Winter Undhiyu with Methi Muthiya

⏱ 110 min · Serves 6

Gujarat's great winter feast in one pot: sweet purple yam, baby potatoes, green beans and stuffed baby aubergines slow-braised in a fragrant green masala of coriander, coconut and peanut, crowned with fried fenugreek dumplings. Rich, herby, faintly sweet — a genuine weekend project worth every minute.

Per serving: 610 kcal · 13.5g protein · 62.0g carbs · 34.0g fat

Ingredients

• For the muthiya:
• 150g coarse wholewheat flour (atta)
• 50g gram flour (besan)
• 100g fresh fenugreek leaves (methi), chopped
• 1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp yoghurt, plus water to bind
• Oil for shallow frying
• For the green masala:
• 100g fresh coriander, chopped
• 100g fresh grated coconut
• 3 tbsp roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed
• 4 green chillies
• 20g ginger
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp sugar or jaggery
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp cumin seeds, crushed
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1.5 tsp salt
• For the vegetables:
• 6 small aubergines, slit into quarters (stem intact)
• 300g purple yam (ratalu), peeled and cubed
• 300g sweet potato, cubed
• 250g baby potatoes, halved
• 200g flat green beans (papdi or runner beans), trimmed
• 150g shelled fresh pigeon peas or broad beans
• 1 small green plantain, thickly sliced (optional)
• To cook:
• 120ml groundnut oil
• 1/2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 250ml water

Method

1. Make the muthiya: mix all dumpling ingredients with just enough water to form a stiff dough. Roll into 18 small ovals. Shallow-fry in hot oil until deep golden, 4–5 minutes. Drain on paper.
2. Blitz or pound all green masala ingredients to a coarse, fragrant paste. Do not over-blend — it should stay textured.
3. Stuff the slit aubergines and any large yam pieces with about a third of the masala. Toss the remaining vegetables with half of what's left.
4. Heat the oil in a wide heavy pot or handi. Add ajwain and asafoetida, then the turmeric and remaining masala; fry 2 minutes.
5. Layer the vegetables in the pot: beans and pigeon peas at the bottom, then potatoes, yam, sweet potato and plantain, aubergines on top. Do not stir.
6. Pour in the water down the side, cover tightly and cook on low for 45 minutes, shaking the pot occasionally rather than stirring.
7. Tuck the muthiya over the top, cover and steam a further 10 minutes until they soak up the juices.
8. Gently fold once with a wide spoon, check salt, add a squeeze of lemon and scatter coriander. Serve with puris or bajra rotla.