Peas please
THOUGH A SEEMINGLY SIMPLE INGREDIENT, PEAS CAN BE USED TO MAKE A NUMBER OF TRADITIONAL AND INNOVATIVE DISHES IN THE KITCHEN
Green peas are a favourite vegetable and surprisingly versatile in both western and Indian recipes.
THE GOODNESS OF GREEN
Green peas have always been a staple in our Indian diet. Matar paneer and aloo matar to bite-sized tikkis have been standard fare in every home as well as restaurant. Modern chefs like Ajay Chopra, cohost and judge Master Chef Season 1, believes in constantly reinventing his cuisine and green peas take on a new avatar under his skillet.
At The Indus Club — a newage private member’s club in Mumbai, where chef Chopra runs a fine-dining restaurant, his food philosophy is not limited to just generic dishes. “I have also created dishes which are not limited to textbooks. My personal food philosophy is to create flavours using a varied amount of produce. I like to play with flavours, textures and plates to recreate unusual dishes from usual flavours,” he says.
Amongst them is a very basic green pea preparation — a green peas shikampuri that is served with pineapple chutney.
HOW TO SELECT AND STORE GREEN PEAS
First of all, green peas should not be too small or too big in size. The medium-sized green peas are tender and sweet in nature. Secondly, the peas should be bright green in colour. Any pale or muddy colour is an inferior quality of the pea.
The best way to store green peas is to de-skin, blanch and freeze them for future use. This will retain colour as well as the flavour of the peas.
DOS AND DON’TS WHEN COOKING WITH GREEN PEAS
Always blanch green peas and dip in iced water immediately to retain the green colour.
Always cover green peas in an airtight container or plastic bag.
Always store green peas in the freezer.
Never store green peas with their skin, as there are chances of worms in whole green peas.
NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS OF GREEN PEAS
“Green peas are a great addition to your menu because in addition to their concentration of vitamins and minerals, they also provide carotenoid — the unique phytonutrients in green peas also provides key antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. The daily consumption of green peas along with other legumes lowers risk of stomach cancer,” says Dr Manoj Kutteri, wellness director, Atmantan Wellness Centre, Mulshi, Pune.
Those on a diet please note — green peas are an extremely low-fat food. Peas are also helpful as an anti-aging ingredient for skin and are high fibre and full of protein making sugar digestion slower and helpful in regulating blood sugar.