Aloo matar dry

Ingredients:

Potato - 2, peeled and cubed
Fresh green peas - 1 cup
Oil - 2 tbsp
Jeera/cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Onion - 1 small, chopped
Garlic - 4 or 5 cloves, chopped
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilly powder - 3/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a non stick pan and add cumin seeds. Add onion and garlic and fry till they start turning brown.
3. Add potato cubes and stir well to coat with the oil. Add green peas, turmeric and chilly powder and salt. Combine well and cover and cook. Stir in between. No need to add water, you may use a little if required. When potatoes and green peas are cooked, add garam masala and coriander leaves and fry well. You may drizzle a little oil along the sides of the pan while roasting to get a nice brown colour.

Serve with roti or rice.

Events:

Let's cook: Greens by Radhika 
Gimme Green hosted by Rosh 
Serve it - Stir fried hosted by Krithi and Denny
EP Series - Cilantro and Cumin hosted by Julie

Green peas masala

Ingredients:

Dried green peas - 1 cup
Potato - 1, peeled and cubed (optional)
Oil - 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Onion - 1, chopped fine
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Tomato - 1 large, chopped
Garam masala - 1/2 to 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves chopped to garnish

Preparation:

1. Soak the dried green peas overnight or for 8 hrs. Cook it along with the cubed potatoes. The peas should be cooked well, but not mushy. A pressure cooker can be used, but make sure you dont overcook the peas.
2. In a pan, heat oil and add the cumin seeds. Add onions and fry till it starts turning brown. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add chilly and corainder powders. Now add the chopped tomatoes. Saute till tomatoes turn mushy.Add the cooked peas and potatoes along with the water used for cooking.Add enough salt and combine well and add garam masala. Simmer for a few minutes.
3. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with roti/parotta/appam etc.

Events:

Kerala Kitchen - Feb 2012 hosted by Roshan, a series of event started by Ria and Rose
Show me your HITS @ Spicy Treats

Idli Upma

Idli upma is a tasty dish that is made from left over idlis. You may add beans and carrot also to this upma. Here, I have added only green peas.

Ingredients:

Idlis - 4 to 6
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Onion - 1/2, finely chopped
Green chillies - 3, slit
Chopped garlic - 1/2 tsp
Chopped ginger - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Green peas - 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilly powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Salt

Preparation:

1. Cut the idlis into cubes and crumble them. Keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.Add onion, green chillies, ginger,garlic and salt and saute till onions become soft.
3. Add green peas, turmeric powder, chilly powder and a little water to cook the green peas.
4. When green peas is almost cooked, add the crumbled idli and mix well. Saute for a few minutes.

Serve hot.

Sending this to Healthy Snacks event hosted by Deepthi

Linking this to Kerala Kitchen July 2011 hosted by Magpie.

Linking to Anyone can cook-Series 26

Sending to Signature Recipes hosted by Saras

This also goes to the event Dish name starting with I hosted at Akila's kitchen

Gobi Matar Masala

This recipe combines the goodness of Cauliflower/Gobi and Green Peas/Matar. It can be served with roti or rice as a side dish. Cauliflower is high in dietary fiber, folate and vitamin C and Green Peas are high in fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 1, small
Fresh/frozen green peas - 1 cup
Onion - 1, finely chopped
Tomato - 1, finely chopped
Jeera/cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Chilly powder - 3/4 to 1 tsp
Turmeric  powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp (Check cooking tips for homemade garam masala recipe)
Kasoori methi - 1/2 to 1 tsp
Tomato puree - 1 tbsp (optional. It gives a light tangy flavour and red colour to this dish)
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt
Coriander leaves - to garnish


Preparation:

1. Cut the cauliflower into florets. Wash and clean in salted hot water. Drain and keep aside.
2. If you are using frozen green peas, soak in warm water till tender. Drain and keep aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add jeera. Add onion and saute till onion starts turning brown.
4. Add turmeric, chilly and coriander powders and saute for a minute.
5. Add tomatoes and saute till they become soft.
6. Add gobi florets and combine well with the masala. Add 1/2 cup water and salt and cover and cook till gobi is half done.
7. Add green peas, garam masala, kasoori methi and tomato puree and cover and cook till gobi and matar is cooked. I prepare this as a side dish without any gravy. Add more water if you want it as a curry.
8. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Linking this to Life is Green Event 

Mushroom Matar Masala

I love mushrooms and keep experimenting with them. Mushrooms and matar is a great combination and goes well with roti, naan, paratta etc.

Here is the recipe...

Ingredients:

Closed cup or button mushrooms - 250 gms, cleaned and cut into peices
Green peas - 1 cup
Onion - 2, finely chopped
Tomato -1, finely chopped
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2 to 1 tsp as you like (Check cooking tips for the recipe)
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Chopped coriander leaves - to garnish
Salt
Oil

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pan and splutter cumin seeds.
2. Add onion and saute till it becomes soft.
3. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.
4. Add Turmeric, chilly and coriander powder and combine well and saute for a few seconds.
5. Add tomatoes and salt and cook till they are soft and mushy.
6. Now add the mushroom pieces, combine well and cover and cook for 5 minutes. Note that there is no need to add water as mushroom has a lot of water content which gets released as it cooks. The secret of cooking mushroom well is not to add water at all.
7. After 5 mins, add the green peas, garam masala and pepper powder. You can see that there will be enough water in the pan to cook the green peas. If you want more gravy add 1/2 cup of water and cover and cook till peas is done.
8. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Linking this to Life is Green Event 

Matar Paneer

First of all, let me tell you that this is not an authentic matar paneer recipe, but it tastes good. I have been searching for an authentic recipe for a few months now. Tried many recipes from the net, but was not happy with any of them. Finally, I decided to create a new recipe taking the best out of all the recipes I had. If you have an authentic recipe, please do send it to me. Would like to experiment more with paneer. Nowadays my Nikki has also become very fond of Paneer, so I feel I should make it more often. Till now I've been using store bought paneer, which is quite expensive in UK. I am planning to make it at home soon..Will keep you posted on that.

Here goes the recipe...

Ingredients:

Green Peas/Matar - 1 cup
Paneer cubes - 200 gms
Onion - 2 chopped
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Cardamom - 1 or 2
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - a small piece
Black Pepper corns - 10
Ginger garlic paste - 1 to 2 tsp
Tomato - 1 large chopped
Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp or more
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala powder – 1 tsp or more (check cooking tips for recipe
Fresh cream - 1-2 tbsp
Coriander leaves chopped - to garnish
Oil
Salt


Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, cardamom,cloves,cinnamon and pepper corns. Saute for few seconds.
2. Add onions and saute till soft.
3. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.
4. Add tomatoes, salt, turmeric, chilly and garam masala powders and saute till tomatoes are soft and oil starts appearing.
5. Switch off the stove and let it cool. Grind to a smooth paste without adding water.
6. Heat a little oil in a pan and saute this masala paste for a few minutes.Add 3/4 cups of water and bring it to boil.
7. Add the green peas, cover and cook till green peas is almost done.
8. Now add the paneer cubes and combine well. Cook for a few more minutes.
9. Add fresh cream and combine well. Garnish with coriander leaves.

You may add a blob of butter on top, which makes it more delicious. Serve with roti/naan/paratha.

Linking this to Life is Green Event 

Green peas with scrambled egg

This is an easy and nutritious side dish. I made it especially for my daughter who loves greenpeas but not egg. But she loves this dish as egg comes with the peas :-)

You may also add diced carrots to this to make it more colorful and nutritious too.

This may also be used as a sandwich filling.

Easy recipe suitable for bachelor cooking too.

Ingredients:

Green peas / Matar (fresh or frozen) - 1 cup

Onion - 1 small finely chopped

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Chilly powder - 3/4 to 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Tomato - 1/2 finely chopped

Mustard and cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp each

Egg -2 beaten with a pinch of salt

Salt

Oil

Coriander leaves or curry leaves

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard and cumin seeds.

2. Add onions and saute well till the onions are soft.

3. Add all the spice powders and salt and mix well.

4. Add tomatoes and saute till oil appears.

5. Add the green peas and mix well. Cover and cook till they are half done. If you are using frozen peas, soak it in warm water till tender.

6. Add the beaten egg to this and stir well while adding so that the egg is scrambled properly.

7. Add coriander leaves or curry leaves and stir well.