Matar ka Nimona
This is a perfect example of a winter delicacy made in most houses in the North, especially in Uttar Pradesh. I was quite intrigued by the name “nimona” and badly wanted to try it this winter, though we Chennaites don’t have the so called winter. But yes, Chennai weather is quite pleasant during November to February and is the time when we get good and fresh vegetables too. This dish do not contain
any onions and hence a perfect recipe given the cost of onion these days 🙂 You can as well omit the garlic cloves and ginger too. Cooking this dish in clarified butter or ghee enhances the taste and takes it to an another level. However, you can very well use regular oil to make this dish.
From the wiki: Green peas are a great addition to your menu because in addition to being a rich source of vitamins and minerals, they provide carotenoid phyto nutrients, lutein and zeaxanthin, which are known to promote vision and eye health. A Mexico City-based study has shown that daily consumption of green peas along with other legumes lowers risk of stomach cancer (gastric cancer). Moreover, green peas stand out as an environmentally friendly food too. Agricultural research has shown that pea crops can provide the soil with important benefits. Even though green peas are an extremely low-fat food (with approximately one-third gram of total fat per cup) the type of fat and fat-soluble nutrients they contain is impressive.
The dish tastes much better than the way it looks 🙂 I find it very difficult and slightly embarassing to click pictures of my dishes when there are many people at home. So, these pictures were clicked in my kitchen without adequate lighting. Moreover, my family was waiting for lunch and I was in a hurry to serve them. But trust me, people loved the dish and felt it to be unique and different than the regular green peas curry.
Ingredients:
- Green peas 1 – 1 1/2 cups
- Potato 1
- Green chilies 2-3
- Ginger 1 inch piece
- Garlic 2-3 cloves
- Dried red chilies 1-2
- Tomatoes 2
- Salt to taste
- Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
- Coriander powder 2 tsp
- Aamchur 1 tsp
- Asafoetida 1/4 tsp
- Refined oil 2-3 tbsp
- Coriander leaves a small bunch
- Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Method:
- Blanch the green peas in boiling water for 4-5 minutes.
- Pulse half of them in a mixer and crush them. Do not make a paste.
- Peel and chop the potatoes into small cubes and parboil them.
- Fry them in a kadhai till they turn golden in colour. Drain and keep aside.
- Add little more oil to the kadhai and roast the crushed green peas for 4-5 minutes.
- Coarsely grind the green chilies, garlic, ginger and coriander leaves along with the stem.
- Heat the remaining oil in a kadhai and add the cumin seeds and dried red chilies.
- When they splutter, add the asafoetida, the ground green masala and cook till the raw smell goes off.
- Now add turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt. Cook for two more minutes.
- Add finely chopped tomatoes into this mixture and cook till the tomatoes are soft.
- Furthermore, add the fried potatoes and crushed peas to this mixture and mix well.
- Add around a cup of water and add salt to taste.
- Now, add the remaining blanched green peas and simmer for 7-8 minutes.
- Finally, garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve it hot with rice or rotis 🙂
