Undhiyu: Gujarat's Winter Feast, Explained

In short: Undhiyu is a Gujarati dish of winter vegetables (purple yam, sweet potato, small potatoes, brinjal, flat beans and more) slow-cooked with spices, peanuts and coconut until everything is soft and glossy. Its name comes from undhu, Gujarati for upside down, because it was once cooked in a sealed clay pot turned upside down in a fire. It is eaten above all at Uttarayan, the kite festival on 14 January.

What goes into undhiyu?

Undhiyu is built on the vegetables that come into Gujarati markets in winter. A typical pot has:

• purple yam (kand) and sweet potato
• small potatoes and small brinjals
• flat beans (surti papdi, valor) and cluster beans
• raw banana, and sometimes bottle gourd
• often methi muthia: small fenugreek and gram-flour dumplings

The vegetables are cooked with a masala of spices, peanuts, coconut, a little sugar and lemon, and a generous amount of oil, which is what gives undhiyu its gloss and depth. The result is sweet, spicy and tangy at once, like much of the best Gujarati food.

Why is it called undhiyu?

In villages, undhiyu was cooked in an earthen pot (matlu), sealed and placed upside down in a pit, with a fire lit on top. Undhu means upside down, and the name stuck. Today almost every home makes it on the stove, but the name remembers the old way.

What is the difference between Surti and Kathiyawadi undhiyu?

Surti undhiyu, from Surat in south Gujarat, is the green one: its masala leans on fresh coriander, green chillies, coconut and, in season, green garlic. Kathiyawadi undhiyu, from Saurashtra, is usually redder and spicier, with red chilli in the masala. Families everywhere have their own version, and every one of them is sure theirs is right.

When do Gujaratis eat undhiyu?

Undhiyu is the dish of Uttarayan (Makar Sankranti), when families spend the day on the terrace flying kites and eating undhiyu with puris and jalebi. It also turns up at winter weddings and Sunday lunches from December to February, when the vegetables are at their best.

What do you eat with undhiyu?

• Hot puris: the classic partner
• Shrikhand or jalebi on the side, for the sweet
• Rotli, for an everyday meal
• A bowl of Gujarati Kadhi and rice to finish

Can I have undhiyu outside winter?

That is exactly why we make it. Our Rajwadi Undhiyu is cooked with potato, sweet potato, yam, brinjal, hyacinth beans, cluster beans, bottle gourd and cabbage, with peanuts, coconut, a little sugar and lemon and a vaghar of whole spices in groundnut oil, and retort-sealed so it keeps for 12 months. It is made without onion or garlic. Heat it for 3–4 minutes and serve it with puris, any month of the year.

Questions people ask

Is undhiyu healthy?

It is a dish of many vegetables, but it is traditionally rich in oil. Enjoy it as the festive dish it is, with a lighter meal around it.

Does undhiyu have onion or garlic?

Onion, no. Surti undhiyu often uses green garlic in winter. Our Rajwadi Undhiyu is made without onion or garlic.

What is undhiyu served with?

Puris, and shrikhand or jalebi, especially at Uttarayan. Rotli works for an everyday meal.

When is undhiyu eaten?

Mostly in winter, and above all at Uttarayan (Makar Sankranti) on 14 January.