Aloo Matar / Potato Peas curry

Aloo matar - a yummy & simple dish that can be prepared in gravy form or as a dry dish and goes well with white rice, rotis and as a dry side dis.

I have given a mild masala flavour to the dish. So if you want to make it strong just increase the quantity of masala powders and ginger garlic as per your preference.

I normally first add a pinch of sugar to the oil for certain gravy dishes to get the nice caramalized flavour and a tinge of sweetness to the dish. It is optional.

Let us get into making of this yummy recipe.

Serves : 2

Ingredients :-

1. Potato (medium) - 2 nos
2. Green Peas -  2 tbsp
3. Tomato (small) - 1 No.
4. Onion (small) - 1 No. (not shallots but the normal onion smaller in size)
5. Garlic pods - 2 Nos.
6. Ginger - 1" piece
7. Ghee - 3 tbsp
8. Bay leaf - 1 No.   
9. Cumin seeds - a pinch
10. Turmeric powder - 2 Pinches
11. Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
12. Green chilli - 1 no.
13. Coriander powder - 1/4 tsp (lightly roasted and powdered)
14. Cumin powder (roasted) - less than 1/4 tsp (half the qty of coriander powder)
15. Salt to taste
16. Coriander leaves - finely chopped 3 tbsp (reserve 1 tbsp for garnishing)
17. Water - 3 to 4 cups

Procedure :-

• Grind onion, ginger, garlic coarsely using whipper mode (without adding water)

• Grate the tomato, chop the coriander leaves finely.

• If you use frozen peas, immerse them in water @ room temperature to make it tender.

• Dice the potato into cubes

• Heat a wok and oil / ghee, a pinch of sugar (optional) & let it stay till it caramalise (turns golden in colour) then add the bay leaf, cumin seeds.

• After the cumin seeds crackle, add the coarsely ground onion ginger garlic mixture, keep the flame in medium, fry till the mixture turns light golden in colour. 

• Add the grated tomato and fry till the raw smell goes.

• Lower the flame, add the masala powders viz., turmeric, red chilli, coriander, cumin powders, 2tbsp chopped coriander leaves and fry for a minute.

 

• Add required water, salt, potato cubes. Mix well. Cover and cook till the potoatoes are done 3/4th. Remove the lid, drain water from green peas, add it to the boiling gravy.  After adding green peas don't cover. Let it cook. Once the potatoes and green peas turn tender, turn off the flame.

• if you use oil, then for flavouring, add a tbsp of ghee at this stage.

 

• Finally sprinkle the reserved 1tbsp coriander leaves to garnish and serve it hot with soft chapathis / rotis / white rice.

 

 

• Sit, relax and enjoy! Happy eating!