Mattar Paneer--a North Indian cheese-tomatoes-and-peas dish
[The key ingredient here is paneer, a type of cheese similar to the American
"cottage" cheese. Pick some up at your local Indian grocery, or try a
Mexican grocery's "queso fresco," or just make your own using
our recipe]
Paneer
can tomoato juice
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp hing
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp corriander
salt to taste
2 lbs peas
Start with one standard-size can tomato juice. Pour into a saucepan at
medium heat. Add 1/2 tsp chili powder (or equivalent fresh peppers), 1/8
tsp hing/asafoetida, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, and salt to
taste (2-4 teaspoons?). Stir well.
Slowly add 2 lbs peas. Stir while bringing to a boil. Simmer about 10 min.,
or long enough to boil off excess liquid and kill the canned taste of the
tomato juice.
Stir in paneer cubes (quantity depends on desired cheese/peas ratio--1 lb?).
Chow down. Vegans can also enjoy the pea-tomato substance alone.