Matar ka Nimona – Peas and fritters gravy

Matar = peas, a winter crop flooding the market. Unlimited recipes and limited time 😛

I do not vouch for authentication, but this is a mildly spicy, simmering gravy, cooked in the households of eastern Uttar Pradesh and state of Bihar. My thanks to fellow member of a facebook group, A P Mishra, for suggesting this mouth- watering recipe.

Nimona, a well known recipe, can be made with a variety of ingredients. This is my first recipe of Nimona. Coming soon another wonderful, lip -smacking recipe of Nimona. 😉

Here’s what I did……….

INGREDIENTS

For the gravy :

250 gms – freshly shelled peas

1/2 cup – finely chopped onion

5-6 nos – broken cauliflower florets

1 tsp – ginger paste

1/2 tsp – garlic paste

1 tsp – coriander powder

1/4 tsp – red chili powder

1/4 tsp – garam masala (Indian spice mix)

1 tbsp – oil

2 1/2 cup – water

1 nos – bay leaf

1 stick – cinnamon

1/4 tsp – cumin seeds

handful of sun dried lentil dumplings (wadi) – optional

pinch of asafoetida

salt to taste

For tempering :

1 pod – finely chopped garlic

1 nos – cardamom

1 nos – finely chopped green chili

4 – 5 nos – cloves

1 tsp – clarified butter / ghee

METHOD

Grind the fresh peas with minimal water, coarsely. (do not grind it to paste).

Heat oil in a wok/ pan and fry the cauliflower florets and lentil dumplings. Keep aside.

Temper the remaining oil with bay leaf, cinnamon, asafoetida and cumin seeds. Once the cumin splutters, add the chopped onion and fry till soft. Now add the ginger and garlic paste and fry for a couple of minutes.

Pour in the grounded peas, coriander and chili powder and fry till it starts sticking to the wok/ pan bottom. Add water and salt to taste. Once it comes to boil, add the cauliflower florets, lower the heat. Cover and cook till florets are soft.

Add the lentil dumplings and garam masala. Simmer for another 2-3 mins.

While the gravy simmers, heat clarified butter /ghee in a separate pan and temper with the ingredients given under For tempering. Once the garlic turns golden, take the tempering off fire and pour this into the gravy.

Take it off fire.

Serve hot with chapatis or rice.

Note : * One remove a tsp of fried onions for tempering, before pouring in the grounded peas.

**Used here is urad dal wadis/ black gram dumplings

Happy cooking !! 🙂

Cheers !! 😀

 

 

 

 

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