Aloo mutter - Potatoes and peas. The only thing we make when we don't know what to make. This dish is not going to win me any awards, and the way I make it, let's admit, is not pretty to look at. It is too homely but at the risk of sounding pompous, I do make a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth version of this very ordinary dish; hence it appears on my feed so often.
Let me tell you; there are a lot of bad versions of the humble Aloo mutter that will never make it to any hall of fame. If you add too much water, you suddenly have a few pieces of potatoes and peas clinging to dear life in a watery pool of something that should have been a delectable gravy.
Add less water, and you have a thick slush, especially if the potatoes give up and just disintegrate. Add fewer potatoes - why would you add fewer potatoes? I mean, just why? Add fewer Peas - ah well then, in that case, you must ensure that there are enough potatoes to make up for the shortcoming. Add too many Peas, no one likes too many Peas.
Ingredients :
1 1/2 cups Green Peas
3 large potatoes cubed
2 Onions finely sliced
3 Tomatoes roughly chopped
1 tsp Ginger & Garlic paste
2 green chillies finely chopped
2 Bay leaves
Salt to taste
1 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
2 tsp Cumin powder
1 1/2 tbsp Vegetable oil
1 tsp Cumin seeds
Garnish:
Freshly chopped coriander
1 tbsp Fenugreek leaves
1 tsp Garam masala powder
Method:
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan or a pressure cooker, add the ginger garlic paste and add the onions and cook till they are translucent. Add the tomatoes and cook till mushy. Cool and puree.
In the same pan/cooker, heat less than 1 tbsp oil and add the cumin seeds and bay leaves.
Add the Onion & Tomato paste and cook on a medium flame for 5 - 7 minutes till the oil starts to separate.
Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin, powder and salt and add the potatoes. Let the potatoes coat in the masala for a few minutes. Then add enough water and cook till the potatoes are cooked.
Add the green peas and bring to a boil and let the peas cook till almost done and not too mushy.
Sprinkle all the garnish and serve hot.