Green Peas Soup for St. Patrick's Day

GOING GREEN....a vibrant comforting soup for all of you to enjoy on St. Patrick's day.

This soup is effortless which makes it a go-to candidate for those cold winter nights. The recipe involves minimal ingredients and chopping which makes it even more appealing.

The texture of this soup is really smooth and the smell and taste are oh so comforting.

So wrap yourself in a blanket with your loved ones, turn on some cheesy flick and sip away....

Without further delay, let us get to making some green peas soup.

Level: Easy

Serves: 4 to 6 people

Ingredients:

2.5 cups green peas (I used frozen)

5 garlic pods, roughly chopped

0.5 medium onion, roughly chopped

8-10 black pepper corns

1/2 inch cinnamon stick

1.5 tsp butter

1/4 cup milk 

3 cups water or as required.

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Cheese/Croutons for garnish (optional)

Method:

Step 1 - Heat the butter in a pressure pan. Add the cinnamon stick, black peppercorns and garlic. Saute till the garlic turns light brown. 

Step 2 - Add the onions and saute till they turn slightly brown too.

Step 3 - Add the frozen green peas and saute for 4 to 5 mins till they start to sizzle. 

Step 4 - Add water till the peas are just soaked under water. Pressure cook for 3 whistles or till the peas are totally cooked. Let the mixture cool down and then blend it with a little water to form a smooth paste. Strain.

Step 5 - Put the strained mixture in a pot. Add the milk and water. Adjust water till you get your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil for just a minute.

Serve hot with some bread. You can decorate the soup with some pepper, croutons or some shredded cheese. 

Tips:

I generally use the Vadilal brand frozen peas from Indian stores. They somehow are not as sweet as the green peas you get in the general supermarket freezer section. If you get hold of fresh peas, it would surely make your soup much better. That being said, any kind of frozen peas would work in this recipe. You might just have to add a little more pepper before indulging.

Peas are one of the most nutritious leguminous vegetable, rich in health benefiting phyto-nutrients, minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants.

100 gms of peas provide only 81 calories and they contain a good amount of soluble and insoluble fibre.They do not contain cholesterol.

Fresh pea pods are an excellant source of folic acid. Peas are a good source of Vitamin C, A and K. 

Need some more information? Head here: Peas

Moogha Gathi - Goan Style (Sprouted Moong Curry)

Bean Sprouts are a storehouse of a number of vitamins and minerals.
Did you know that the sprouting process of beans, not only increases the nutritive value of beans but also reduces its calorific value?
Sprouted beans increase the digestive enzymes, which facilitates the digestion process of your body. But before indulging into the sprouting process, make sure you allow appropriate amount of humidity and warmth which are needed for proper sprouting, else you might end up growing harmful bacteria.

If you want to know how I sprout these moong beans, go right below to the Tips section.

Getting to the Star of this post...
This Goan style curry is my favorite way of using moong bean sprouts. A mild yet flavorful coconut paste added to this curry, takes this dish to a whole new level. As far as I am concerned, I don't think I need to hunt for any other moong curry recipes after I found this one, as it just somehow feels like it can't get any better.

This curry does not involve the use of onions, ginger and garlic. This makes it an ideal dish to cook during Hindu festivals like Ganpati when people generally refrain from using these ingredients.

Don't miss out on the tips section..

Level: Easy
Serves: 4 to 6 people
Adapted from: Tuka Mhane

Ingredients:
2 cups sprouted moong
3/4 cup fresh coconut (I use thawed frozen shredded coconut)
6 to 8 curry leaves
2 green chillies
6 - 8 black peppercorns
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp jaggery
3 pieces kokum/2 tblsp lime juice
2 pinches asafoetida
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 cup water
Salt to taste
3 tblsp oil

Method:
Step 1 - Heat 2 tblsp oil in a pan. Add green chillies. Fry for a minute till they get slightly charred and brown. Drain them onto a paper towel. To the same oil add the black peppercorns and coriander seeds. Saute them till the coriander seeds turn brown in color. Drain these onto your paper towel too.

Step 3 - In a mixer bowl, pour in the fried green chillies, black peppercorns and coriander seeds. Add the coconut and turmeric powder. Grind with little water to form a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Step 4 - In a large pot, add the sprouted moong and the coconut paste from Step 3. Mix well. Add 1 cup of water or as per your desired consistency. Turn on the heat and let this mixture start boiling on medium heat. Adjust flavors to your liking. It should have all the 3 flavors: spice (red chilly powder), sour (kokum) and sweet (jaggery).

Step 5 - In a small pan, take your remaining 1 tblsp oil. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the asafoetida and curry leaves. Pour this tadka into your boiling dal from Step 4. Mix and boil for 2 more mins. till the moong sprouts are completely cooked and all the flavors mix in well.

Serve hot with chapatis or over hot steamed rice.
Hope you enjoyed this as much as we did!

Tips:
Generally this curry is made with a lot of oil. Once cooked, there is a layer of oil on top of the curry. This is the authentic way of having this curry. Personally, I can live without it. Moreover, a layer of oil on top of my curries is a total turn-off for me. But if you would like to indulge in the authentic experience, do feel free to increase the oil quantity in Step 5.

To quicken this recipe, while making your masala preparation, you can steam your moong upto 80% cooked and keep them ready for Step 4. Then you need to boil this curry for just 5 to 7 minutes.

Kokum gives this curry a very specific tangy coastal flavor. Tamarind makes this curry really dark and somehow results in a weird flavor. So replace kokum with lime juice for the tangy flavor, if you cannot get your hands on some kokum.

I do not over-sprout moong for curries. Feels like thread in my mouth when I eat them. Here is how I sprout them:
Day 1 (nighttime): Rinse the moong beans thoroughly. Keep them in a vessel with a lid. Keep the vessel in your oven (oven should not be turned on), which is the warmest place in your house. If you live in a hot weather place, you can just keep this vessel on your kitchen counter.
Day 2 (morning): Drain out the water. The moong beans should have plumped up now. Rinse again. They are ready to use at this stage.But if you have time to sprout them, which increases it's nutritional value, rinse the plumped up beans again. Close the lid and again place the pot in the oven (oven should not be turned on). This time, if you think your day is really cold, turn on your oven light. The heat from the light, should make the oven a warm and cosy place for your beans to sprout.
Day 2 (evening): Use. If you don't plan to use it right away, rinse the sprouts thoroughly. Do not over handle them, else the sprouts will break off. Place them in a zip lock bag or in an air tight container and put them in your refrigerator to halt the sprouting process. This stays good for upto 3 to 4 days in your refrigerator and upto a month in your freezer.

To know more about the sprouting process go here. It has more information than what you will possibly need.