Aloo Matar / Aloo Mutter / Potatoes and peas in sweet and spicy tomato gravy

Who wouldn't love potatoes and peas? Cooking potatoes and peas in tomatoes seasoned with cumin and coriander powders, sweetened with milk( or cream ) is the one recipe which comes to my rescue at the eleventh hour. So easy to prepare, so rich in taste. Adding milk to this potato curry gives this unique sweetness which balances the sourness from tomatoes. Aloo( Potato ) Matar( Peas ) is one such classic recipe which you can whip up in no time. You don't need any fancy ingredients and i am sure you would find all these items in you pantry any time.

You need:

• 4-5 large ripened tomatoes
• 2 red potatoes( use boiling potatoes only )
• 1-2 fistfuls green peas -- you can use frozen / fresh / soaked and boiled dried peas
• 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 - 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp garam masala( optional )
• 1/2 cup milk or cream
• 5 tbsp oil

How to prepare aloo matar:

• Boil the potatoes ( i microwave them with very little water covered for 6 min ) peel the skin and chop them into 1 inch cubes
• Chop onions and tomatoes very finely and keep aside
• In a kadai / pan heat oil and add onions and ginger garlic paste
• Keep stirring until the onions cooked to golden hue
• Add the coriander, cumin and red chilli powders
• Add turmeric and garam masala powder
• Toss in green peas and fry for 30 sec
• Fry for 1 min and add tomatoes( alternatively you can puree the blanched tomatoes and add to the pan )
• Cook until the oil leaves from the sides
• Now add the chopped potatoes and stir gently so that potatoes do not fall apart
• This is optional -- for extra creaminess and sweetness you can either add whole milk or cream and cook for 5 more min
• Add fresh cilantro and serve hot...

This curry tastes so good with chapathis, rotis, steaming hot rice or tortillas. We had this along with freshly home made rotis with some onions( sprinkled with cumin powder and lemon juice ) and freshly homemade yogurt ( curd ).

Heres the list of the events i am sending this recipe to:
JFI - Onion by Radhis Kitchen
Potato Fest by Divya Karthik
Ode to potato by Sia