Aloo Matar is a spicy popular Punjabi side dish prepared with boiled potatoes, green peas and aromatic spices. Aloo mattar is a great combination for main dishes like chapati, roti and Ghee pulav. Moreover, It is relatively a quick recipe compared to other detailed north Indian side dishes.
Ingredients4 boiled potatoes (cut into pieces)
1 cup green peas (boiled)
2 tbsp. oil
1 tsp cumin
2 cinnamon sticks
1 big onion
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 tomatoes (pulp)
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder
½ tsp coriander powder
1 pinch asafoetida
1 tsp salt
1 cup water
½ tsp garam masala
1 tbsp. kasturi methi
Method* Boil potatoes for two whistles in a pressure cooker or ten minutes in a pan with enough water. Peel the skin, cut into pieces and keep aside.
* Similarly boil fresh green peas until soft. You can cook potatoes and green peas together in a pressure cooker.
* Chop onions and prepare ginger garlic paste ( 6 garlic plus 1-inch ginger) if you don't have paste available.
* Make pulp/paste out of two ripe tomatoes. No need of blanching & peeling skin of the tomatoes. Just grind into paste and keep aside.
* Put a pan on the stove, heat oil, add the boiled and cut potatoes for roasting. This step is optional but gives a nice roast taste to the potatoes.
* Fry the potatoes for just 3 to 4 mins in medium heat oil. No need to roast to golden color.
* Collect the aloo pieces in a separate cup and keep aside.
* To the same pan with left over oil, add cinnamon and cumin seeds.
* Add onions and fry until they become light caramelized.
* When onions are light brown in color, add ginger garlic paste and saute well for two minutes to remove the raw smell of garlic.
* Add the pulp of tomatoes and saute for few minutes until oil separates.
* Also, add turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder.
* In few minutes, oil separates from the masala.
* Pour a cup of water and add required salt or the curry.
* Now add the boiled green peas, mix, cover and let the peas absorb for 5 mins.
* Add boiled and roasted potatoes and some water to adjust the consistency of the gravy.
* Now add garam masala powder and dry kasturi methi leaves.
* Mix and cook for two minutes.
* Switch off and serve with soft phulkas, chapati and other bread items.