Gajar Matar

When I got married and came to A's house, his mom prepared every single thing he liked for the 10 days we stayed there. One of the dishes was Gajar Matar. When she first mentioned she was making Gajar Matar, I assumed it was a stir-fry. She disappeared into the kitchen to make Gajar Matar. A started drooling already! She came out 10 mins later and participated in the discussion going on in the drawing room. She never went back. I thought that she had to go sometime to switch off the gas! Finally, when I had dinner, I found the curry to have a rich gravy. She explained that she cooks the Gajar Matar in a Khoa gravy with some simple spices and in the Microwave. Now that explains it!

So, A keeps talking about it and how we should make this sabzi. I was skeptical of trying one his mom's inventive recipes! I stalled it until I felt like eating it one day! I haven't been a huge fan of carrots in curries. I've seen carrots only in mixed vegetable curries or carrot-beans poriyal. Poriyal is something I hate, and so I hated carrots! Gajar Matar totally changed my perspective on carrots! I cooked it on the stove and with milk instead of Khoa. Since I'm on a diet, I added 1 tbsp of cream to A's portion while I omitted it in my portion! *The cream portion rocked, but hey, I rock coz I eat healthy :D* Here is the recipe. Make it with or without cream. Use cream when you want to indulge and you won't regret it!

Ingredients:

Carrots - 5-6 big ones, chopped lengthwise.
Peas - 1-1. 5 cups
Onion - 1/4 cup finely chopped
Milk - 2 cups
Cumin or Jeera- 1 tsp
Turmeric- 2-3 tsp
Chilli powder - 2-3 tsp
Garam Masala -1-2 tsp
Oil - 2tbsp
Salt to taste
Coriander to garnish - a must!

1. Chop the carrots lengthwise. Don't make them too thin. Cook them in the microwave for 5 mins. You can skip doing this and cook it thoroughly in milk. It will just take longer.

2. Thaw peas if frozen. If still in pod, make sure your husband shells them every weekend :D

3. Heat oil, add the cumin seeds, let them splutter, add the onions and fry a bit.

4. Add the peas to the onion mixture and fry them for a good 5 mins until the peas seem to shine

5. Add the cooked carrots now and stir.
*if you are using uncooked carrots directly on the stove, make sure to cook them in a little water and add milk after the carrots are semi cooked.

6. Add milk and follow with the masalas or spices and salt.

7. Close the dish and let it cook for a good 10-12 mins. Keep stirring once in a while to avoid burning of milk or the carrots.
*You may add 1tbsp of cream at the stirring stage.

8. Once the curry achieves a creamy consistency and slightly thick, but not too thick, garnish with coriander!

* If the curry gets too thick (which it has a tendency to!), do add water. You do not have to add milk or cream all the way. Water will do fine too! :)

This curry turned out to be so, so, so delicious that I'm going to make it every week and if A gets bored, I'm going to say: You asked for it :D But then, the man said that this curry was as good as his mom's. I guess I'm happy with it for the time-being! And hey, this dish is so healthy for your kids too! Carrots, milk, peas, hardly any oil - How much healthier can tasty get, I say!

Oh, oh, oh! With this, I'm answering Aparna's clarion call to paint the blogworld Orange, a colourful initiative by Sunshinemom whose name has orange written all over it :P (Pop quiz: How many times did I use the word 'orange' in this sentence?)