Recipe: Darshana Muzumdar
Serves 4 to 6 as part of a traditional Indian meal
This traditional North Indian vegetable dish is popular during the cold winter months when both methi and peas are in season and cashews are used to counter the cold.
Ingredients
- 1 medium sized bunch of fresh fenugreek (methi) leaves (2 cups packed)
- 1½ cup fresh green peas
- ½ cup broken cashews
- 3 medium sized tomatoes
- 3-4 medium sized onions
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste or 10-12 garlic pods + ½ inch piece of ginger crushed together
- 1 -2 green chillies
- 1 tbsp Kasuri methi (optional)
- 1 inch piece of ginger for garnish
- A handful of fresh coriander for garnish
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp groundnut oil
- Salt to taste
Dry Whole Spices
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 1 bay leaf
- 2-3 green cardamoms
Powdered Spices
- ½ tsp asafoetida
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
Method
- Soak the cashews in warm water for a couple of hours.
- Clean, wash and drain the methi leaves.
- Slice or chop the onions and green chillies finely.
- Finely chop or puree the tomatoes.
- Heat oil in a thick bottomed steel pan and add the cumin, cinnamon, bay leaf, green cardamom and onions, stir & cook on medium high flame until the onions turn translucent and then golden brown.
- Add the ginger garlic paste & green chillies, stir & cook for a minute or two on medium heat.
- Add all the powdered spices except the garam masala, stir well and cook for around a minute on medium high heat. Keep adding a tablespoon of hot water at a time to prevent the spices from burning.
- Add the puréed tomatoes and add salt to taste. Stir & cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Cover the pot with a lid and cook on simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Keep stirring at regular intervals and add hot water if it necessary.
- Rinse and drain the cashews. Add them and the green peas to the mixture. Stir well and add hot water to adjust the consistency. Cover and cook on medium low heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the methi leaves and mix it all well. Cook for another 5 minutes on low heat.
- Add the kasuri methi, garam masala and check salt for taste.
- Transfer the cooked mixture into a dish and garnish with chopped ginger and coriander.
- Serve hot with freshly made rotis or bhakris.
For the Whole-Food Plant-Based (WFPB) version:
- Chop the onions, add salt, mix well and keep aside for at least 10 to 15 minutes till they release moisture and become soft.
- Add the chillies and sauté them for 10 minutes adding a little hot water if they start catching at the bottom till they are soft and translucent. Alternatively, cook them with very little water in a pressure cooker for one or two whistles.
- Dry roast the whole spices and add them to the onions.
- Add a drop of oil to an iron ladle and roast the ginger garlic paste till it releases its aroma. The oil is only to prevent it from catching at the bottom.
- Add the tomatoes and continue cooking the rest of the recipe as above.
