Sunday, February 18, 2001		What's Cooking

BESIDES being cheap and easy to cook, peas are rich in soluble fibre and also have iron, phosphorus, sulphur, chlorine and vitamin B. Be it. Russian salad or matar pulao these are part of almost all types of cuisine— Chinese, Continental or South Indian. Apart from adding colour to winter vegetables, they also rescue LDL cholesterol and blood sugar. This week we have brought some recipes for pea-lovers and for those who can’t have enough of this vegetable.

Tip:
To retain the taste and colour of boiled peas wrap these in aluminium foil and keep on a cooker plate. Put a little water in the cooker and boil.

200gm Green peas

2 potatoes medium size

1½tbsp butter

2 Green chillies

1" Ginger piece

1" Cinnamon piece

2tsp Oil

A bay leaf, a pinch of asafoetida, a sprig of curry leaves, coriander leaves (chopped)

Salt to taste.

Steam peas with grated ginger and a little bit of salt. Grind these to make a smooth paste. Mix 400 ml of water in the paste.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add crushed cloves and cinnamon, curry leaves and green chillies in oil. Cut potatoes into small pieces and add to the oil. Roast these for 2-3 minutes.

Pour peas curry in the cooker. Add salt to taste. Close the cooker and bring to pressure. Reduce the beat and cook for 4 minutes.

Season the Kadhi with cumin seeds, asafoetida and bay leaf. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

1 bread loaf (sliced)

5 tops peas sauce

2 boiled eggs

4 tbsp butter oil

1 tsp chilli sauce

1 tsp black pepper

½ cup milk

1 tsp cheese (grated)

Spring onions and tomato rings for decoration.

Shell about 1 kg peas, Steam peas with salt and 1 tsp of vinegar. Cool, grind with a little pepper and keep aside.

Soak each slice with milk slightly. Fill 1 tsp of peas sauce into it with ½ tsp tomato sauce and 1/8 tsp chilli sauce and little bit of grated cheese. Press between palms to shape it like a flower. Heat grill portion of the oven at moderate heat. Grease the hot plate with butter or oil and keep the puffs on it and grill at moderate heat. When brown, take these out. Decorate with spring onions and tomatoes before serving.

1 cup shelled peas

250 gm Yam (jimikand)

2 large onions

2 tomatoes

½tsp garlic paste

1tsp ginger paste

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

1 tps refined oil

2 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste.

Method

Peel and cut yam into small cubes. Boil till tender heat half the oil and fry yam pieces till light brown. Parboil the peas.

Grind onions and add to heated oil in a Karahi. Fry until light brown. Add the ginger garlic paste, chilli and coriander powders and the finely chopped tomatoes. Fry until oil separates. Add the yam and peas and stir for two minutes. Add 1½ cups of water and salt and cook over low heat. Keep stirring. Add garam masala power and remove from fire. Garnish with coriander leaves.

500 gm green peas

25 pistachios

50 gm ghee

100 gm khoya

250 sugar

silver foil

Soak the pistachios overnight Shell and parboil the peas. Grind to a paste along with the pistachios.

Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed pan. Add the pea paste and fry for five minutes, stirring continuously. Add grated khoya and sugar. Fry for some more time till the mixture leaves sides. Pour it on a greased try. Decorate with silver foil. Cut into desired shapes after it cools down.

1 kg.s peas

1 cup mustard oil

100 gm ginger

100 gm garlic

1 cup vinegar

250 gm jaggery

3 tsp garam masala

150 gm salt

1 tsp red chillies.

Heat oil and fry shelled peas lightly. Take these out. Add ginger, garlic paste and fry till it turns golden. Add peas to this and fry for some time. Add garam masala, salt and red chillies. Remove from fire. In another pan, dissolve jaggery in vinegar on low heat. Add this syrup to the pea masala. Fill in jar and keep in sun for three to four days.