May 16, 2011

All for World Peas!


















Let me tell you all a little story. Once upon a time, there was a pretty little girl absolutely loved peas. She loved them so much that she would even unquestioningly eat steamed broccoli if it were served with a side of peas. Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration. Nothing, not even serving them with deliciously sweet peas would make her eat broccoli, least of all if it was steamed! She would simply devour all the luscious peas and probably slip the broccoli chunks under her seat when no one was watching. Yes, that’s undoubtedly what she would do. Nonetheless, let’s get back to the story shall we?

So yes, this girl loved her peas. She begged her Mom to add them into anything and everything they could possibly be added to. And if it weren’t for her two evil green pea loathing siblings, her Mom might have even given in to some of her hideously bizzare ideas. But then, like every fairy tale, good things started to happen to her. She grew up, moved out of home away from the evil siblings (okay, they’re not all that evil, but they do bug her some all of the time!), and began to cook for herself. Like the ugly frog who turned into a handsome prince on the very first kiss, her peas lusciously flavoured her food. They graced every dish they were added into and touched it with their sweetness.

On days like today, when the clouds darken the sky, and drops of rain fall helplessly on the ground, all she can think of cooking for dinner is a one pot comforting meal comprising of rice, mushrooms, and oh yes, most definitely, peas. The meal was a breeze to make, and the girl and her peas continue to live happily ever after, much to the chagrin of everyone around her. If only there was a law forbidding one to hate peas!

MUSHROOM & PEAS PULAO
·         2 cups Basmati rice
·         2 cups sliced mushrooms
·         1/2 cup frozen green peas
·         1 medium onion, thinly sliced
·         2 large garlic cloves, minced
·         1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
·         1/4 tsp red chilli powder
·         1/2 tsp coriander powder
·         1/2 tsp cumin powder
·         5-6 whole cloves
·         1 tbsp light cooking oil
·         salt, to taste
·         Fresh coriander leaves, for garnish.

METHOD: Heat oil in a non-stick deep pan and sauté cumin seeds, garlic and onions till tender and fragrant. Add mushrooms, and fry till brown all the moisture evaporates. Stir in salt and spices, and fry for a minute. Add 3, 3/4 cups of water, and once it comes to a boil, stir in rice and peas. Let simmer on a low heat until water evaporates and rice is cooked through. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve warm with a side of raita.

1 comment:

  1. I tried this and it turned out to be such a quick and yummy dish. This is the first recipe from your blog which I tried and now looking forward to trying some more. But for me easy availability of the ingredients and fast cooking will be the key to selecting a recipe, so hope to see some more such recipes up in your blog soon. Keep up the good work... :-)

    ReplyDelete