Undhiyu (Mix Vegetable Curry for Makar Sankranti or Uttarayan (Kite Festival ) special)

The festival of Uttarayan is a uniquely Gujarati phenomenon, when the skies over most cities of the state fill with kites from before dawn until well after dark. The festival marks the days in the Hindu calendar when winter begins turning to summer, known as Makar Sankranti or Uttarayan. On what is usually a bright warm sunny day with brisk breezes to lift the kites aloft, across the state almost all normal activity is shut down and everyone takes to the rooftops and roadways to fly kites and compete with their neighbors.

 Kites of all shapes and sizes are flown, and the main competition is to battle nearby kite-flyers to cut their strings and bring down their kites.

 Parents who normally find their children hard to get out of bed for school will find them setting the alarm for 5 am on 14th Jan., to get up and start flying kites in the ideal pre-dawn wind. The atmosphere is wonderfully festive, as whole families gather on the rooftop, special foods like laddoos , undhyu are prepared for eating over the course of the day, and friends and neighbors visit each other for group kite-flying fun. Often people look out for which of their friends has the optimum terrace for kite flying and many will congregate there. This leads to many social gatherings that would not otherwise occur, as one person’s brother’s friends meet their classmate’s cousins, because they have all gathered on the rooftop of the same mutual friend. People often find themselves marking time by Uttarayans: “I met you three Uttarayans ago, right?” is a not uncommon phrase. At night, kite fighters send up bright white kites to be seen in the darkness, and skilled flyers will send aloft their tukkals with strings of brightly lit lanterns in a long line leading back down to the rooftop. From early morning to late at night, Uttarayan provides lots of fun and beautiful sights to remember for a long time.

 Since 1989, the city of Ahmedabad has hosted the International Kite Festival as part of the official celebration of Uttarayan, bringing master kite makers and flyers from all over the world to demonstrate their unique creations and wow the crowds with highly unusual kites.

(Source : Gujarat Tourism )

 I have listed recipes of some mouth watering dishes, which can be easily prepared on Makar Sakranti or Uttarayan.

 Festivals in India don't come alone. Rather, they bring with them wonderful and delicious food items. Every festival has some special dishes associated with it, without which the celebrations are incomplete.  Makar Sankranti is another festival that is known for some special dishes related to it.

Undhiyu (Special mix vegetable curry)

Ingredients:

1.          1/2 cup green broad beans (valor) stringed and whole

2.          1 cup fresh pigeon peas (green tuver)

3.          1 cup surti papdi stringed and whole

4.          1 cup purple yam (suran) peeled and cubes

5.          1 cup potato peeled and cubes.

6.          5 - 7 baby brinjals slit (small size eggplant)

7.          2 raw bananas unpeeled

8.          2 tablespoon coconut grated

9.          1 teaspoon ginger paste

10.      1 teaspoon garlic paste

11.      4 tablespoon green chili paste

12.      1 cup coriander chopped

13.      Salt to taste

14.      1/4 cup peanut crushed

15.      1 tablespoon sesame seed crushed

16.      1/4 cup oil

17.      1 tablespoon sugar

18.      1/2 cup fenugreek leaves chopped

19.      2 tablespoon chick pea flour

20.      Salt to taste

21.      1 teaspoon lemon juice

Method:

1.          Cut eggplant slit, cut 1 banana in 3 pieces and give slit.

2.          Mix all no.8 to 14 Ingredients in order and mix well, than take 1/4 part of this masala  mixture and stuff bananas and baby eggplants.

3.          Another masala mixture keep aside.

For Chickpea flour dumplings (Muthiya):

Ingredients:

1.          1 cup chickpea flour

2.          1 cup fenugreek leaves chopped

3.          4 tablespoon oil

4.          1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf, varyali)

5.          Pinch of baking soda

6.          1 teaspoon lime juice

7.          1 teaspoon red chili powder

8.          1 teaspoon coriander powder

9.          1 teaspoon sugar

10.      Salt to taste

11.      Oil to deep fry

12.      Water as needed

Method:   

1.          Combine flour, baking soda, oil, lime juice, salt, sugar, fennel seeds, red chili powder, coriander powder and methi (fenugreek leaves) in a bowl.

2.          Mix all together with your hands and whilst kneading gradually pour in the water.

3.          Made a soft dough form into small oval or round shape dumplings.

4.          Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown drain on paper towels so that extra oil will get soaked and keep it aside.

5.          Methi muthiya is ready take aside.

6.          In this hot oil deep fry yum and potato light golden brown and keep aside.

For Temparing:

1.          1/2 cup oil

2.          1/4 teaspoon asafetida

3.          1 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)

4.          2 dry red chili

5.          1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

6.          2 bay leaf (tej patta)

7.          1 teaspoon turmeric powder

8.          1 teaspoon garam masala powder

9.          1 teaspoon red chili powder

10.      1 teaspoon lemon juice

Method:

1.          Add in large pan heat half cup oil, add in asafetida carom seeds, cumin seeds, dry chili, and bay leaf leave 30 sec.

2.          Now add potato, yum and all beans (surati papadi, valor, green peas) mix well.

3.          Add salt, turmeric powder, garam masala and red chili stir well. Add 1 cups of water   cover the pot and cook for 7-8 minutes.

4.          Add stuffed brinjals and stuff banana into it, and another reminded masala mixture mix well.

5.          Add 1 cup of water into it and cook for another 7 - 8 minutes stirring occasionally.

6.          Stir properly and mix it well..Pour a cup of water and fenugreek leaves dumplings cover and simmer on a very low heat for 10 minutes.

7.          Occasionally stir it and see if nothing gets stucked down.

8.          Garnish with coriander.

9.          Enjoy hot undhiyu  with puri or rotli.
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