Photograph: Mayur Sanap/Rediff.com
A lovely winter afternoon sets the mood for the warmth of a simple meal of seasonal veggies.
My spicy Green Peas Curry is about fresh, tender green peas that includes a potato for a soft yet 'biteful' experience :) Be sure to eat a few raw peas as you shell winter's most luscious produce for this dish.
Pair it with hot chapatis, tandoori rotis, or jeera rice/plain rice, along with a papad or two and a few spoonfuls of your favourite aachar. It is sure to hit all the right spots.
Green Peas Curry
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
- 1½ cups matar or fresh green peas, ground coarsely, not to a paste, curry must have some bite
- 1 medium-sized potato, peeled, cut into wedges
- 1 medium-sized onion, chopped fine
- 1 medium-sized tomato, chopped
- 2 tsp ginger-garlic-green chilly paste
- 1 tsp red chilly powder
- ½ tsp haldi or turmeric powder
- 1 tsp dhania or coriander powder
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp kasoori methi or dried fenugreek leaves, toasted and crushed
- 1 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
- ½ rai or mustard seeds
- 1 tejpatta or bay leaf
- ½-inch stick dalcheeni or cinnamon
- 1 badi elaichi or large, black cardamom
- 2 laung or cloves
- 1 tsp aamchur or dry mango powder
- Pinch hing or asafoetida
- 2 tbsp oil
- Salt to taste, about 1 tsp
- 1 tsp ghee, optional
- 3 cups hot water
Method
- Heat oil in a kadhai or saucepan and fry potatoes till they turn golden.
Keep aside. - In the same oil, add the jeera, rai and the whole spices.
Sauté for a few seconds and add the onion.
Fry till golden brown.
Then add ginger-garlic-chilly paste and the hing.
Stir and fry on low heat for a minute.
Now add the tomato and give it a stir.
Cook till tomato turns mushy.
Now add the haldi, red chilly and the dhania powders and sauté for a minute.
Then add coarsely ground green peas.
Fry for 5 minutes more.
Add the hot water and the fried potato.
Season with the salt.
Bring the curry to a simmer on a low to medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes.
Now add crushed kasuri methi, aamchur and garam masala powder.
Add a dollop of ghee.
Simmer for 2 minutes more over low heat.
Serve hot.
