Mushroom Green Peas Curry

Serve me a dinner plate with a mushroom-based dish, & guess what you'll find left out on the plate after I'm done. Yep, you guessed right - mushrooms! Not that I have anything against mushrooms per se, but it is not exactly the veggie that I dream of when I get hit by food cravings. Most vegetarian folks don't like mushrooms, & in my case it is because the mushroom dishes that I come across are usually bland, insipid or uninspiring in taste. But my hubby swears by them, and being the soft-hearted person that I am (that's me, for sure! hubby better agree :) ), I just had to create a mushroom recipe that would kick up the tempo for the taste buds. This Mushroom Peas recipe, I am humbly proud to say, does exactly that! It even made me thoroughly relish mushrooms & is now a regular feature on our dinner table - an improbable, if not impossible, feat!

My Mushroom Peas creation is a simple, quick-to-make & healthy dish, and more importantly, has a delectable, appetizing taste with zesty, stimulating flavors & aroma that make this dish rank high on the ambrosial scale. The subtle flavors of the soft peas & mushrooms spar with the bold, piquant flavors of the black pepper & garlic in the dish to deliver a medley of flavors in every spoonful. Serve this Mushroom Peas dish along with your favorite flatbread or with steamed rice - it is good as an everyday entree for lunch or dinner, or serve it up as a party dish (& make some more vegetarian friends love mushrooms).

Time to let your love for mushrooms blossom... or mushroom :)

MUSHROOM  GREEN  PEAS  CURRY  RECIPE

Serves :  2-3

Ingredients:

4 oz White whole Mushrooms; washed & quartered or sliced into bite-size pieces                  
1 cup Green Peas (fresh or frozen)
3/4 cup grated Onion
1 3/4 cup Tomato Puree
3-4 medium-size Garlic cloves; minced
1 inch fresh Ginger; peeled & minced
1 tsp Coriander Powder; see tips
1/2 tsp Cumin Powder; see tips
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper (Red Chilli Powder) or to taste; optional
1/2 tsp coarsely ground Black Pepper
1 inch Cinnamon stick
2 Cloves
2 Green Cardamoms
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh Cilantro (Coriander) leaves

How to make Mushroom Matar (Green Peas) Curry

1. Heat oil in a non-stick pan on medium heat. Add cloves, green cardamom, cinnamon stick and onions and sauté until light golden brown.
2. Add ginger and garlic paste and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
3. Add tomato puree and sauté till oil separates from the tomato-onion mixture.
4. Add coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, cayenne pepper, and salt & cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add a cup of water, bring the mixture to a boil and then add green peas and mushrooms. Cook on high heat for seven to eight minutes or till the green peas are fully cooked.
6. Lower the heat, add black pepper & cook for 5 minutes. 
7. Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve hot. 

TIPS

All of these spices are available in Indian Grocery Stores, & it is best to buy them from an Indian Grocery store to get authentic flavors. These spices are also very common & may be available in your local supermarket (I have seen them in Safeway - a popular supermarket in California).