Gajar Matar ki Sabzi

This Gajar matar ki sabzi brings back memories of winter mornings in my hometown of Noida in the 90s. I would be getting ready for school and I could hear the sizzle of parathas being flipped and the stirring of a sookhi sabzi. Winters in North India mean the advent of the much awaited Laal gajar or red coloured carrots. And not far behind were sabzi carts with heaping mounds of taaza or fresh matar or garden peas; peas in their pods. Together lal gajar and matar made the most beautiful sabzi that I would devour with a namak ajwain ki paranthi.

When I was finally ready, I would head to the kitchen where my mom would have already laid down a plate with steaming hot sabzi. And she would soon follow that by landing a hot namak ajwain ki paranthi in my plate. As I ate this hot breakfast, she would pack lunches for us like clockwork. A few gulps of milk with bournvita and I was off to school, only to think of the second helping of Gajar Matar rolled into namak ajwain paraunthis that was packed in my lunch box!

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Making the most of Winter produce

For the good part of the year, we easily find orange carrots here in Dubai supermarkets. Come winter and we start keeping an eye out for the laal gajar or red coloured carrots from India and Pakistan in the produce aisles. And when they do arrive, they disappear rather quickly owing to the popularity of season Gajar ka Halwa that is popular with Indians and Pakistanis alike. The seasonality and elusiveness of laal gajar just add to how much I savour this sookhi sabzi whenever I make it.

As for hara matar, I often stock garden peas in my freezer to make Matar ki sookhi sabzi anytime during the year. Granted fresh delicate hara matar in the pods are a winter speciality and is sometimes available here in Dubai, but in my house I do not get them often. In my parents and maternal grandparents house, the peels find their use in a seasonal mixed vegetable pickle called Gobhi Gajar Shalgam ka Achaar. The peels maintain their crispiness in this pickle and add a slight sweetness to the bite of this tart pickle. I’m yet to make this pickle on my own but until I do, I will continue to rely on frozen peas. For this sookhi sabzi, you can use whatever hare matar you find, fresh or frozen.

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What does Gajar Matar ki Sabzi taste like

As a child whose palate wasn’t used to spicy sabzis, Gajar Matar ki sabzi used to be my favourite. Cooked carrots and peas have an inherent sweetness that would be irresistible for a carb loving child like me and as a result I would mop my plate clean with the nearest parathas. As an adult, this gajar matar ki sabzi is still one of my favourites. It is sweet and savoury and can be balanced with some heat from kashmiri lal mirch. If you like your sabzi to be spicier, you can add more lal mirch or even some black pepper for a kick.

Make Namak Ajwain parathas with Gajar Matar for the perfect breakfast!

Best served alongside parathas, this Gajar matar ki Sabzi goes great with salted parathas like namak ajwain parathas. Namak Ajwain parathas can be made by using regular unsalted dough. Just roll out a ball of pedha into a small round, thick is fine. All you need to do is to sprinkle some ajwain or carom seeds along with salt while greasing the inside of the aate ka pedha.

Other notable additions to this parathas can be some heeng or asafoetida, black pepper and lal mirch powder. Smear the ghee, ajwain and seasonings all around the pedha and then close it like a dumpling, bringing all the sides together and pinching. The sides can overlap in a square shape or even a triangle, the point is to enclose the ghee smeared layer. Dust with flour and roll out again to make an even thin round. Cook both sides on a hot tawa, greasing with a few drops of ghee on each side. Repeat with rest of the dough.

Here’s how we make Gajar Matar ki Sabzi in our house

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes

Yields: 2 cups; Serves 2

Special Equipment: A vegetable peeler, A kadhai or pan with a lid

Ingredients

• Red or Orange Carrots/ Gajar, 400 grams to 500 grams, peeled and chopped into coins
• Green Peas/ Hara Matar, 1 cup (fresh or frozen)
• Vegetable Oil/tel, 2 tbsp
• Cumin seeds/ Jeera, 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt to taste, (I use approximately 1 and a half teaspoon)
• Turmeric/ Haldi powder, 1/2 teaspoon
• Kashmiri Lal Mirch/ Chilli powder, 1 teaspoon
• Coriander/ Dhaniya Powder, 1 and 1/2 teaspoon
• Garam Masala powder, 1/4 teaspoon
• Fresh Coriander or Cilantro/ Dhaniya leaves,chopped, a few tablespoons,

Method

Prep the Gajar and Matar

Start by gathering all the ingredients. Use whatever variety of carrots you find. I usually make this sabzi with red carrots but it would work with perennial orange carrots as well. For Matar or peas, you can use them peeled fresh from pods or you can use frozen peas.

If using frozen peas, measure roughly one cup into a larger bowl. Add water and let them sit to thaw while you prep the carrots.

Wash and peel the carrots. Cut off the carrots towards to edges on the top and bottom. With a sharp knife, carefully slice off the carrots into coins of 1/2 cm width. Since carrots are hard, be careful while chopping and slicing the carrots. I use my chef’s knife and lay the carrots flat on a chopping board to slice it off.

Cook the Sabzi

Place a kadhai on medium heat. Once hot, pour vegetable oil of your choice. When the oil warms up and you see it shimmering, throw in cumin seeds/ jeera and wait for a few seconds for them to start sizzling.

Once the jeera is sizzling and spluttering, add in sliced carrots.

If using frozen peas, drain the thawing peas of all the water. Add peas to the kadhai.

Stir to coat everything in oil. Sprinkle in salt, turmeric/ haldi powder and kashmiri red chili powder. Mix it all in and cover the kadhai with a lid. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook the sabzi covered so that the carrots and peas cook in steam, for the next 10-12 minutes.

Open to check in between, around the 5 minute mark. Stir well to check nothing is sticking or burning at the bottom, if it is, then reduce heat to even lower and add a tablespoon of water. However, this only happens when the carrots are not fresh. Fresh, in season carrots leave water when cooked this way.

While the sabzi is cooking, rinse fresh coriander/ dhaniya leaves. Drain on a cloth kitchen towel and chop to use it at the end.

After checking and stirring, cover with a lid again to let the sabzi cook for another 5-6 minutes.

Once the time has elapsed, uncover and add coriander or sookha dhaniya powder. At this time, check the carrots for done-ness. If they are not soft, cover and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes. If they are tender, stir the coriander powder and cook uncovered for this time.

Garnish and Serve

Once done, sprinkle garam masala and fresh chopped coriander/ dhaniya leaves.

Serve this Gajar Matar ki Sabzi with yogurt and warm parathas, preferably ones with Namak and Ajwain.