Anjeeri matar recipe, How to make anjeeri matar recipe

Anjeeri matar recipe with step by step pics – a rich, luscious gravy dish made with anjeer (dried figs) and matar (peas)

There is a certain charm to gravy based dishes, you might agree. some of us in india, enjoy flat breads such as rotis or parathas more while others enjoy rice and other grains more. in either of the cases, a gravy based dish adds a certain comfort, a completion to the meal, whether you are in the northern parts of india or elsewhere.

One such side dish is anjeeri matar. this dish can be equated with the rich mughlai and awadhi cuisine wherein nuts, cream, yogurt, butter etc are used to enrich the gravy. in this dish, figs (anjeer) and yogurt (curd) bring in the richness.

One must not of course forget the benefits that figs bring in, such as, being rich in potassium, they help in maintaining blood pressure and also being rich in fiber, they are beneficial to our digestive system.

You can also try this dish with gobhi (cauliflower). if you do wish to, then blanch the cauliflower in boiling water until just tender, drain well and use in the dish instead of peas. Serve anjeeri matar with roti, naan, paratha or with steamed rice.

INGREDIENTS (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)

for the onion-tomato puree:

• 1 roughly chopped large onion
• 1 roughly chopped tomato

for the ground paste:

• 8 dried figs roughly chopped/anjeer
• ¾ cup of fresh full fat yogurt/curds/dahi
• 3 roughly chopped green chilies /hari mirch (adjust to taste & tolerance)
• ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder/haldi)
• ½ teaspoon of red chili powder (adjust to taste)
• ½ teaspoon of garam masala powder
• ¼ cup water for grinding

other ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of oil
• 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds/jeera
• 1 tej patta/indian bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon of ginger-garlic paste/adrak lahsun ka paste
• 1 & ½ cups of frozen green peas, (if using fresh peas, cook or steam them separately until just tender, then use)
• 2 tablespoons of water
• ½ teaspoon of garam masala powder
• salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh coriander (dhaniya) for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

for onion-tomato puree:

1. first, roughly chop the onion and tomato.
2. add this to boiling water. simmer for 5 minutes, turn off the heat, drain. allow the onions-tomatoes to cool.
3. then grind the lightly boiled onion and tomato to make a smooth puree. this will not require any water. keep this ready.

for ground paste:

1. when the onions-tomatoes are cooking, you can make this ground paste.
2. to make this paste, add roughly chopped figs (anjeer), fresh yogurt (dahi), turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala and roughly chopped green chilies to the mixer grinder jar. grind adding ¼ cup of water to prepare a smooth paste. for this, first pulse the ingredients a couple of times, then add water and grind until it forms a smooth paste. keep this ready.

preparing the gravy/curry:

1. heat oil in a kadhai (pan).
2. add cumin seeds (jeera). allow this to splutter. then add the bay leaf (tej patta), stir for a few seconds.
3. now, add the onion-tomato puree, mix. while adding the puree it might splash, so be careful at this stage.
4. now, add ginger-garlic paste, mix that in. cook this mixture until you see few specks of oil along the edges or at the top.
5. then, add the frozen peas or cooked peas, mix. bring to a boil.
6. now, add the ground paste at a LOW heat, combine this well, adding 2 tbsp water and salt to taste and cook until it comes to a boil.
7. once the gravy comes to a boil, you can adjust its consistency, by adding more water if required at this stage.
8. now, add ½ teaspoon of garam masala, mix and turn off the heat.
9. garnish with fresh coriander (dhaniya).
10. serve anjeeri matar with any flat bread of your choice, such as naan, paratha or roti or with rice.

NOTES

this dish can also be prepared using cauliflower (gobhi). if using gobhi, blanch the florets in boiling water until just tender, then drain out all the water and use instead of peas.