Gujarati’s are from India, they are very enterprising, and because of this they live in almost every part of the world, and so is their food. I heard 2 stories this week, from 2 different people, but about the same people, the Gujarati’s, working their fields, and their food. Let me share them with you, they are so interesting and yummy!
The Undhiyu Story:
My friend’s mother told this story to me while I was having Undhiyu at her place, she is a Gujarati, and she was reminiscing about how her father used to make Undhiyu in the fields, when she was a child. I just loved it, having the yummy undhiyu, while listening to her undhiyu story.
‘Undhu’ means upside-down in Gujarati. Years back, during winters, as undhiyu is a winter dish, made with veges such as surti fali (broad beans), shakarkand (sweet potato), jowar (millet), kand (yam), etc. when farmers used to go to work their fields, their wives used to give them matku’s (clay pots) full of these veges. They used to seal the pot, and make a hole in the ground, and turn the pot upside-down and place it in the hole, and burn the leaves of the jowar/millet on top to cook the veges inside, just imagine the lovely smoked flavor the veges would have got in there! Then they would open the pot and add oil and spices/masala’s. Now days this popular dish is still made, but on gas stoves on up-facing vessels. Sigh!
Farmers Food by the Gujarati People
The Bunny Chow trail:
My uncle told me this story at dinner. Firstly, I love the name ‘Bunny’ chow, and no it is not because it is made with bunny-rabbits. It is made with bun, therefore ‘bun’ny.
In the 17th century, the British took a lot of Gujarati people to Durban, to work on the sugarcane fields. So years back one of the farmers who worked in the sugarcane field, took up a challenge that he would get his lunch that would include curry with him to work, without getting it in a container. Once home, he was in a fix, but his clever wife, solved the dilemma for him. She made a cut into a bun, and kept the cut piece to later use as a lid, and then she scooped out the inside of that bun, and filled it with curry, and closed it with the lid. How smart! It used to be a vegetarian curry, meat based fillings came much later, when it was adapted by other meat-eating people. I haven’t had this yet, but such an interesting trail all the way from India to South Africa!
Just another fact, Mahatma Gandhi, who was also a Gujarati by birth, arrived first in Durban, in 1893 as a young lawyer, and spent 20 years in South Africa, thereafter.
Have you tried either or both of these dishes? Do you have your own or another version of stories for these dishes, please share!
