A humble dish made by farm laborers of villages near South Gujarat, Umbadiyu is smokier & made with limited spices & masalas compared to Undhiyu. The vegetables used in Undhiyu & Umbadiyu may look same but the difference lies in the beans (papdi) used & manner of cooking. Wild beans are procured from villages as compared to Surati beans used in Undhiyu. Undhiyu is made on gas, sometimes in pressure cookers to save time or an earthen pot by a patient gastronome but Umbadiyu is always made in an Earthen pot, buried in ground.
How is it made?
An earthen pot is filled with seasonal vegetables- wild beans, brinjal, potatoes, sweet potatoes & purple yam marinated in a simple paste of green garlic & green chili. Some stall owners stuff the potatoes with the paste for added flavour. The vegetables are introduced to the pot in layers & sealed with leaves of an aromatic plant on top.
The pot is then buried in ground & covered with hay/sugarcane waste & cow dung cakes that are then set on fire. A small amount of vegetables are placed in a small earthen dish at the mouth of the earthen pot to indicate if the Umbadiyu is ready.
The hot earthen pot is then expertly turned & the Umbadiyu is emptied into a container insulated with foil to keep it hot.
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