Undhiyu Pot Pie

Time for almost last undhiyu of the season. Although with frozen veggies available in the US, we can make undhiyu year round, but the fun of enjoying it is in winter.

Undhiyu is a traditional Gujarati dish that is mostly prepared using winter veggies. Makar Sankranti or January 14th is marked as national Undhiyu day as people in Gujarat picnic outside and enjoy fresh veggies of the harvest season. Fresh, tender Ponk is another famous food of the harvest festival. Being a Gujarati, I love inviting friends over for Undhiyu party. It is a fun get together to dress up Gujju style and enjoy Gujju delicacies. Check out my traditional Undhiyu and quick Undhiyu recipes.

Since the time I bought these cute individual serve copper baking pots, I have been thinking of various recipes to make in it. Few months back I made Biryani pot pie in these same copped baking pots and it turned out delicious. Layered Biryani was covered with a dough and then baked to become delicious Dum biryani with a crust. My husband just loved the idea!

Undhiyu pot pie is one pot baked undhiyu meal. Instead of cooking and stirring Undhiyu veggies, all raw ingredients of undhiyu and mixed together and baked in these beautiful copper pots. This can be served as is in individual containers or ramekin and enjoyed with crisp bhakri that is used to cover the pot. It was indeed a delicious experiment, and my husband and I enjoyed it!!

Ingredients (serves 4 to 6)

Raw baby potatoes  (12 to 15)

1 cup cubed purple yam (fresh or frozen)

1 cup tuvar lilva

1 cup surti papdi

1 cup tuvar

1+1/2 shredded coconut

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 tbsp. dried of fresh methi leaves

1+1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp. turmeric powder

1 tbsp. chilli powder

1 tbsp. coriander powder

1 tbsp ginger and green chili paste

3-4 cloves garlic minced

1/2 cup oil

For the dough:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp. salt

1 cup water

Ghee

• Peel baby potatoes and prick them with a fork or sharp knife. Keep them aside with all veggies.
• In a large bowl mix shredded coconut, chopped cilantro, dried or fresh methi leaves, salt, turmeric, green chili and ginger paste, coriander powder, minced garlic. Mix it well.
• heat 1/2 cup oil till slightly hot and pour over masala. Mix well.
• Add potatoes, yam and other veggies to the masala and mix well till all masala and veggies and mixed and coated well.
• Remove in a individual baking containers or in a large container.
• Make a dough with wheat flour, salt, and water. Divide into 4 parts, flatten it and cover the undhiyu container with the dough. Apply some ghee on it.
• Bake undhiyu in a 400F preheated oven for 30 minutes. As soon as it is cooked, the aroma will spread everywhere and that is the sign of undhiyu being cooked. 
• Let the bhakri bake well and brown on top and crisp.
• Enjoy!

Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

Peel baby potatoes and prick them with a fork or sharp knife. Keep them aside with all veggies.

In a large bowl mix shredded coconut, chopped cilantro, dried or fresh methi leaves, salt, turmeric, green chili and ginger paste, coriander powder, minced garlic. Mix it well.

heat 1/2 cup oil till slightly hot and pour over masala. Mix well.

Add potatoes, yam and other veggies to the masala and mix well till all masala and veggies and mixed and coated well.

Remove in a individual baking containers or in a large container.

Make a dough with wheat flour, salt, and water. Divide into 4 parts, flatten it and cover the undhiyu container with the dough. Apply some ghee on it.

Bake undhiyu in a 400F preheated oven for 30 minutes. As soon as it is cooked, the aroma will spread everywhere and that is the sign of undhiyu being cooked. 

Let the bhakri bake well and brown on top and crisp.

Enjoy this seasons baked Undhiyu!!!

Paneer Paratha

My husband loves stuffed parathas, and paneer stuffed ones are a treat. Even on a regular working day, making stuffed parathas is quick and easy. I would surely call this an under 30 minute meal.

Ingredients: (makes 7-8 parathas)

3 cups grated paneer

1 cup finely chopped onions

1 tsp. cumin seeds

1 tsp. salt

2-3 chopped green chilies

1 tsp. grated ginger

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Juice of fresh lime

2+1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. oil

Around 1+1/2 cup water to make a soft dough.

Some chopped cilantro to garnish

Oil or ghee for pan frying paratha

• Mix flour, salt, and oil together and make a slft dough with water. Knead the dough well. Cover and keep it aside foe 20 minutes.
• Grate or crumble soft paneer. Add salt, cumin seeds, grated ginger, chopped green chilies, chopped cilantro, and fresh lime.
• Finely chop onions and keep aside. Mix onions with paneer just before making paratha. Leaving paneer mixture with onions for a long time will make the mixture soft as onions will tend to leave water.
• Divide the dough into 7-8 parts. Roughly divide the paneer mixture in 7-8 parts.
• Using one part of the dough, using dry flour, roll into a 5 inch disc, Place one part of panerr mixture in the center. Bring the sides of the dough together and fuse the dough well.
• Press it gently. Use dry flour and gently roll parathas to form 6-7 inch diameter. 
• Sprinkle some chopped cilantro and roll to press it in the dough.
• Place paratha on a hot griddle.
• Flip and apply ghee or oil and fry on both sides till golden brown.
• Serve with sliced onions and pickle.

Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

Grate or crumble soft paneer. Add salt, cumin seeds, grated ginger, chopped green chilies, chopped cilantro, and fresh lime.

Finely chop onions and keep aside.

Mix flour, salt, and oil together and make a slft dough with water. Knead the dough well. Cover and keep it aside foe 20 minutes.

Keep everything ready to roll parathas.

Mix onions with paneer just before making paratha. Leaving paneer mixture with onions for a long time will make the mixture soft as onions will tend to leave water.

Using one part of the dough, using dry flour, roll into a 5 inch disc, Place one part of panerr mixture in the center. Bring the sides of the dough together and fuse the dough well.

 Press it gently. Use dry flour and gently roll parathas to form 6-7 inch diameter.

Sprinkle some chopped cilantro and roll to press it in the dough.

Place paratha on a hot griddle.

Flip and apply ghee or oil and fry on both sides till golden brown.

Serve with onions and pickle.

Enjoy!!!

Phulka Roti

Last Saturday I had an opportunity to conduct Indian cooking class at our district for the community. I have offered classes before, and Indian cuisine is quite popular. With diverse population here in California, people love to be knowledgeable about different cultures and cuisines. I show them the traditional spice box and talk about using these spices to suit ones palate. We make various Indian breads like roti, paratha, naan, and puri and then make Indian curries too. Indeed a fun class...i just enjoy being a part of the community and spreading the knowledge of my culture :)

Roti: which is a flat bread from India is also called chapati, phulka, or rotli, in various cultures. Depending on the state, this simple roti is made differently. From thick and big rotis made either in tandoor or on griddle in North India to small thin rotis in Gujarat. In Gujarat and some regions also make double or Pad rotis.

Irrespective of which state the roti is made in, the ingredients are very basic: whole wheat flour and water. Salt in roti and oil as a fat to keep roti soft are optional. There is no leavening agent needed in this flat bread or roti. Also, depending on the type of crop growing in the state, roti can be made using jowar flour, bajra flour, or even rice flour, These rotis maybe slight tricky to make and needs practice as they are void of gluten.

Phulka means puffed. They rotis are rolled well and then cooked on griddle. High temperature  will result in the traped air to expand causing the roti to puff like a ball. This puffing is called phulka roti. Sometimes the roti would puff on the griddle itself or putting it on open flame to few seconds will ease the puffing process. We make this roti everyday in my family and each person would have around 2-3 rotis which would be around 80-100 calories each.

To make whole wheat phulka roti:
2 cups whole wheat flour (I use organic whole wheat flour from Veer or 24 Mantra)
1 tsp. salt (optional)
1 tbsp. oil (optional)
1 to 1+1/4 cup water

1/4 cup of dry flour to roll rotis.
Ghee to spread on the roti.

Take flour in a large bowl. Mix salt and oil.
Add around 1/2 cup water and mix well to make the dough, add little more water while mixing to make a soft dough. The amount of water needed depends on the type of flour you use. Organic whole wheat requires slightly more water that regular whole wheat flour. I would use around 1+1/4 cup to make a soft dough. Knead the dough well for 3-4 minutes. Use 2-3 drops of oil while kneading.
Cover the dough and leave it aside to rest for at least 15-20 minutes.

To make roti:
Keep the rolling board and rolling pin ready. Heat the griddle on low to medium heat.
Keep a bowl of dry flour and a bowl of ghee to apply on the roti once it is ready.

Divide the dough into 6-8 parts.
Make a ball from each part and flatten it. Dip lightly into dry flour and start rolling it gently. Use dry flour on the rolling board or the pin whenever needed to avoid roti from sticking.
Put the roti on hot griddle. Cook on medium heat for 30-45 seconds on first side. Flip it and cook for 30-45 seconds. Put the roti directly on open flame on high heat. It should puff up immediately. Flip once more if needed and remove in a plate.
Apply ghee on the roti and serve.

Check out the videos below.

Here is time lapse video of me making roti dough.

Add water little at a time while making the dough.

Here is time lapse of making roti on the griddle and then puffing it on open flame.

As soon as roti is done, apply ghee on it.

Making roti dough in kitchenaid mixer.

Making Phulka roti

 Here is roti puffing.

  

Puffed roti or as we call it phulka or a ball.

Apply ghee.

Soft rotis ready to be served.

Soft rotis can be eaten with just one hand.

This is the tradition.... using just one hand to break roti and dip it in dal/curry and then eat it.

Enjoy soft and fresh Phulka Roti!!