Matar ka Nimona

                              Matar ka Nimona (Green Gravy)

 

 “Nimona” means Matar’s gravy prepared in green masala ( using fresh coriander,green chilies,ginger and garlic).People call it as “Matar ki Tari” also. It is one of the delicacy in UP cuisine.

  Nimona recipe is very popular and specially prepared in almost all houses in Uttar Pradesh during winter season as the fresh crop of Matar is available that time.

Nimona is a winter stew native to the Gangetic plains of India, featuring bright winter peas as the star of the dish. In its many variations, nimona represents the best of winter cooking: hearty, nourishing, and made with fresh produce.

Winter, despite being the season of dense smog, fog, frost, and bone-chilling winds, also brings with it delicious winter produce, and several beloved hearty dishes of the season.

The fertile Gangetic plains bestow upon us the freshest produce from November to February, and people, parched by the region’s deadly summer, make the most of the short season. Kitchens throughout the plains of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar & Madhya Pradesh get busy turning produce into robust, flavourful dishes. Bright red carrots become luscious gajar halwa, fat cauliflowers are stuffed into parathas, newly harvested potatoes go into tomato broths, and fresh peas are liberally dunked into everything. 

Here comes Nimona----

Ingredients: 

1. Green peas-2 cups ( I use frozen) Our peas are sweet and tasty, use fresh peas that are medium, neither hard, nor very tender.
2. Onion-1/2
3. Garlic Cloves-6-7
4. Ginger-1/2" piece
5. Green chillies-10-12
6. Fresh coriander-1/2 bunch (Use fat stems too)
7. Cumin-1+1 tsp. divided
8. Black cardamom-1
9. Cloves-2
10. Black pepper-8-10
11. Whole coriander-1/2 tsp. (Optional)
12. Salt
13. Tomato-1
14. Punjabi vadi- 1-2
15. Potato-1-2
16. Red chilli powder-2 tsp. or according to your heat level
17. Coriander powder-1 tbsp.
18. Hing
19. Bay leaf-1-2
20. Ghee-3 tbsp.
21. Mustard oil-3-4 tbsp. 
22. Water-1.5 cup approx.

 

Procedure:

• Grind all the whole spices first, then also add onion, garlic, green chillies, coriander stem and leaves and ginger and blend together with help of a little water.
• Peel potatoes and cut in cubes.
• Coarsely grind peas, keep 1/4 cup sabut (tender peas only.)
• Heat mustard oil and when smokey hot, fry vadis, also fry potatoes in this oil, keep aside.
• Add 2 tbsp. of ghee now and then give a tadka of cumin, hing and bay leaf.
• Add blended masala and chopped tomato.
• Also add all the Powdered spices and salt and bhuno for about 6-7 minutes.
• Now add  green peas paste and whole green peas and bhuno further for about 5 minutes.
• Open and stir, add fried potato cubes and keep bhunoing on slow flame till oil starts coming on surface, this will take approx 35-40 minutes more. make sure the flame is not high, keep stirring and cook it covered.
• A nice aroma starts coming out, add fried vadis and now add warm water and let it boil for a couple of minutes. 
• Turn off the heat and serve with chapati or rice, adding hot ghee over it.
• People in U.P. enjoy it with naya and geela chawal, Aalu ki bhujiya or potato fry and plain lemon pickle.

Note: This time I used garlic leaves also in my green masala as it was available in an Indian Superstore, it gives a very delicious flavor to finger licking Nimona.