Click here to view.Oondhiya Recipe.Oondhiyais a classic Gujarati vegetable from the city of Surat and hence also calledSurti undhiyu.Oondhiyais a preparation of vegetables and fenugreek muthias cooked in an aromatic blend of spices. Atraditional undhiyu reciperequires hours on end to make. Here, we have presented a faster version using apressure cookerthat also uses less oil.
Undhiyuis a one pot vegetable dish that is the hallmark ofGujarati vegetarian cuisine. Generally preparingundhiyutakes a lot of time and needs patience. Traditionally the veggies are cooked or fried in batches. There are usually three versions ofUndhiyu,matla undhiyu,Kathiyawadi undhiyuand the version we have made which issurti undhiyu.
As thisundhiyuis cooked in pressure cooker, this recipe doesn’t take much time. The name “Undhiyu” is derived from the Gujarati word “undhu” which means upside down. Tradionallyundhiyuis cooked in an earthen pot called matti nu matlu in gujju. The pots are sealed and placed upside down in a fire pit dug in the ground.the slow cooking in the earthen pot gives the dish a rustic flavor and taste. This method of makingundhiyuis still used in my village, the flavor and aroma is distinctive.
Undhiyuis specially made in winter as some veggies used for making are only available in winter. My mother would makeundhiyufor special occasions and also family get-togethers along with poori’s and aamras. Being a Gujarati I grew up withUndhiyuas special dish for which we has to wait all year long until the winters started and we would still just get to enjoy this vegetable for 2-3 months, but now-a-days everything is easily available. Every Gujarati household makesUndhiyufor Sunday lunch or festival like Uttarayan when the vegetables are in season.
The dish is a seasonal one, comprising the vegetables that are available during the winter, including green beans or new peas, small eggplants, muthia (dumplings/fritters made with fenugreek leaves, potatoes, and purple yam, yam. You can also add green peas if you wish to.
Ingredients ofundhiyuare now available all year but are very expensive in the off season and the quality of the vegetables are not very good.
To save on time further, you can buy readymade dry muthias. However, ensure you add them along with the vegetables so that they turn soft on cooking. Ummmmm… I am reminded ofJalabi,Puriand oondhiya… trust me,that is the perfect combination to win a Gujarati's heart!
Is Oondhiya healthy?
No, but with some chnages you can have it. Oondhiya is made of 3 parts. Muthia + Other Ingredients + Coriander coconut masala. The main ingredients of muthia are meth , whole wheat flour, besan, sugar. Other ingredietnts are baby potatoes, raw bananas, brinjal, surti papdi, kand, toovar dal. The masala has coriander, coconut, green garlic and other spices.
Let's understand the ingredients.
What's good.
1. Methi (fenugreek leaves): Methi leaves arelow in calorie,powerful antioxidantandcures mouth ulcers.Fenugreek leaveshelp in improving glucose and insulin responses, hence good fordiabetics. The levels ofcholesterolalso reduced with intakes of fenugreek leaves. Rich inVitamin Kwhich is good for bone metabolism. See allbenefits of methi leaveshere.Beetroot: Beetroot is low in calorie, storehouse of antioxidants which help fight free radicals. It also aids in detoxification, and helps lower badcholesterol(LDL) levels.
2. Coriander (kothmir, dhania) :The antioxidantsvitamin A,vitamin Cand the quercetin present incorianderworks towards strengthening our immune system. Coriander is a fairly good source ofironandfolate– the 2 nutrient which help in theproduction and maintenance ofred blood cellsin our blood. Good forreducing cholesteroland fordiabetics. Read9 benefits of corianderto understand details.
3. Coconut: The freshcoconuthas saturated fats but most of it is MCT (Medium Chain Triglycerides) which promoteweight loss. Thehigh fibrecontent 13.6 gm (45.3% of RDA) along with high lauric acid content of coconut improvescholesterol levelsin the body.Improving the action of insulin secretion and lowering the raised blood sugar levels is yet another benefit of coconut for Diabetics. See here for10 amazing benefits of coconut.
4. Whole Wheat flour:Whole wheat flouris excellent fordiabeticsas they will not shoot up your blood sugar levels as they are a low GI food. Whole wheat flour is rich inPhosphoruswhich is a major mineral which works closely withcalciumto build our bones.Vitamin B9helps your body to produce and maintain new cells, especiallyincrease red blood cells. See detailedbenefits of whole wheat flourand why it's good for you.
5. Besan:Besanhas more good fat than whole wheat flour and alsohigher proteincontent. Rich incomplex carbohydratesand with alow glycemic index, besan is good fordiabeticstoo. Besan is high inFolateor folic acid, which is important for rapid growth and multiplication ofred blood cellsand WBC’s in the bone marrow. See detailedbenefits of besanand why it's good for you.
What's the problem?
1. Kand (Purple Yam) : The antioxidantanthocyaninis the key element which will help fight the free radicals produced due to stress and pollution.Again it’s the anthocyanin which is identified as an anti-cancer agent. It helps in the prevention of cancerous cells. Purple yamisfairly good source of carb, almost equal to potatoes, it would be best fordiabeticsto restrict its use. Fiber will bindcholesterol, while potassium will balance the effect of sodium and ease the nerves. However, kand also lends some carbs with it. So if you are overweight or diabetic along with exhibiting heart trouble, try and restrict its consumption. Read detailsis kand healthy?
2. Deep fried foods: This muthai is deep fried. Any food that is deep fried is not suitable for healthy living. Your fat levels increase as deep frying increases oil absorption. Also when you use the same oil again for deep frying then smoking point decreases which leads to the development of blue smoke which is not good for health. It also increasesinflammationin the body and shuts down the fat burning process.
Excess oil and sugar usage.
Can diabetics, heart patients and over weight individuals haveOondhiya?
Yes, BUT with some changes. The muthias in this recipe are deep fried. But you can substitute it with baked methi muthai recipe. Then drop the potatoes and restrict the usage of purple yam in the recipe and maybe you can then enjoy in small amounts.
Can healthy individuals haveOondhiya?
Yes, but in small amounts and avoid deep fried muthias and instead used baked muthia.
8 Pointers to get healthy on a Indian diet
1.Eat healthyand say yes to good home cooked food. Preferwhole grainslike oatmeal, quinoa, buckwheat, barley andhealthy flourslike bajra flour, jowar flour, quinoa flour, wheat flour etc. rather than refined ones like maida. Have healthy Indian fats like ghee, coconut, coconut oil in your diet.
2.Opt out of junk food, packaged food, deep fried foods. Prefer steamed snacks and other non-fried snacks.Check out someHealthy Indian Snacks. Remember toeat small frequent mealsthrough the day as that will keep you always full and prevent your blood sugar from dropping. By starving your body through some diet, will not help you one bit. In fact, dieting will make you binge on 2 to 3 meals which is not good.
3.Have 4 to 5 servings of vegetablesand 2 to 3 servings offruitis a must. Follow the logic of a vegetable in each main meal of the day and a fruit in-between meals. Check out a fewHealthy Indian SoupsandHealthy Indian Saladsrecipes using this food group.
4.Cut down on sugarand saltin your diet and pick honey ( very small amounts) or dates to sweeten your food. Slowly cut the sugar habit as this is not going to happen over night.Sugar is also called white poison. It is asimple carbohydratewith zero nutritional value. On intake,sugar will cause inflammation of the bodywhich will last for many hours. It will spike your blood sugar level and shut down the fat burning process. This also causes high blood sugar levels in your body.The development of prediabetes comes from uncontrolled eating sugar and refined food products for many years and the classic symptom is if you have excess belly fat. This leads to diabetes and further onwards to heart attack, high blood pressure, strokes, impotence and kidney damage.
Salt and blood pressure.Apart from stress and obesity, one of the main reasons for high blood pressure is excessive sodium and salt intake.Most people find it difficult to limit the amount of salt in their cooking, thinking it will affect the taste of their favourite dishes.
This is not true. Bajra and jowar are rich in potassium and critical for those withHigh Blood Pressureas it lessens the impact of sodium. Eating more Potassium Rich Foods will remove more sodium from your body through urine. So include the basicbajra rotiandjowar rotiin your daily diet to have withLower Blood Pressure Subzis Recipes.
5. Befriend a fewhealthy seedsand nuts likechia seeds,flax seeds,sesame seeds, walnuts and almonds.
6. Sprouts are called ‘living food’. They are high is most nutrients and easy to digest as well. Let them feature in your meals at least thrice a week. Also Read :AllBenefits about Sprouts.
7. Exercise 45 minutes every day. No excuse. You can walk fast, run, do weights, play your favourite sport or go to the gym.
8. Sleep early and get up early.Get your body into rhythm and it will function best. Sleep helps your body to recover.
Oondhiyais high in
1.Protein:Proteinis required for the managing the wear and tear of all cells of the body.
2.Folic Acid:Folic acidis an essential vitamin required throughout pregnancy.
3.Vitamin C: Vitamin Cis a great defence against coughs and colds.
4.Calcium:Calciumis a mineral that makes bones stay strong. Required from kids to adults.
5.Magnesium:Magnesiumis required for formation of bones and teeth. helps in the metabolism of calcium and potassium.
6.Phosphorous:Phosphorousworks closely with calcium to build bones.
7.Vitamin B1:Vitamin B1protects nerves, helps in carbohydrate metabolism, prevents heart diseases and helps produce red blood cells.
8. Vitamin A:Vitamin Ais crucial for healthy vision, cell growth and healthy skin.
9. Fiber:Dietary fiberreduce the risk of heart disease, prevent the spike in blood sugar levels and hence super for diabetics. Consume more fruits, vegetables, moong, oats, matki, whole grains.
10. Iron:Ironis essential in the chemical reactions that produce energy from foods. Eat more greens and garden cress seeds to prevent you from beinganaemic. Here are the top7 sources of iron rich foods.
11. Vitamin B3 (niacin):Vitamin B3helps in brain functioning and mental health. Also healthy skin formation.
Note : a recipe is deemed high in a Vitamin or mineral if it meets 20% and above the recommended daily allowance based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
How to burn 645 calories that come from Oondhiya?
Walking (6 kmph) = 3hr 14 mins
Running (11 kmph) = 1hr 5 mins
Cycling (30 kmph) = 1hr 26 mins
Swimming (2 kmph) = 1hr 51 mins
Note: These values are approximate and calorie burning differs in each individual.
