ODE TO UNDHIYU.............. As winter spreads its blanket of chill across the western belt of our country, it brings with it different meaning to different cities.

Ahmedabad, 275 kms North of Surat is celebrating with cultural programmes in open air under starlit skies .Its people, are enriching themselves in the wealth of poetry, dance, drama and musical recitals.

Mumbai, 275 kms South of Surat is celebrating winter fashion in style, whilst by lanes within Bandra are warming up with pre Christmas marketing.

Surtis on the other hand, are celebrating winter with what they do the best-preparing Gujarati gourmet delights. Surtis are foodies and every season brings in with it a special menu for the trimester.
All roads leading in to Surat from Vapi onwards, see smoke billowing from roadside stalls .The farm labourers from the Tapi to Vapi belt prepare a little known dish called the ‘umbadiyu’ in winter. Even son of the soil Kailash Kher couldn’t resist it, on his recent visit to the town.

The umbadiyu is a darker, smoky cousin of undhiyu.Made with wild black papdi from village Bhata, along with yam, sweet potato, brinjal, it is marinated with ginger and chilli paste then baked in a clay pot which is sealed with aromatic leaves of Kaler and Camboi.
This pot is buried in a hole in the ground, covered with hay and cow dung cakes and burnt for about 40 minutes; a small portion of this delicacy is put in an earthen kullad at the mouth of the matka to check when it’s done. This sampler is fondly called a ‘daakan [witch]'Umbadiyu is served with green chutney and buttermilk.
The Parsis from Udavada add on eggs and pieces of chicken to the same and call it Adadiyu [not to be confused with ‘adadhiyu’ of Daman which would mean 375 mls of alcohol].
Special khadiya-mundi mutton is prepared in most Khatri homes their version of Undhiyu consists of ‘papdi ma mutton’. Sprigs of fresh garlic greens are chopped for' lasan nu kachu'; as an accompaniment.

But, over and above all these preparations, the meal that is considered as the ultimate meal in Surti communities is 'Malai, puri and undhiyu'.

Many homes in Surat traditionally invite family and friends in winter for the same; the preparation is often marinated overnight for all the flavours to sink in.
Here is a salute to the unbeatable, irresistible, exclusive Surti preparation that does not taste as good anywhere else, the world over
–Ode to Undhiyu –
'O sweet creatures of Katargaam's creeper vine. You, the green papdi, tender as one would ever find,
With fragrance that lingers on the fingers that string you,Surrounded in the richness of yam ,plantains ,potatoes,sakariyas,stuffed wild brinjals and what have you .
Enriched in flavour by sesame oil and green garlic, prepared on the sim, marinated in chilli ginger paste; with supple fenugreek dumplings that enhance your taste.
While asafetida and ajwain are tempered to tease, as taste buds tuck in desiccated coconut and corriander, thoughroughly pleased.The epitome of Tapti cooking, a gourmet's delight, an art to achieve, an exotic treat.
A taste impossible to beat..............here is to you,'O Surti Undhiyu!'

MAD MAN’S TRIANGLES-SURTI STUFFINGS.............
Lest the title scares you, bringing to mind some eerie place like the Bermuda triangle, let me assure you, in Surat, weird names mostly stand for its people or food.
Little did Akshay Kumar know, when he gallantly sang out ‘Jab tak rahega samose mein aalu, tera rahunga o meri Shalu’, that Surti samosas have anything but potatoes in them.
Dough wrapped fried dumplings are very popular in Tapi town. Our Ghanchi and Khatri brothers and sisters excel in conjuring up innovative delights to make the same a pleasure on the palate.
Discover tastes that will tickle your taste buds..........
‘Fataka’ is what gram dal samosas are better known as in Surat. Sautéed with mint, ginger-chilli paste and onions this Surti speciality is available in three different degrees of spice levels.One is a mild, sober taste, the other with a sweet base of raisins while the third is all out on slurplicous spice . Chana dal samosas are sell outs at Nanavat-Gandabhai’s samosas who is the ace of the base in this field since ages; Jain samosas are also a variety popularly sold here.A smaller, milder version of the same are available outside the Syndicate bank, Salabatpura. On Kotsafil Road, above Jyoti plywood, a home run business caters to regulars who buy raw or semi fried versions of these triangular treats.

Bhamardiwala at Khangar Sheri, Salabatpura has the ‘Mastery’, as Surtis put it, in preparing succelent Suran [yam] samosas. Amongst the few who do so in town, it’s a task rarely practised. Yam is first grated, washed and then dried, later sautéed with dry, hot spices and green chilli to make a filling that resembles and tastes like mutton kheema. By the way, mutton samosas are also a speciality prepared to order and unlike the heavy, fried variety available at Chowk, in the by lane that leads to Sonifalia and Sardar museum,Bhamardiwala’s sell a ready to fry version that can be relished hot at home.

At Bibiniwadi, Syedpura, green pea samosas -tempered with curry leaves, cashews, cottage cheese and desiccated coconut are an exotic tropical flavoured filling. Made exclusively by the oil pressers, the Ghanchi community, it is a spicy -sweet delight amidst flaky plain flour pastry.

Innovative stuffings like soybean, sautéed Chinese vegetables and cottage cheese chewies have enthusiastic takers at Anand Mahal Road, near Prime Arcade. The samosa Pattis for these are made from whole-wheat flour.

Suburban Surtis meanwhile, relish the scrumptious taste of Rachna‘s tasty treats at Ghoddod road. The most expensive in their league , the cheese samosas are an exclusive variety from a secret recipe that was handed down from a home in Singapore, by a Surti N.R.I. Also available here are Mexican samosas packed with bean, corn and spring onions.
Surti samosas vary in crispiness according to their shells- from chewy, crispy to gritty.
Pyramid like savouries that now have a commercial existence, originally prepared by experts, within kitchens of Surti homes.

Tapi town tattle-Swine Flu-Kamina fever.

SURAT NU GRAHAN KASHI MA PRASANN...............
For the first time in the history of mankind, the eyes of the entire world were set on Surat. Declared as the first place in the Universe that would experience the century’s total solar eclipse, the city was all set to shine when the Sun would hide.
The respected chief minister was calling out from hoardings around town; beckoning one and all to celebrate the celestial sighting. Dressed in the colour theme of the Sun and Moon [maybe he was hopeful of a Junagadh victory that would have called for a double celebration.]
Following instructions the SMC conjured up a magical, musical evening on the eve of the event at the indoor stadium which was open to all who cared to come visit, the Chamber of commerce networked to spread the good word and school children and teachers were informed to take time out from their tiresome schedule and report attendance at the airport instead.
The honourable CM, who hoped to be the star of the show, was to drop in for an hour at the newly equipped airport that now boasts of ILS-Instrumentation landing system. An LCD, airshow, flower shower, live commentary from scientists, you name it, the state had arranged for it all. Precious Solar viewer goggles that all Surtis seemed to seek in the past few days had been arranged as party favours for all guests.
But unfortunately, what was to be a hot and happening party, turned out to be a damp squib instead. The clouds played party poopers and it was a dark dawn with a no show. The disheartened CM decided at 5 a.m, that since the Sun was not willing to turn up, nor would he. Surtis were left in the lurch.
All the hustle bustle in town along with the chirping of the birds went into an eerie silence as dawn turned to twilight zone. Even as the world observed Surat plunge into darkness on international television, Surtis had no vision to boast about.
Although NASA had forewarned against the same and declared Teragana as the perfect place for eclipse sighting, it seemed that the ‘made in China’ pictures would, as usual outsell the Indian ones.
But voila! That was not to be and Surat’s mythical partner in piety-‘Surat nu jaman aney Kashi nu maran ‘, Varanasi, came to the rescue. Well, the rest is history, what more can be said other than, ’Surat nu grahan, Kashi ma prasann.’