Vatana Bhaji (Green Peas Curry)

Winter's just around the corner. That means that I can look forward to 6 months of vegetables and greens that I love. Peas are usually the cheapest in January or so. While I do buy fresh peas and shell them for use during the winter months, I always keep stock of frozen peas. They come in handy on days when I wake up late and find no chopped vegetables in the freezer. This dish, one that I can safely call my own, is the best thing to dish out when I wake up at 7 a.m. and know that I have to be out of the house by 7.45 a.m. There's almost no chopping involved and the dish takes about 10 minutes from start to finish.

1 cup Peas

Grind to a Paste:

2 tbsp Coconut, scraped

1 Onion, quartered

4-5 tbsp Coriander Leaves

2 pods Garlic

1 tsp Ginger Paste

3 Green Chillies

Salt to Taste

For the tempering:

1 tsp Oil

1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds

1/4 tsp Asafoetida

Place the peas in a microwave safe bowl. Sprinkle a little water and cover and cook on high for 3 minutes. In the meanwhile, grind all the ingredients together for the paste.

In a pan, heat the oil and add the add the cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds crackle, add the asafoetida and the paste. Fry the paste for 2-3 minutes. Add the cooked peas and about a tablespoon of water. Mix well, cover and cook for another couple of minutes.

We had this for lunch with rotis. It tasted great even though I didn't get a chance to heat the food at lunch. Quick, easy and made with things you always have on hand. Let me know how you like it.

Today is day 3 of the recipe marathon. Do check out the blogs of these lovely ladies:
DK , Siri, Srivalli, Ranji, PJ, Curry Leaf, Medha, Priya, Bhawna, Raaji, Ruchii, Anu, Kamala, Roopa, Divya Kudua, Rekha, Divya M, Lakshmi.