Udhinyu and Ubadiyu? What’s this? Winters are a time when our taste buds crave something yummy, and in fact, we tend to eat foods and meals that are winter-friendly. While some cuisines across our country, including veggies, fruits and certain special spices, are available just during the winter season. A lot of people are dam crazy about food and can go bonkers just to plan a trip to another city or state to just try that winter meal. Cold weather, a steamy hot meal, or soup is all that we want.
Authentic flavours, spices, and organic fresh winter veggies are cooked with their traditional special recipes. This makes it all the more delicious for the palate. India is diverse in its food landscape. It’s quite interesting to see how different states and communities make the same vegetables in different forms and tastes. India’s geographical, cultural and profound regions and religious beliefs and practices have created a wide variety of cuisines to try and relish.
Food in every state also depends on its weather and the style of blending flavours. Be it North, Central, West, or the upper colder zones, choose any destination, and you will be at the right place. Winter meals are nutritious and have Ayurvedic and health benefits.
Whether you know or don’t know, let us tell you: people go on road trips to the NH48 highway every year, and that, too, in the thousands, just to try this one underground meal. That’s the Gujarat region, specifically Valsad, Surat, Dungri, and Umargam. Well, you can go till Ahmedabad too, and if you aren’t able to reach here any other part of gujrat you might just come across this cuisine.
One is cooked under the ground, and one is cooked above. Veggies for this particular dish are only available in winter. Ubadiyu is a rustic cuisine and is quite smoky in flavour. It’s made with pit-roasting spices and ingredients. It’s usually made in an earthen pot, but that too upside-down, now that’s the crux. The earthen pot, when heated and steamed, gives it the right flavours. On the highway, you will see street-side stalls. Trending on social media, you will find the right place for sure if you’ve already researched it.
Green garlic paste is the main ingredient in it. Local beans and purple yams are the main veggies added. The real taste is of the smoke and steam. Smoky veggies with a tint of Gujarati flavours. Baked in a pot sealed with leaves. Cow dung and hay fire definitely creates the smoke and gives a unique taste.
Some veggies you might have heard of, and someyou may not, but surati beans, purple yams, sweet potatoes and brinjals. Well, these are well marinated with the paste and kept aside for some time before it goes into the pot.
Wild beans are specially available. The Best time to visit this route is from the months October to March. Along with Ubadiyu, you can try Gujarati special snacks like locha, dhokla, kichu, paatra, khaata dhokla, and definitely not to miss Chaas. Also, you will find some nice Gujrati and Kathiyawadi thalis.
Drop by Noble Ubadiyu and Khushbhu Ubadiyu at Dungri, Valsad, NH48. The outer ring road in Surat has Dungari GJ15 Ubadiyu near Sardar Chowk, which is affordable and traditional in taste. Some spots in Ahmedabad, again on the highway, you will find Hotel Joshi Nimantran. Not to worry if you arrive quickly on the highway; you will see boards flaunting “Ubadiyu available here.”
What's different from Ubadiyu is Undiyu.
Authentically known as “ Surti Undiyu.” It has special stuffed root vegetables. Potatoes, yam and raw bananas are stuffed and marinated well. Especially coriander, chillies, ginger, garlic, coconut and peanuts are used as special ingredients. It’s called the green spicy masala. It’s layered along with other veggies like beans and peas, in the pot with spices and cooked until it gets tender. The spices are cooked well to flavour it. It is usually made in a pressure cooker and traditionally also cooked in an earthen pot over fire.
You can miss looking for the yummy fried methi muthiyas in the dish. A tadka is a necessity, and so it can’t go anywhere but in the end with ghee, sesame seeds and spices. It’s garnished with fresh coriander and served with hot puris or roti. To add on to this meal, you can go for some Gujrati khichdi in a pool of ghee with meetha kadhi.
You can find famous places in Ahmedabad and Vadodara. Urban Khichdi, Gaurang’s kitchen and a few places like Reetu & Roshni Resort for Matla Undiyu. Spice Nation Varodara and Shree Kjodiyar Kathiyawadi Dhaba in Bharuch. You can eat it with puri, jalebi and sev. Undhiyu is made from some coastal vegetables like tuver & papdi, cooked traditionally. You can also miss Pok Vada, a special green vegetable that’s again seasonal. Peak times to visit are December and January for a fresh, authentic taste. Mind it, these veggies are very nutritious and healthy during the winters and are rarely in availability. Hence, the cuisine, be it Udhinyu or Ubadiyu are expensive and a lavish meal.
Udhinyu Ubadiyu Just a drive away !
So get into your cars, drive up and enjoy the winters with some smoky Ubadiyu, Undhiyu and Masala Chass. Trust me its an experience for your taste buds that you just cannot miss.
