Serving
(click to enlarge)

Potatoes & Peas
India
- North   -   Alu Matar
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
Do ahead:
2 main  
***
1 hr
Yes

Very popular in northern India, this dish goes well with hot chapatis or similar breads. Since I almost never have those on hand I serve it with basmati rice..






*
*
*
*
1
12
1-1/2
6
2
1/2
1/4
1/4
1/2
3
1
1/2
-----
#
oz
c
oz
cl
t
t
t
t
T
c
t
--
Potatoes (1)
Tomatoes, ripe
Green Peas (2)
Onion
Garlic
Coriander seeds
Turmeric
Garam Masala (3)
Salt
Oil or ghee
Water
Chili powder (4)
-- Garnish
Cilantro leaves

    PREP
  1. Peel POTATOES and cut into 3/4 inch cubes. Hold in water acidulated with a little citric acid or lemon juice until needed.
  2. Peel TOMATOES and chop very fine.
  3. Thaw PEAS if frozen, shell if fresh.
  4. Slice ONION thin and chop fine. Crush Garlic and chop fine. Mix.
  5. Grind CORIANDER and mix with Turmeric, Garam Masala and Salt.
  6. RUN
  7. Heat Oil in a coverable sauté pan and stir in Onion mix. Fry stirring over moderate heat until the onions are light golden.
  8. Stir in Spice mix until well incorporated, then Tomatoes. Fry stirring, reducing heat as required, until moisture is evaporated from the tomatoes and the oil starts to separate.
  9. Drain Potatoes and stir them in until well incorporated with the sauce. Add Water, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
  10. Give it a stir. If using Fresh Peas stir them in now. Continue to simmer covered for another 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
  11. If using Frozen Peas stir them in now and simmer another 2 minutes to heat through.
  12. Adjust liquid if needed, taste for Salt and stir in Chili Powder. Serve garnished with chopped Cilantro. Chapatis or similar breads are the traditional accompaniment.
NOTES:
  1. Potatoes:   Medium potatoes like White Rose produce good results in this dish while boilers might be too hard. Note the sharp edges on the potatoes. Acid in the tomatoes stiffens the outside of the potatoes. See my Potato Page for details.
  2. Peas:   In India these would be fresh peas but we presume frozen peas here on a cost/benefit basis. If you do use fresh peas they go in earlier.
  3. Garam Masala   This is the basic spice mix of northern India. Here's the recipe for the version I use: Garam Masala.
  4. Chili Powder:   Kashmir chili (fairly mild) is a good choice for this northern dish, or Korean (a little less) if you don't have Kashmir. See my Chili Page for details.
  5. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch
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