Peas Pulav | Green Peas Pulao | Matar Pulao Recipe | How to make Matar Pulav

I am not a great fan of green peas - the fresh and the frozen ones :) I can bear them in Biriyani or in dishes where it is not the main ingredient or when it's taste is masked by some other flavour ;) But this peas pulav, I love it. I make it more often with frozen ones and not the fresh ones coz that is what is preferred here..Many like it the best with fresh peas. This is a simple recipe that you can make in under 30 minutes and especially when you have guests you can make this by just spending an extra 5-10 minutes instead of your normal steamed rice. This will definitely take your menu a notch higher :) So let's see how to make this simple yet yummy and flavourful rice.. 

My other recipes with green peas are Peas Patties(Vadai), Aloo Matar Dry, Methi Matar Malai, Vegetable Pulao & Veg Biriyani. And the other similar rice varieties that you may like are Coconut Milk Rice, Jeera Rice, Ghee Rice, Capsicum Rice & Egg Rice.

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

 

Serves : 3 persons

I Used:

Oil/Butter/Ghee	-	2 tbsp
Cumin Seeds/Jeera	-	½ tsp
Cinnamon	-	A 2 inch piece
Cloves	-	2 nos
Cardamom	-	1 no
Bay Leaf	-	1 no
Onion	-	1 medium sized (chopped)
Green Peas (Fresh/Frozen)	-	¾ cup
Basmati Rice	-	1 cup
Water	-	2 cups
Coriander Leaves	-	To Garnish (3-4 stalks)
Salt	-	As Needed

The Way:

1. Rinse the basmati rice 2-3 times in water. Soak them in water for 20-30 minutes. If pressure cooking them then do not soak for more than 20 minutes

2. Keep the frozen peas immersed in water for 10 minutes. If using fresh peas, remove them from the pods and keep ready

3. In a pressure cook/cooking pot, heat oil/butter/ghee. Splutter cumin seeds. Reduce the flame

4. Then add the whole spices - cinnamon, cloves, cardamon and bay leaf. Give a stir

5. Add the chopped onions and some salt. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Do not make them too brown or saute for a long time. Just for 2-3 minutes is sufficient

6. Then add the green peas and give a stir. If using fresh peas, you can cook them separately till softened (around 5 mins in another pan) and then add to the pulav

7. Now add the soaked basmati rice and water (I use 2 cups for pan cooking and 1.5 cup for pressure cooker cooking) and give a gentle stir

8. Check for salt. Add more if needed. Then cover the pan/cooker and let it cook

9. If using pan it should be done in 10-12 minutes. All the water should evaporate and the rice should get cooked. If then switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves

10. If using pressure cooker, allow for 2 whistles and then switch off flame. Allow the pressure to release by itself. Open after 10 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve

Notes:

• I used BB Royal Premium Basmati rice for this pulav. Use any aged and good quality long grain basmati rice for making the pulav

• Rice : Water ratio is 1:1.5 for pressure cooking and 1:2 for cooking in pan

• Adding onions is purely optional. You can skip them too. Instead you can fry some onions and then garnish the pulav if you like

• For more flavor you can use thin coconut milk instead of water to cook the pulav

• You can also sprinkle in some garam masala for an enhanced flavor

Cheers,

Chitz

Aloo Matar Recipe | Aloo Matar Dry in Pressure Cooker

So hello folks, I'm back with a recipe post today. It is none other than the Punjabi Aloo Matar recipe :) Generally I am not a fan of green peas a.k.a the fresh or frozen ones. But dried ones I am good :) So usually I mix the peas with something else or use the frozen or fresh peas as a accompanying ingredient in some dish like the biriyani, Methi malai matar, peas pulav and likes :) And this is one such dish. Actually aloo makes everything else good right. Add it to a chicken gravy or fry it or boil it. Make cutlets or just make a simple sabzi.. Aloo makes everything taste good :) And I just can't believe when someone doesn't eat aloo or picks it and keeps it at the side of a plate for discarding :O

So coming back to this recipe, it is simple and takes no time as you use a cooker to make it :) Just chop some onions and tomatoes. Dice some potatoes, and go saute saute. And it's done :) If you do not want to use a cooker, then also fine. Potatoes do not take long to cook :) And this recipe is very much liked by my little one and so it's extra special to me :D Thanks to Hebbar's Kitchen on that :) So off to the recipe :) 

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Cooking Time : 10 minutes

Recipe source : Here

Serves : 4 persons 

I Used:

Aloo	-	2 medium sized - cubed
Peas (Matar)	-	½ cup
Oil	-	2 tbsp
Cinnamon	-	½ inch piece
Cumin seeds	-	½ tsp
Kasuri Methi	-	1 tsp
Red Chilly Powder	-	1 tsp
Coriander Powder	-	½ tsp
Turmeric Powder	-	¼ tsp
Ginger-Garlic paste	-	1 tsp
Onion	-	1 medium sized - finely chopped
Tomato	-	2 medium sized - finely chopped
Coriander leaves		4-5 sprigs - chopped

The Way:

1. In a pressure pan, heat oil. Add the cinnamon stick, cumin seeds and crushed kasuri methi

2. When the cumin starts to splutter, reduce the flame to low. Add red chilly powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder and give a quick saute. Take care not to burn the powders

3. Then add the chopped onions and saute till they become soft. Since we have already added the powders in the beginning, it will be difficult to know if they turn colour. So saute for 4-5 minutes till they turn soft

4. Next add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for another 2-3 minutes till the raw smell goes

5. Then add the chopped tomatoes. Saute them. They must turn mushy

6. Once mushy, add the green peas and diced potatoes and give a quick saute. I have used frozen peas here. I soak them in water for 10 minutes before adding to the gravy

7. Then add ½ cup water and give a quick stir. Then close the cooker and pressure cook for 2 whistles in high and 2 in simmer or till they are cooked, Take care not to turn the peas too mushy. If you do not want to pressure cook, go ahead and cook them normally. Add a little extra water around 1/4 cup more and cook covered till the potatoes are cooked. Check and stir in between to see that they do not get burnt or stuck in the bottom

8. Once done and the pressure is released, open the cooker. See if any water is left. if then switch on the flame and allow them to evaporate and the dish to become dry. Once done switch off the flame and add the chopped coriahnder leaves and give a quick stir

Serve wit warm phulkas!

Cheers,
Chitz

Pachai Pattani Vadai | Peas Vadai | Green Peas Fritters

Fritters made form ground green peas & onions mixed with Indian spices

This is yet another tasty simple recipe from the great cook I have ever met.. Hehe, ya my mom.. How intriguing is this fact rite!! Most of the people would give away the 'Best Cook ever known' award to their mom. Somehow, we are so used to their style & taste that we tend to compare any other food that we come across to theirs. And many a times we would also hear or make the comments 'Not as tasty as my mom's' or 'No one can beat my mom's chole poori' ;) 

Everyday the conversation with my mom would not be complete without asking each other what we cooked for the day.. Sometimes we won't have much to talk about. But still we would rattle about for long time about some new recipe or how something that we cooked turned out or what others commented about it. It was during one such conversation that she told me that she had prepared 'Peas Vadai' that day. I was amused. Had never heard of that vadai before. Immediately I asked her for the recipe and jotted it down. But still it took me a month to try it out.. Heights of laziness :D But I was really happy that I did. It was really good :) I enjoyed it with my evening cuppa hot coffee and the movie 'Eat, Pray & Love'

I Took:

Prepartion Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time : 20 minutes

Yield: 8 vadai

I Used:

Peas	-	½ cup
Onion	-	1 no - medium sized - chopped
Fennel seeds	-	A pinch
Garlic	-	2 cloves
Ginger	-	An inch piece
Red Chilly	-	3 no
Corn flour	-	3 tbsp
Garam Masala	-	1 tsp
Salt	-	As needed
Oil	-	As needed

The Way:

1. Grind together peas, fennel seeds, ginger, garlic and red chilly with a little water
2. Add onion, garam masala, salt and corn flour to the ground paste and mix well
3. Make into small patties/vadai shapes on the palm of your hand, from the mix
4. Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry/deep fry and serve with hot kaapi/chai :)

Notes:

Can substitute maida for corn flour if required

Cheers,

Chitz