Aloo Matar

Aloo matar (potato and peas) is one of the simplest vegetarian dishes one can easily make at home. You can turn up the heat by adding more spices in it or make it slightly tangy if your taste buds wish so to have it that way. Some people make it into a curry while others prefer a bhaaji style. You can have aloo matar with parathas, roti or rice and you have one filling and delicious meal.

Health benefits

Each serving of aloo matar contains 300 calories.

You can make it even healthier by boiling the potatoes first. Potatoes and peas are loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, just make sure to eat in moderation if you are on a diet.  The spices used in the dish boost your metabolism.

Ingredients

medium sized potatoes (cubed and boiled): 3

cups peas (preferably frozen): 2

large onion (diced): 1

medium green chilies: 3

cups tomato puree: 2

cup olive oil: 1/4

tsp ginger paste: 2

tsp garlic paste: 2

tsp cumin seeds: 2

tsp turmeric: 1

tsp paprika: 1

tbsp coriander powder: 1

tsp garam masala: 1/2

bay leaves: 2

How To Make Aloo Matar

1. In a medium-sized sauced pan, heat the oil for a minute over medium flame.
2. Add the bay leaves and cumin seeds,
3. When the leaves and seeds start to crackle, add chopped onion and ginger-garlic paste.
4. Sauté
5. Add the seasonings (garam masala, turmeric, coriander powder and paprika) along with half of the tomato puree.
6. Keep stirring for another 3 minutes and you see the oil separating.
7. Add potatoes, peas, green chilies and the rest of the tomato puree. Stir to combine, and cook for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the curry is reduced. Remove bay leaves.
8. If you want to make the curry creamier, add 2-3 tablespoons of plain yogurt.
9. Serve with boiled rice or flatbreads (roti, naan or parathas) and enjoy! 

Trivia

1. Peas are often used in genetic research.
2. Pea eating etiquette includes mashing them from the back of the fork.
3. Peas when mashed, sprinkled with some salt and pepper can become an excellent dip for chips and crackers.
4. There were over 30 different types of peas grown by the ancient Greeks and Romans
5. There are thousands of different potatoes that are cultivated but only a few are commercially available.