Thursday, February 9, 2017

NEW POTATOES AND SPRING PEAS IN A TANGY TOMATO GRAVY

get ready to tingle your tastebuds with these new potatoes and spring peas in a tangy tomato gravy.

Get ready to tingle your tastebuds with these new potatoes and spring peas in a tangy tomato gravy

This winter, let's make these beautiful New Potatoes with Spring Peas in a tangy tomato gravy. This is a fantastically easy dish to make and it's pretty tasty too!! It's a classic Punjabi dish which is very popular in the northern part of India and goes well with Indian breads or rice. It is popularly known as Aloo-Matar in India.

It was a huge hit with everyone in my house. I love the combination of new potatoes and spring peas. It's different and very delicious. You can make this flavorful dish by combining these two veggies in a tangy tomato sauce.

You can add any type of potato in this dish and cut them in small or large chunks. Since, I'm adding the new potatoes in my dish. I don't feel the need to cut them as they are already very small in sizes.

Let's talk about these two veggies. Peas is considered as a 'starchy vegetables'. They are widely grown as a cool season vegetable. I like all kinds of peas, spring peas is one of them. Spring peas are very sweet and tender. They are a seasonal vegetable. They are grown and harvested in Spring when the weather is cool.

Potatoes are the most humble and versatile ingredient which is widely used in all types of cuisines. It is the fondest root vegetable which is loved by everyone. There are various types of potatoes but new potatoes are my favorites. New potatoes are the first potatoes that are dug in spring or early in summer. Since, new potatoes are harvested before reaching maturity, their skin is very thin and tender. They have a delicate sweet flavor and creamy texture. They can be stored in a paper bag but should be eaten within a week.

I usually don't boil new potatoes. I prefer to cook it with the traditional low and slow cooking method which gives it an intense flavor. I lower down the heat, loosely cover the pan and simmer the flame for about 18-20 minutes. Simmering cooks the food gently and slowly. It allows various tastes to mingle and layer one over the other. It helps to keep the flavor of ingredients separates and also helps to keep the crunchy texture.

This dish is cooked without onion and garlic. There are many people who think, if they don't use onions and garlic in their curry, the end result will be bland but let me tell you, it is just a myth. It is very much possible to make the gravy flavorful and richer without using onion and garlic. It's purely a tomato based curry. It's very easy to make and it's delicious too!! I do hope you try this recipe out. Serve this dish with Indian breads or rice and you'll love it.

NEW POTATOES AND SPRING PEAS IN A TANGY TOMATO GRAVY


Preparation time: 7-8 minutes
Cooking time: 30-35 minutes
Serves: 4 people
Author: The Food Root

INGREDIENTS
4 medium size tomatoes - puree
4-5 new potatoes
1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
2 cups of water
1/2 inch ginger - peeled, grated
2 tablespoon - ghee/clarified butter or oil
1 or 2 green chilli, chopped
pinch of asafoetida
1/4 teaspoon - red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon - coriander powder (sukha dhania)
1/4 teaspoon - turmeric powder
1/4 - garam masala
Salt to taste
coriander leaves (chopped)

METHOD
1. Prepare the tomato puree tempering: Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a pan, add a pinch of asafoetida powder followed by ginger. Fry them until they are golden brown. Now, add 1 cup of tomato puree and 2 chopped green chilli and sauté it for about 5-6 minutes on low flame. Next, add in the spices - 1/4 teaspoon of red chili powder, 1/2 tea teaspoon of coriander powder, 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder and stir it well. Let the mixture cook until the oil separates.

2. Add the raw new potatoes: Now add 4-5 raw new potatoes and cover the pan. Let them cook for around 6-7 minutes on low medium flame. When the potatoes are cooked, add salt and mix it well.

3. Add the peas: Next, add 1 cup of peas and cover the pan for next 4-5 minutes on a low flame.

4. Prepare the gravy: Add 2 cups of boiling water and cook it for about 7-8 minutes. Once boiling point is achieved boil it gentle over a low heat of 2 minutes.

5. Garnish and serve: Next, add 1/4 teaspoon of garam masala and chopped coriander leaves and stir it for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove it. Serve it with roti, naan or rice.

NOTES
1. You can save your time and add the cooked (boiled) potatoes in the dish if you wish. I like the crisp flavor of the new potatoes so I didn't boiled them.
2. You can add any type of potatoes in this dish and cut them in small or large chunks. Since, I'm adding the new potatoes in my dish. I don't feel the need to cut them as they are already very small in sizes.
3. You can also add the frozen peas, just allow it to warm for 5-7 minutes before adding them in the pan.
4. The peas will always remain bright green if the salt is added while preparing the tomato puree tempering. In this case, add salt, after cooking the potatoes.



7 comments:

  1. Every day I cook for my family and sometimes I have no idea what to prepare for the next day. This recipe sounds really delicious and easy to prepare, and I add it to my cookbook. I think that my folks will be delighted.

    Hugs and kisses from DD's blog

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  2. Oh yummy, this looks absolutely delicious! I can't wait to try this recipe.

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  3. I am not one who has tried curry before. However, reading this recipe makes me want to try it. Thank you for sharing!

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  4. This recipe is very different from what is my norm. It looks great and has inspired me to give it a try!

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  5. Potatoes with tomato sauce... it's so yummy. Gotta try it!

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  6. This looks so delicious! I need to try this!

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  7. I am DEFINITELY going to th this recipe at home. It looks so delicious and I know everyone in my house would love it!

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