Aloo Mutter

An Aloo Matar recipe that is a simple yet delicious Punjabi style peas and potato curry. This aloo matar recipe is comforting homely curry best relished with some puri (Indian fried bread), roti or paratha. We make this recipe once a week as every Indian household has this dish in the mind. Simple home style food is usually easier and quick to make. What I specially like about these recipes is that they are made with minimal ingredients and yet taste good. They also do not require much cooking expertise.

Ingredients

For Grinding Or Blending

▢½ cup chopped onions or 80 grams or 2 medium-sized onion
▢1 cup chopped tomatoes or 150 grams or 2 medium to large tomatoes
▢1 teaspoon chopped ginger or 1 inch ginger
▢1 teaspoon chopped garlic or 3 to 4 small to medium garlic

Other Ingredients

▢2 tablespoons oil – any neutral oil
▢½ teaspoon cumin seeds
▢1 to 2 tablespoons fresh malai (clotted cream) or 1 tablespoon heavy cream or 1 tbsp almond or cashew powder (optional)
▢250 grams potatoes or 3 medium or 2 large potatoes – peeled and diced
▢1 cup green peas – fresh or frozen
▢a generous pinch of asafoetida (hing) – optional
▢½ teaspoon red chili powder or as required
▢¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
▢½ teaspoon garam masala or as required
▢1.5 cups water or add as required
▢2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
▢salt as required

Instructions

Preparation

Take chopped onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic in a grinder or blender jar.
Without adding any water, grind or blend to a smooth paste.
Keep this ground paste aside.

Making Aloo Matar

Heat oil in a pot or pressure cooker. First crackle the cumin seeds. Then add the ground onion-tomato paste.
Stir and then add the ground almond/cashew powder or malai (clotted cream) or heavy cream.
Saute the ground paste till the oil releases from the sides. The masala paste will also thicken. The mixture splutters. So do cover partly with a lid. Once the mixture stops spluttering, then remove the lid and saute.
Then add the asafoetida powder, red chilli powder and turmeric powder.
Stir and then add the peas and potatoes. Saute for a minute. Add water and salt.
Stir well and cover the pot. Simmer till the potatoes and peas are cooked well.
Lastly sprinkle punjabi garam masala powder or garam masala powder and stir.
Then add chopped coriander leaves.
Stir well and serve aloo matar hot with pooris, chapatis or rice.

How to make Aloo Matar

Preparation

1. Take ½ cup chopped onion, 1 cup chopped tomatoes, 1 teaspoon chopped ginger (chopped) and 1 teaspoon chopped garlic in a grinder or blender jar.

2. Without adding any water, grind or blend to a smooth paste.

Cooking the masala paste

3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a thick bottomed pot or pressure cooker. Add ½ tsp cumin seeds and crackle them.

4. Then add the ground onion-tomato paste.

5. Stir well and then add 1 tablespoon malai (clotted cream). Instead of clotted cream you can also add almond powder or cashew powder or 1 tablespoon heavy cream.

6. The masala mixture splutters, so cover the pot or cooker partly with a lid.

7. Once the mixture stops spluttering, then remove the lid and saute.

8. Do stir often so that the masala does not get browned from the base.

9. Saute the ground paste till the oil releases from the sides. The masala paste will also thicken.

10. Then add a generous pinch of asafoetida (hing), ½ teaspoon red chili powder and ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder. Stir and mix the spice powders with the rest of the sautéed masala paste.

Making aloo matar gravy

11. Now add 1 cup green peas and 2 large potatoes (peeled & diced).

12. Stir and saute for a minute.

13. Pour 1.5 cups water if cooking in a pot.

14. Season with salt.

15. Stir well and cover the pot.

16. Simmer till the potatoes and peas are cooked well. If required, you can add some more water. in a pot, it will take about 25 to 30 minutes when being simmered on a low to medium flame.