Spiced Peas/Chuki Matar
Ingredients:
- 2 cups fresh/frozen peas
- 3/4Â cup sliced onions
- 3 tbsp fresh ginger julians
- 2 green chillies. thinly cut (adjust to taste)
- 1.5Â tsp cumin seeds
- 3/4Â tsp red chilli powder (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 3-4tbsp olive oil
- Salt to taste
- 1-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice [adjust to taste ]
How I did it:
- In a pan, heat up the oil on medium heat.
- Once heated, temper the oil with cumin seeds and wait for them to crackle.
- Add the sliced onions to the pan and let the onions saute till transculent.Dont brown them.
- Next, add the chopped green chilies and ginger julians and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the peas, red chilli powder, cover the lid and let the peas steam till they are cooked but not mushy.
- Once tender, open the lid,add salt and garam masala and stir fry on high heat for 5-7 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add the fresh lime juice and serve warm with masala chai
Masala Chai
Ingredients
- 1 tea bag per cup (or 1 tsp of black tea leaves/cup)
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1-2 fresh tulsi leaves [holy basil leaves if available] NOTE:Holy basil is totally different from Thai or Italian basil.
- 1 cup of water
- ½ cup of warm milk
- ¼ tsp chai masala powder
- sugar to taste
Masala/Spice Mix  [Makes 1 cup masala]
- 1/4 cup cinnamon sticks, broken into small pieces
- 2 tbsp cloves
- 1/4 cups whole black peppercorns
- 1/4 cups green cardamom
- 4 twig mace, broken into small pieces
- 1/2 piece nutmeg, grated
- 1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds
How I did it
- Fine grind all the ingredients under the head “Masala/Spice Mix”.Store this spice mix in an air tight container in a dry place.This lasts for 2-3 years.
- To make the masala chai:In a saucepan, add the water along with ginger and tulsi leaves[if using] and let come to a boil.After 2-3 minutes, add tea bag or tea leaves. Let  brew for 2-3 minutes.Next, add “masala” and milk and let it again come to a boil.Reduce the heat to a low simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes.Strain and serve with sugar (or sweetener).
Enjoy!