Masala Matar | Green Peas Masala

Regardless of season I always keep green peas in my refrigerator or freezer. They are perfect for adding to pretty much any curry or dal and also make great stuffing for parathas, pooris, and kachoris!! Fresh peas tend to be so sweet and delicious that I generally make very simple recipes with peas. They taste best when they are just a little undercooked and not over seasoned. But once in a while I like to indulge and make curry rich dishes that include peas. My brothers visit last weekend was one such occasion and I wanted to make loads of special food to spoil him.

Chocolate Doodh Burfi | Chocolate Milk Fudge: Indian Festival Sweets

Chocolate Doodh Burfi is one of the most popular burfi items around festival times in Delhi. When I came across this confection the first time I was quite frankly horrified by the idea. The very thought of combining creamy milk burfi with cocoa seemed strange!! But one bite and I was hooked. This delicious sweet is seldom found in the Mithai Shops we have around here. This year I was simply craving this burfi and so I decided to just go ahead and make it. All I can say is that there were no regrets and the family just loved it!!

Gajar, Matar, Bhutte ki Bhaji | Mixed Vegetables Sabzi

I love the taste of peas and carrots together, or beans and corn together in a sabzi. In a Delhi winter, it is quite common to combine sweet green peas, beautiful red carrots, with tender beans to make a flavourful sabzi. We don't get the lovely red carrots in this part of the world, but to the remaining vegetables I add a handful of corn. A mixed vegetable sabzi can be made pretty much with any masala, but my favourite is with Goda Masala!!

Indian Street Food: Rice Plate Chole | Chickpeas with RIce

Now that's an unusual name for a recipe isn't it? Not if you've been to University in Delhi, Bombay, or many of the other metros in India. When I was completing my Masters in Delhi, I spent long long hours soaking up books in the library. Reading often gave way to a ravenous appetites and late after the local cafes and canteens closed doors, it was the corner shops and street stores that catered to the hunger of budding professionals. I remember stepping out of the library with some buddies, turning a quick corner, and ordering a steaming hot Rice Plate. Quite simply this comprised a plate heaped with rich and served with a deliciously simple curry, usually either chole (chickpeas) or rajma (red kidney beans). At what can only described as a nominal price, each plate served was always enough food for two!! Filling, satisfying, and nutritious, it was an excellent motivation to go back and hit the books.


This is my version of the very same chole made to go with rice. I add cinnamon, star anise, and nutmeg as they impart a delicately sweet flavour to this otherwise spicy curry. Here's to some great memories of Delhi, University, and the ubiquitous corner shop with a Rice Plate menu!!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups chickpeas, soaked overnight
2 onions, chopped fine
3 tomatoes, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
1" piece ginger, minced
6-8 curry leaves
1" piece ginger, minced
1 black cardamom
2 points star anise (from 1 flower)
1/2 tsp cumin
6 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
A few shavings nutmeg
Small stick cinnamon
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Salt, to taste
2 tbsp oil

Method:

1. Drain the chickpeas, and pressure cook with with some fresh water, the cinnamon stick, black cardamom, star anise, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, peppercorns, bay leaves, a few shavings nutmeg, a pinch of salt, and ginger.
2. In a deep frying pan, add the oil. Once it is heated, add the cumin, the curry leaves, garlic, ginger and onions. Fry until the onions are golden brown, then add the tomatoes, salt to taste, turmeric, chilli powder, and 1/4 cup water. Cook until the tomatoes are soft and you have a semi liquid curry.
3. Pour the chickpeas with the liquid they were cooked in into the tomato-onion paste. Stir, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Check for seasonings and adjust according to taste.
4. Serve hot with plain rice, or for a treat enjoy with Zeera Chawal (Cumin Rice). Enjoy!!

I am sending this recipe out to Sri of Cooking for All Seasons for Curry Mela. This will be my very first entry to her Mela series :)

I am also sending this out to Aparna My Diverse Kitchen who is hosting this month's Think Spice, Think Nutmeg.

All text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007-2013. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.