at the bottom of the baby eggplant (careful not to cut into pieces) and stuff the center with prepared masala.
- Take all the veggies (except eggplant) in a large bowl. Add remaining masala and mix well.
- Heat the oil in instant pot on saute mode. Once hot add cumin seeds and ajwain. Let them sizzle a bit. Then add hing.
- Immediately add masala coated veggies, stuffed eggplants and air-fried methi muthia. Plus, add water and lightly mix.
- Cover the instant pot with a lid, keep the vent to sealing. Cook on manual (high pressure) for 6 minutes. After 5 minutes, do QPR. Once the pin drops, open the lid and surti undhiyu is ready to enjoy.
Notes
- Stovetop Pressure Cooker: Cook for 2 whistles on medium-high heat.
- Use your choice of veggies. If you don’t like purple yam then don’t add. Increase or decrease the amount of the veggie as per your liking. E.g. I do not like eggplant, so I have added only 4 just for hubby.
- Do not skip or reduce the amount of methi muthia. It is the heart of the undhiyu.
- If green garlic is available in the season, then add while making green masala. It adds a really nice flavor.
- Adjust the green chilies as per your liking spice level. The amount mentioned gives a medium spicy taste.
Made on a chilly, rainy day and it was worth the effort. I would make again and add more vegetables, as I only had a small frozen pack to start with.
Glad that you liked it.