Serves: 4
Total Calories: 88

1/4 cup dried whole yellow peas (sookhae peelae muttar), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, dry-roasted and coarsely ground
__Dry-Roasting Spices ..........Click the Edit tab and select this entry to learn more.
4 to 5 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
4 black cardamom pods, crush lightly to break the skin
1 stick cinnamon (1-inch), broken lengthwise
1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
6 quarter-sized slices peeled fresh ginger
1 fresh garlic clove (large), peeled
1 fresh green chili pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds
12 to 15 fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/8 teaspoon ground asafoetida
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or lime juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon ajwain seeds, coarsely ground
1/4 teaspoon ground black salt

1. Soak the peas overnight in water to cover by 2 inches. Meanwhile, prepare the cumin seeds. Drain the dried peas and place them in a pressure cooker, along with 4 cups water, salt, cardamom pods, and cinnamon. Secure the lid and cook over high heat until the regulator indicated high pressure, the cook 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and allow the pot to depressurize on its own, 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully open the lid and check to see if the peas are soft if not, add the remaining water, cover, bring up to high pressure, and cook under pressure for 30 seconds. Or, cover and boil until soft, about 30 minutes.

2. In a food processor, process together the tomato, onion, ginger, garlic, green chili pepper, and mint leaves, until smooth. Add the coriander, ground cumin, turmeric, and asafoetida, and process gain to mix well. Transfer to the cooked peas and cook, stirring as needed until most of the juices are absorbed and the sauce is thick, about 20 minutes. Mix in the cilantro and lemon juice.

3. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the ajwain seeds and black salt they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add to the peas and cook another 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the roasted cumin seeds on top, and serve.

From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 4
Total Calories: 88
Calories from Fat: 61

More Recipes from the 1000 Indian Recipes Cookbook:
* Dried Beans, Lentils, and Peas
Basic South Indian Soupy Split Pigeon Peas
Black Beans in Traditional Curry Sauce
Black Chickpeas with Chickpea Masala
Black Chickpeas with Sizzlilng Ginger and Cumin Seeds
Black Urad Beans in a Slow Cooker
Black-Eyed Peas in Yogurt Curry
Canister Chickpeas (or Dried Yellow Peas)
Chickpeas in Traditional Curry Sauce
Chickpeas with Ginger, Garlic, and Chaat Masala
Chickpeas with Spinach and Potato Wedges
Chutney Chickpeas with Tamarind
Classic Kidney Bean Curry with Onions
Classic No-Onion Kidney Bean Curry
Crispy Split Pigeon Pea Cake
Curried Black-Eyed Peas
Dry-Cooked Green Split Peas
Dry-Cooked Red Lentils with Cumin Seeds
Falguni's Gujarati Split Pigeon Peas
Fresh Green Chickpeas with Lentil Nuggets
Garlicky Dried Green Peas Curry
Garlicky Yellow Mung Beans with Zucchini Wheels
Green Lentils with Sautéed Onion
Gujarati Green Mung Beans with Green Masala Paste
Hazram's Soupy Pigeon Peas
Kashmiri Fennel-Flavored Black Urad Beans with Yogurt
Kashmiri Small Red Beans
Madras-Style Pigeon Peas with Vegetables
Mustard-Roasted Adzuki Beans
Parsi Mixed Lentils, Beans, and Vegatables
Pickle-Flavored Chickpeas
Punjabi Black Urad Beans
Punjabi Dry-Cooked Yellow Mung Beans
Punjabi Green Mung Beans with Sizzling Ginger
Punjabi Red Beans with Mango Pickle Masala
Punjabi-Style Split Pigeon Peas
Rajasthani Mixed 5 Beans and Lentils
Red Lentils with Bengali 5-Spices
Roasted Green Lentils with Tomatoes
Roasted Yellow Mung Beans and Potatoes
Sindhi Dry-Cooked Yellow Mung Beans
Small White Beans with Indian Spices
Smoked Black Urad Beans
Soupy Split Pigeon Peas with Jaggery
Spicy Adzuki Beans
Spicy Chickpeas with Pomegranate Seeds
Spicy Dried Yellow Peas
Spicy Dry-Cooked Split Green Mung Beans
Spicy Mixed 5 Beans and Lentils
Spicy Soybeans in Yogurt Sauce
Spicy Split Black Urad Beans with Split Chickpeas
Spit Pigeon Peas with Coconut and Vegetables
Split Urad Beans and Yellow Split Chickpeas with Spinach
Stir-Fried Black Urad Beans
White Urad Beans with Fresh Lemon Juice
White Urad Beans with Roasted Fenugreek Leaves
Yellow Mung Beans with Fresh Curry Leaves
Yellow Mung Beans with Sautéed Onion and Ginger
Yellow Split Chickpeas with Spinach
Yellow Split Chikpeas with Opo Squash