Potato and Peas curry (Muttar bateta nu shak)

   
This recipe is an old favourite of mine. I am sure many Gujarati's will agree with me that it is an easy to cook recipe and a good one for when you arrive home tired and hungry or when guests arrive unannounced and you need to cook something quick to feed your family or your guests. I don't usually measure my ingredients and often make curries from whatever is available in the cupboard at the time. I hope that you too will enjoy experimenting with your cooking and let me have your comments.

Ingredients to serve 4 people:

4-6 medium potatoes -washed and diced.
1  cup of peas - frozen, fresh or tinned are fine.
1 tablespoon oil (Most cooking oils are fine but try and use one which is low in saturated fats and trans fats)
1 teaspoon of mustard seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chilly powder (or as required to your taste)
1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1 teaspoon of ground cummin (jeera) powder.
One cup of fresh or tinned tomatoes (or passata)
2 teaspoons lemon
1 teaspoons of brown sugar or jaggery. Jaggery is a "natural" sweetener made by the concentration of sugarcane juice. It is a dark, coarse, unrefined sugar. Jaggery has a sweet, winey fragrance and a gives a unique flavour to the dish.
A small bunch of fresh coriander.

Method: 

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan.

2. Add the mustard seeds. The should start popping - if not, stir them with a wooden spoon and wait for them to pop.

3. Add the diced potatoes and peas to the saucepan.

4. Add the salt, turmeric, chilly powder, sugar or jaggery and stir well.

5. Add a cup of water to this mixture and cover.

6. Let this cook for 10 minutes on a medium heat.

7. Check to see if the potatoes and peas have softened. If not allow a further 5 or 10 minutes.

8. Once the potatoes feel soft, add the tomatoes, cumin powder and lemon juice and let it cook for 5 minutes.

9. Sprinkle with fresh coriander and serve.

This curry can be served with puris, chappatis, bhakri, porathas, theplas, naan bread, khichedi, plain rice or even bread rolls.

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