Surati Undhiyu

The wet, masala-rich Surati version of undhiyu — unlike the drier Gujarati variations, Surati undhiyu is cooked with a generous coconut-coriander-sesame masala paste that becomes a thick, aromatic gravy coating the purple yam, raw banana, surti papdi beans, brinjal, potato, and muthia (fenugreek dumplings). Traditionally cooked anaathe (upside-down) in sealed earthen pots over open fires during the winter Uttarayan festival, the steam and fat from the different vegetables and the coconut masala amalgamate over hours into a dish that cannot be replicated at speed. The wet Surati preparation is specific to the city; outlying Gujarati regions make drier versions. Eaten with puri at the Uttarayan festival kite-flying celebrations.