Nimona is a Banarsi style of making green peas curry. Simple and elegant, this one is a star of the table!
Last week, I was in one of my I am bored of everything moods. I get these attacks once in a while where the usual chicken, fish, dal and sabjis just don’t cut the mark for me. I want something different. Something that is not made in my kitchen regularly and considering it is winter (relatively speaking, anyway) and there are fresh green peas available. I decided to make Nimona.
I had read about Nimona here long time ago, made it once but forgotten about it later. So that day it came back to my memory suddenly. My mother in law who was eating it the first time, loved it and so did everyone else who it.
I think it’s the simplicity of the dish that’s its beauty too. Make it and I promise you will be licking your fingers. And I loved it so much that I even tried making Cholia ka Nimona. And trust me, it tastes equally good 🙂
The one good thing I love about winter, is the amount of awesome fresh vegetables you get. These green peas are so amazing. Do you know you can actually buy them in bulk and then deep freeze them and store them for summer? That is what I do every year. Its a pretty easy process. I usually end up freezing kilos of peas for summer.
And the best part is that they taste amazing even when you thaw them and use them for any recipe. I guess, I am slowing turning into a fresh food person. I love creating food from seasonal produce. I love making use of the local ingredients even for recipes which demand some exotic international ingredient. There is always a substitute available locally. All, we need to do is to find it 🙂
Recipe – Nimona , Banarsi Style Mashed Green Peas Curry.
Source – Adapted from Banaras Ka Khaana
Nimona : Banarsi Style Mashed Green Peas Curry
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups green peas fresh shelled
- 1 and 1/2 inchs ginger piece
- 2 green chillies
- 1 tsp jeera powder
- 1 tsp jeera
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1 cup water warm
- to taste salt
Instructions
- Grind ginger, green chillies and peas coarsely using as little water as possible. I like to keep a handful of peas un-grinded to add the texture.
- Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan, add hing and fry for 30 secs.
- Add the jeera seeds and fry till golden brown. Add bay leaf and fry for another 30 secs.
- Now add the ground peas and dry spices and roast for 5 mins on low flame.
- Add the warm water and let it boil for 3-4 minutes and its done.
- Serve with hot rotis. It taste equally yummy with rice.
hey..its refreshing to know you tried this recipe…. at my place esp in winters this is made so frequently. Here garlic and green coriander leaves play major role. You can always mash the peas and fry it for some time. And for gravy have all spices with garlic and green coriander leaves and grind this in a mixer. Add lil oil in separate fry pan, add heeng, jeera bay leaf and then this mix. let it cook for some time and then add green peas mix. Add lil water and let it cook for 5-8 mins. it tastes fresh and so flavorful….
There is a gang of ladies in my apartment all, who were talking about green peas nimona recipe and how tasty it is…. good i got a recipe from a known cook now.. will try it soon… before fresh green peas are gone 🙂
thanks for posting this mon. Will try it over the weekend.
Here is something I should have added to my latest post. http://potsoup.wordpress.com/2014/01/13/a-pea-for-your-thoughts/
My goodness 🙂 I am so so glad you liked nimona 🙂
yes yes I did sangeeta 😉
oh what a yummy list that is, I am gonna be making a few things from there soon
enjoy 😀
hope u like it sohini and send me a pic too 😀
oh almost similar to what I did plus the garlic, will try this version too may be
Looks like a great curry to go with rotis!
Sounds yum. Will try it. We make a similar thing out of green chana.. The fresh ones – and that’s called a Nimna too.