It would be an understatement to say that celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor has left an indelible mark on the Indian culinary scene. From hosting television shows to judging cooking competitions, he has continuously thrilled Indian audiences with his wit, humour, and incredibly delicious and easy to execute food recipes. Over the years, he has amassed nearly 2 million intrepid followers on his Instragram account; he frequently treats these followers to exclusive recipes of seasonal foods.
In fact, Kapoor’s recent Instragram post showcasing his special Surti Undhiyo recipe has notched up thousands of likes and garnered several comments praising the master chef’s creativity and genius. Undhiyo or Undhiyu as it is also known, is an iconic Gujarati dish that is cherished and savored all over the country. This dish takes on an added appeal during winter because it is made up ingredients that are seasonal to the winter months. Therefore, it is no surprise that Kapoor’s video received such enthusiastic reception.
The video itself is quite simple. While it doesn’t have any words, the ingredients of the dish are assembled and cooked to the tune of traditional Gujarati music. The richness of the ingredients as well as their colours and textures create a visual spectacle for viewers. The video can be seen to have two distinct parts. In the first part, the chef is seen mixing the various ingredients of the dish together, including flour, fenugreek leaves, and spices, such as turmeric, coriander, and chilli, and sesame seeds. These ingredients are blended and fried to give the mouthwatering “muthiya” delicacy.
Then, the chef is shown chopping vegetables, such as brinjal, raw banana, sweet potato, and purple yam. Subsequently, the chef prepares a blend of garlic and sweet coconut, and mixes them with exotic ingredients, including ivy gourds and pigeon peas. Lastly, the mixture is cooked in a pan of hot oil and merged with the muthiya element of the dish. Chef Sanjeev Kapoor opts to serve his undhiyo dish with hot piping puris, but other flatbreads go well with this dish as well.
The Surti Undhiyo recipe is of special significance in Gujarat as it forms the centerpiece of several winter celebrations, such as Makar Sankranti. Therefore, it is smart to have a basic idea of how to know the dish. As is evident in the video, the recipe is quite simple. The chef has used a variety of fresh root vegetables to create this diverse hot pot casserole-like dish. Try to give your unique twist to this classic dish and see if you can measure up to Sanjeev Kapoor’s standards!