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Safed Matar (Dried white peas) Recipe

Safed Matar is cooked just like white chickpeas (Kabuli Chana) as a thick spicy curry served during social functions with Poori (deep fried bread)
Do not confuse Safed Matar with fresh green peas, or dried green peas. The Safed Matar is a variety of dried 'Field Peas'. This is popular dish in North India. The dried peas are soaked in plain water over night and than cooked in plain water till the peas start to turn tender. Separately, a Masala is prepared. Masala is added to pre-cooked peas. The mixture is cooked till the curry is ready.

Ingredients

Pre-soak

1. Safed Matar (Dried white peas): 2 cups
2. Water for soaking: 6 cups

Pre-cook

3. Water: 3 Cups

Masala

4. Ghee: ¼ Cup

5. Cumin Seeds: ¼ teaspoon

6. Whole Fenugreek seeds: ¼ teaspoon

7. Onions Ground: 2 cups

8. Salt: ¾ teaspoon

9. Ground Cayenne pepper: ½ teaspoon
10. Garlic: 10 cloves minced
11. Fresh Ginger 1" peeled and chopped fine: 1 Tablespoon

12. Cholay Spice Mix: 3½ Tablespoon
i) Cumin powder: 3 teaspoon

ii) Coriander powder: 2 teaspoon

iii) Fenugreek powder: ½ teaspoon

iv) Dried Ginger powder: ½ teaspoon

v) Cinnamon powder: ¾ teaspoon

vi). Ground Cloves: ¾ teaspoon

vii) Ground Black pepper: ¾ teaspoon

viii) Ground Cardamom: ¾ teaspoon

ix) Ajwain: ½ teaspoon

x) Ground Fennel Seed: 1 teaspoon

13. Dahi Yogurt: 3 Tablespoons

14. Chopped Tomatoes: ½ Cup

15. Amchoor (Dried sour mango powder): 1 teaspoon

16. Bay leaf: 3

Garnish

17. Cilantro Chopped

18. Fresh Serrano Chopped

19. Thin wedges of fresh lime

Method

Step 1: Pre-soak

Wash and rinse dried seeds. Soak in plenty of water for 8 to 12 hours at room temperature.

Step 2: Pre-cook

Put water and presoaked Matar in a pressure cooker. The water should top the seeds by about 2". Lock in the lid. Turn on heat. After the pressure cooker has reached 15 PSI, turn the heat to medium. Cook for 6 minutes. Turn off the heat. Let the pressure drop naturally

After the pressure has dropped, drain and save aside excess water.

Step 3: Prepare Masala

1. Heat Ghee in a frying pan.

2. Add Cumin seeds. Fry till seeds just start to turn brown.

3. Add Fenugreek seeds. Fry about one minute starts to get brown

4. Add onions, salt and cayenne. Fry till water is gone and onions are turning brown.

5. Add Garlic and ginger. Cook two minutes.

6. Add Cholay Spice mix. Fry about 1 minutes

7. Add Dahi one tablespoon at a time till almost all the moisture is gone.
8. Add Tomatoes, Amchoor and Bay leaf. Cook till tomatoes start getting soft, about 5 minutes

Step 4: Finish Cooking

1. Add Masala to the pre-cooked beans in the pressure cooker.

2. Add the water from the pre-cooking just enough so that everything is just submerged. If the saved water is not sufficient add more water. Lock-in cover. Turn on heat till the pressure is 15PSI. After 5 minutes, turn off the heat. Let the pressure drop naturally.

Step 5: Garnish

Serve the dish garnished with chopped cilantro, fresh Serrano and wedges of fresh lime

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