Matar Paneer

Homemade Paneer - made from 1/2 gallon milk, cut into cubes
Frozen Peas - 1 cup
Yukon Gold Potato - 1 big, diced
Oil - 2 tbsp
Sweet Onion - 1 big, chopped
Tomatoes - 4 big, grated
Bay Leaf - 1
Green cardamom - 1
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric
Red Chili Powder - a pinch
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1/4 tsp
Almond Flour - 3 heaped tbsp
Butter / Ghee - 1 tbsp

Heat a cast iron pan. Add 1 tbsp of oil, sprinkle some turmeric and salt on the cubes of paneer and fry lightly till light brown on the edges. Keep aside. Add the diced potatoes and fry till almost done.

Heat a pan. Add oil, cardamom, bay leaf and cumin seeds. Saute for a few seconds and add the chopped onion. Mix well and cover and cook for 10 minutes till the onion gets soft and begins to get slightly brown.

Add grated tomato, almond flour, turmeric, chili powder, coriander powder. Cook for a couple of minutes.

Now add a little water and cover and cook. In between remove the lid and mix well for a few times.

Once the tomatoes are cooked and oil floats on top, add the frozen peas and potato. Sprinkle salt and mix well.

Add a cup of water and bring it to boil Once the gravy reaches desired consistency, add fried paneer, garam masala and a tbsp of butter/ghee. Mix well and serve hot.

Fresh Green Peas & Potato Curry, Maharashtrian Style

Shelled fresh Green Peas - about a cup and half (from about one and a half lbs green peas with shells)
Yukon Gold Potato - 2 chopped into small pieces
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp.
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Hing / Asafoetida - a pinch
Green chili - 2 finely chopped
Fresh Cilantro leaves - about 3 tbsp. chopped for tempering + some more for garnishing
Yellow Onion - 1/2 chopped
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Coriander powder or Curry Powder - 2 tsp
Salt
Water - 2 to 3 cups


Heat a pan. Add olive oil, mustard seeds, hing, green chili and 3 tbsp. chopped cilantro (do not skip tempering with cilantro, this gives a unique taste to the curry). Add the chopped onion mix well, reduce the heat and cover the pan tightly. Cook for ten minutes, checking the onion a few times in between. Don't caramelise the onion, it should remain white but soft.


Once the onion is soft, increase heat and add the chopped potato, fresh green peas, dry spices salt and about 2 cups of water. Mix well, cover the pan, reduce the heat slightly and cook for about 20 minutes.


When the potato is done and the fresh peas are slightly soft and the gravy is thick, add some chopped cilantro. Serve hot with steamed brown rice.

Ghugra / Savory Green Peas Pie

Adapted from http://tongueticklers.com/2014/03/a-pinch-of-this-a-handful-of-that-ghugra-savoury-hand-pies-with-green-pea-filling-and-a-giveaway/

Flour - 2 cups
Oil - 1 tbsp.
Salt - 2 pinches
Water - 1 cup

Frozen Green Peas / Shelled Fresh Green Peas - 3 cups
Oil - 1 tbsp.
Cumin Seeds / Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Green Chili - 4, finely chopped
Asafoetida / Hing - 1/2 tsp
Ginger - 1 inch, grated
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Red chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Raw Sugar / Jaggery - 1/2 tsp
Raw mango Powder / Aamchur - 1 tsp
Grated fresh coconut - 2 tbsp. (only use fresh coconut)
Cilantro - a handful (optional)
Salt

Peanut Oil for deep frying

Makes around 25 small pies

Mix flour, salt and oil together well till the flour becomes crumbly. Add water little by little to make a stiff dough. Cover and keep aside.

Heat a large pan and add the oil. Add cumin seeds and once they begin to sizzle, add chopped green chilies, asafetida, ginger. Saute for a few seconds and then add the green peas.

Mix well and cook on medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add roasted cumin powder, red chili powder, salt, raw sugar, aamchur, coconut, cilantro. Mix well and cook till the mixture comes together. Remove from heat and using a fork, mash the green peas to crush them gently.

Heat oil in a wok / kadai for deep frying.

Take small walnut sized balls of the dough, roll into circle, stuff 1 tsp of green peas filling on one half of the ball, fold the other half and pinch the edges together to seal the pie.

Deep fry on low heat till they are light brown on both sides (if you want crispy pies, they have to be fried on low heat). Drain on kitchen towel and serve immediately with tamarind chutney.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matar Pulao / Green Peas Pulao

Brown Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Oil - 1 tbsp
Ghee / Clarified Butter - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
Cloves - 5
Whole Black Pepper - 10
Green Chili - 5, slit
Raw Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Red Onion - 1 medium size, finely sliced
Frozen Peas - 1 cup
Salt
Pulao Masala - 1/2 tsp
Raw Cashewnuts - a handful

Cook the rice till done and keep it aside to cool down.

Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, raw sugar.

Then add the sliced onion and slit green chilies and saute on low flame till the onion caramelises. Add the cashewnuts and saute for a minute more. Remove the caramelised onion and cashewnuts and keep aside.

In the same skillet, add the frozen peas and salt. Sprinkle the pulao masala. Cook for a few minutes till the peas get soft.

Now add the cooked rice and the caramelised onion and cashewnuts. Mix everything well. Adjust the salt. Cook for a few minutes more. Remove and serve.

Tangy Green Peas

Frozen Organic Green Peas - 2 cups
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Hing / Asafoetida - a pinch
Ginger - 1 inch, grated
Tomato - 1, grated
Turmeric - a pinch
Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Roasted Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Salt
Aamchur / Dried Mango Powder - 1/2 tsp

Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and hing. Once they start sizzling, add the grated ginger and tomato. Add the rest of the spices. Mix well.

Sprinkle water in between if required so that the spices do not stick to the bottom of the pan. Cook on low flame till oil leaves the spices.

Add the green peas and salt. Cook till the liquid almost evaporates and the peas are tender. Sprinkle aamchur powder. Mix well with the peas. Remove from heat and serve as a side with steamed brown rice.

Green Peas Rice

Brown Rice - 3/4 cup, cook in the cooker till done, fluff with a fork and keep aside
For more flavor, the rice can be cooked in the cooker along with all the whole spices. Remove the spices and cool.

Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Black Cardamom - 1
Cloves - 5
Cinnamon - 1
Black Peppercorns - 10
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Bayleaf - 1
Star Anise - 1

Ginger - 1 tsp, grated
Frozed Green Peas - 1 cup
Salt
Pepper
Heat oil in a pan. Add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, cumin seeds, bayleaf, star anise.

Saute for a few seconds and then add the ginger, frozen peas and salt and pepper. Cook on medium flame for a couple of minutes till the peas become tender.

Mix rice and the roasted cashewnuts, adjust salt and pepper and remove from heat.
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Peas & Cauliflower with Ginger

Cauliflower - 1/2, cut into small florets
Peas - 1/2 cup

Ginger - 2 tsp, grated
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Roasted Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Hing - a pinch
Green chillies - 2
Olive Oil

Aamchur (mango powder) - 1 tsp
Salt

Make a paste of ginger, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric, red chilli powder and quarter cup of water and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan and temper with cumin seeds, hing and green chillies. Add the spice paste and cook on low fire till the water evaporates and the paste becomes oily.

Add cauliflower florets, peas and salt and toss well with the spices. Cover and cook till the vegetables are tender. Sprinkle water in between if required. Once the vegetables are cooked, mix the aamchur powder and cook for a minute. Serve hot.

Mushroom with Peas

Sliced Button Mushroom - 2 cups
Frozen Peas - 1 cup
Tomato - 1, chopped
Ginger - 2 tsp. grated
Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Kastoori Methi) - 1 tbsp
Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Green Chillies - 4. finely chopped
Turmeric - a pinch
Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Salt
Lemon Juice - 1 tsp

Clean the sliced mushroom with a damp kitchen towel and keep aside.

Temper with cumin seeds and chopped green chillies.Add chopped tomato, ginger, coriander powder, turmeric. Cook till the tomatoes are soft.

Add mushroom and peas and cook till the mushrooms are half done. Add salt and the fenugreek leaves and cook till all the water is dried up and oil begins to appear on the sides of the pan.

Sqeeze lemon juice on top and serve hot.

Have tried the same recipe with Cremini Mushrooms and they have come out well.

Cauliflower & Peas with Roasted Cumin

Cauliflower - 1/2, cut into very small florets
Green Peas - 1/2 cup
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies - 4, chopped
Olive Oil
Turmeric - a pinch
Fresh Roasted and ground cumin powder - 2 tsp
Cilantro - handful, chopped

Heat oil in a skillet and temper with cumin seeds and green chillies. Add the cauliflower florets, salt and turmeric and cook stirring frequently. Sprinkle a little water if the florets stick to the pan.

When the cauliflowers are half done, add the peas. When the vegetables are almost cooked, add cilantro and cumin powder. Toss for a few minutes more on high heat and serve hot.