Blackeyed Peas & Potato Curry

Everytime we go to the Indian store we almost raid it like there is a famine coming. Our pantry is full of  Indian groceries like lentils, beans, rice, etc. etc. I always forget to cook any beans unless my hubby reminds me that he wants to eat any particular dish. So today I thought I should take a look at the pantry and the freezer. So I found this big bag of black eyed peas lying in there staring back at me! I love blackeyed peas and wondered why haven't I used it until now.

I looked again for some veggies and found a potato, few onions, tomatoes and cilantro/coriander leaves. So I thought I should make black eyed peas pulao and I was all set and started my pulao and I ran out of salt in the middle of the curry. I had to literally scrape it out and use the last grain of salt. So instead I settled in for black eyed peas & potato curry and steamed rice instead of the pulao. So it would also be good for hubby's lunch box the next day. It's almost the same dish only I didn't mix the rice and the curry as I didn't have more salt to add once I mixed both.

So here goes my recipe

2 cups Black eyed peas (cooked and drained)
1 potato cubed into small pieces
1 big tomato chopped
3tbspn cilantro/coriander leaves chopped
ginger one small piece minced
3 cloves garlic  minced
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp Jeera/cumin powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
whole spices/garam masala (2 cardamons, 4 cloves, 4 peppercorns, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds)
1 tsp or more oil
Salt as per taste

In a wok/cooking pot/kadai heat some oil. Now add the cumin seeds and the other whole spices. When they sizzle add the onions, garlic and ginger and fry till the onions are brown. Now add the tomatoes and 1 tbspn cilantro and mix well. Add the dry powders and mix well. Cook till the tomatoes are soft and you can mash it with the back of a wooden spoon. Now add the potatoes & 1 cup hot water and mix well cover and cook till they are soft. Once the potatoes are cooked add the cooked and drained blackeyed peas. Add some water if you want more gravy. Mix well. Adjust salt.
Garnish with cilantro.
Serve with steamed white rice or with chapati/roti's

Note:
If using dry blackeyed peas soak it in water for alteast 4-5 hours and then pressure cook it for 1-2 whistles in fresh water or cook it in a pot till the beans are cooked but not mushy.
You can use canned or frozen ones too. If using these you can directly add it after the potatoes no need to cook separately. They will cook fast in the curry.
You can also add 1/2 cup coconut milk if you want a creamier gravy to eat with rice or bread.

Kala Channa Usal (Stirfried spiced black peas/beans)

Usal is a common dish at any amchi household and till I came to the US I didn't think it was anything special. Now I crave for my mom's simple mung/matki/channa usal. Kala Channa Usal is something I love this can be had like a snack or with roti's or rice.
I prefer to eat it by itself and since the time I came to the US this is a standard preparation at our house every year for Ganesh Chaturthi prasad.

Its easy, simple, tasty and very nutritious.

Ingredients:

2 cups Black channa (you can even use garbanzo beans) washed and soaked overnight or atleast for 4-6 hours
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
6-8 Indian curry leaves (Kadi patta)
1 tsp or more grated ginger
1-2 green chillies slit length wise
1 pinch hing/asafoetida
1/2 tsp sugar
salt as per taste
oil
Fresh or frozen Grated coconut for garnishing

Wash the soaked channa and pressure cook or boil with fresh water and some salt for 1-2 whistles till soft (it shouldn't be mushy).
In a wok/kadai heat oil when hot add the mustard seeds, kadi patta, grated ginger, hing and green chillies. Fry it well but make sure it doesn't burn. The oil should absorb all the flavors. Now add the channa and mix well cook for 5 mins. Adjust salt and garnish with grated coconut.

Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Kartick (my hubby) sometimes complains of my food being too spicy (yeah I am guilty of cooking spicy food but I take care when I cook for friends to not go overboard with spices). So today I decided to make a continental meal. I didn't have many ingredients at hand and then again both of us didn't want to step out to go to Walmart.

So I decided to make some Fish Bechamel (Fish in white sauce)and Mashed potatoes and serve it with toast. I will soon post the recipe for Bechamel -I spiced the bechamel a bit with turmeric and red chilli powder but ensured it was not spicy.

The result was a simple and tasty meal.. So here goes the recipe for the mashed potatoes:

4 Potatoes
2-3 tbsp Milk
2-3 garlic cloves minced or 1 tsp Garlic powder
1 tbsp butter melted(I used a low cal butter spread)
2 tbsp Parsley chopped (optional)
Salt & pepper

Boil potatoes. I cooked them in the microwave as its faster and I don't have to bring out my big pressure cooker. Just take a big microwave safe bowl add some water keep the potatoes in them next to each other. Cook for 10 mins then turn the potatoes and cook for another 10 mins (may take little longer depending on your microwave). Then peel the skin off and mash the potatoes with a masher or with the back of a big wooden spoon/ladle. You can also blend it once with a hand blender if you have one (I did this). Then add the milk,butter, garlic, salt and pepper and mix well. Garnish with some parsley.

Note:
You can skip the garlic and make plain mashed potatoes
You can add more or less milk & butter according to your taste