Two of the most versatile and easy to make ingredients are green peas and potatoes. They can be added to pretty much anything to give a different texture, color, flavor or just to thicken the sauce and still blend in very well with a unique taste of its own without overpowering the main ingredients. So, what if you skip the rest of the ingredients and it is just potatoes and peas? That is how you get Aloo Matar. I almost always have frozen green peas and some kind of potatoes in the pantry, so it is also a super easy go-to recipe when I run out of other things in the refrigerator and the pantry. That is not what happened this time. I just was in the mood for spicy tangy Aloo Matar.
To the same base of this curry, feel free to add any other vegetables or paneer along with the potatoes and peas. Also, if you can, use fresh peas instead of frozen ones as they will absorb the flavor so much better.
Aloo Matar – The Recipe
- Potatoes, cleaned and quartered (or cut into small pieces, if you are using a large potato) – 4-5
- Oil – 1 tsp
- Red Onion, sliced – 1
- Crushed garlic- 1 tbsp
- Grated ginger – 1 tsp
- Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
- Red Chilli Powder / Cayenne – 2 tsp
- Thai Green Chilli, slit into half lenghtwise – 2 or 3
- Coriander powder – 1 tsp
- Cumin powder – 1 tsp
- Tomatoes – 3 to 4
- Green Peas – 1 cup
- Salt, to taste
- Chopped cilantro, to garnish
- 1/2 tsp garam masala, to sprinkle on top, optional
Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions, ginger and garlic to it. Saute for a while till the onion becomes soft. Add te turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and the green chillies. Saute for a 2-3 mins more.
Now add the potatoes to it, add enough water to just about cover the potatoes and let it cook. Check for doneness by piercing the potatoes with a fork and if it falls down smoothly from the fork, it is done.
Gring the tomatoes, skin and seeds and all together in a food processor. Add the tomato sauce to the pan. Let is come to a boil. Add salt and the green peas to this. Let it cook for 2 mins or so.
Top off with some garam masala and the chopped cilantro leaves.
Serve hot with chapathis / naan and some pickle and yogurt on the side.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
looks sooo yummmmyyyy !!! awsm
Manju,
Super easy to-go recipe, this – you bet! Can’t hate Aloo matar right? that one’s sure a peple pleaser…
Manju picture looks beautiful..but on my browser the picture after loading gets cramped to the right side..
Thanks Valli. It was the tweet button that was causing that in Firefox. Fixed it now. Thanks again for letting me know!
Simple Indian food is the best part of Indian cuisine
I can take some of this right now
just saw your pics in foodgawker, wonderful photos and nice recipe
first time here and loved your space
see you soon again
First time to ur lovely space…
Aloo mutter looks great
http://www.panchamrutham.blogspot.com/
Hi Manju
I stumbled upon your blog from..umm I can’t remember which blog..but got stuck seeing your beautiful pictures at first and then the write ups. It was interesting to note that you are a vegetarian and your husband love to eat meat. I am just curious to know how that works out? You seem to cook every type of meat on the planet. How do you get the taste right without tasting it? Are you able to stand the smell and touch of meat while cooking since you were born and brought up a vegetarian ( I assumed so since the line on your banner says “confessions of a vegetarian married to a meat love”) ?
nice blog!
Manu