2potatoesapprox 100 grams, chopped into bite-sized pieces
½tspcumin seeds
⅛tspasafoetida
1.25tspsaltor to taste
1.5cupswater
1tsp jaggeryoptional, refer notes
1tbspcilantrofinely chopped to garnish
Instructions
Grind the green peas
Take one cup of green peas in a mixer jar.
Pulse it coarsely without adding any water and set it aside in a bowl along with the remaining ¼ cup of peas.
Prepare the spices and tomato paste.
Grind all the ingredients given under "To Grind" - tomatoes, green chilies, garlic, ginger, cilantro, coriander powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, and red chili powder (if using) by adding ½ cup of water and set it aside. Rinse the mixer jar with 1 cup of water and set it aside.
Fry the potatoes.
In a pan, add the 2 tbsp of mustard oil and heat the oil over medium-hear till it reaches its smoking point.
Add the chopped potato and fry them until they turn light golden brown. Keep rotating and flipping the potatoes for even cooking.
After frying, remove them from the oil and drain them on the kitchen towel.
Prepare the nimona
In the same pan in which you fried the potatoes, add the cumin seeds and the asafoetida and let the cumin seeds sizzle.
Now add the ground peas along with the whole ones. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Mix well, and the peas will absorb all the oil. And that's fine—cover and cook for 3 minutes. Then remove the lid and cook the peas for 3 to 4 more minutes until the raw smell of the peas goes and off. Make sure to mix the peas in between so that it doesn't stick to the pan.
Now add the ground tomato paste and salt.
Mix well and cook the masala for about 5 to 7 minutes until the raw smell goes off.
Add the reserved one cup of water and the fried potatoes now.
Let this gravy simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes over low heat. By now, the peas should be soft and mushy. If your peas are hard, cook for a few more minutes. Taste the nimona and adjust the salt and spices. If your peas are not sweet, add the jaggery at this stage.
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with rice or roti.
Notes
As always, adjust the green chilies and salt to your taste.
Red chili powder and jaggery are optional.
I used two tomatoes, approx 200 grams. 150 to 200 grams of tomatoes should be sufficient for this recipe.
If using mustard oil, make sure to heat the oil over medium heat till it reaches its smoking point.
Cook the curry in medium-low heat and make sure the masala and peas' raw smell goes off.