Green Peas Masala

The good thing I like about vegetarian dishes is that within minutes you could have your meal ready.  Unlike meat or chicken, vegetables cook instantly and serve them before they get all mushy.  A few days back I was talking to one of my colleagues who is a Belgian.  He mentioned to me that at home they love to eat vegetarian dishes and try to eat at least three times a week, but he found the food always very bland and tasteless.  He blamed it on the genetically modified vegetables.  I tend to agree with him to some extent, but I think also adding some flavours and spices in balance can bring out a very good taste in the food.  I am not in favour of spices that overwhelm the taste of the vegetables - but spices that complement the vegetable and bring the best out in them.

My husband likes to add different tastes to the food - tastes that I do not always approve of but then taste is a very relative thing.  For example he adds dry garlic powder on the dishes as he likes the garlicky taste.  He also likes lime in the food.  On the other hand my son likes the taste of Tabasco on his food.  He likes the vinegar-spice taste you get in the Tabasco.  For me, I like the spices I cook the food in and do not like to add anything extra on top. 

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup green peas, frozen or fresh

2 medium sized white Onions

1 medium sized tomato

2 green chillies

½ teaspoon cumin powder

½ teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon chilli powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon chaat masala

1 tablespoon coriander leaves

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

1 tablespoon Lime juice

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Boil the peas with little salt and drain and keep aside.  
2. In a thick bottomed vessel, put 1 tablespoon of oil and add the sliced onion.  
3. Sauté the onions for 3-4 minutes, then add the chopped green chillies and cubed tomato pieces and stir for a minute.  
4. Add the boiled green peas, all the dry spices and a little salt and mix all the ingredients properly.  
5. Remove from heat and add the lime juice and mix well.  
6. Garnish with cut coriander leaves and serve hot.

Tip:  Chaat masala which I am using in this recipe is ready made and can be got from any Indian store.  It mainly consists of mango powder and black salt in addition to other spices and has a sourish taste.