Green Peas

Peas are a delight to eat and a task to shell. In warm winter sun, you will often find women huddled over bags of peas shelling them while bonding together. Shelled peas are convenient and they upgrade a dish by volumes in a matter of seconds. Add shelled peas to your everyday rice and voila you have sumptuous matar pulav ready in minutes. Throw peas in any recipe and they super size nutrition besides enhancing taste of the dish. Many people love to munch on shelled fresh peas.

Frozen or fresh

However, shelling peas is a time consuming task, which has made frozen peas an instant hit. Almost every refrigerator will have a bag in the freezer, as it is much more than a side dish, actually a meal in making. Yet, sometimes we are skeptical while using them thinking if they have as much the goodness as the fresh ones’.

The verdict is out. Frozen peas are as good as fresh and often better, as they are frozen the moment they are picked, retaining their texture and sweet taste. Frozen peas typically have about 60% more carotene than ‘fresh’ peas (that have been exposed to light during their trip to the market and while awaiting sale) You do not even need to cook them; just defrost for a salad or heat through while adding to cooked dishes.

Timeless appeal

Archaeologists and historians have unearthed peas in ancient tombs and have found dated pictures and writings discussing the virtues of the pea. They think the garden pea originated in either China or Egypt.

What’s in store?

Often we get what we see, it’s not the case with peas. Humble petite peas are nutritional goldmine. They provide good amounts of 8 vitamins, 7 minerals, dietary fiber and protein. Include green peas in your diet and they are going to supercharge your health.

• Helping You Bone Up. When it comes to building bones, it is hard to think beyond calcium, which inevitably hovers around dairy. But, calcium does not function alone. Green peas are good source of vitamin K1, which activates osteocalcin, the major non-collagen protein in bone. Osteocalcin anchors calcium molecules inside of the bone.
• Help your heart by passing the peas, please. Folic acid and vitamin B6 in peas are supportive of cardiovascular health. In fact, folic acid is so important for cardiovascular function that a major 1995 study concluded that 400 micrograms per day of folic acid could prevent 28,000 cardiovascular deaths per year in the United States. The contributions of green peas to heart health do not stop there. The vitamin K featured in green peas is instrumental to the body’s healthy blood clotting ability.
• Bye-bye fatigue. Green peas are one of the important foods to include in your diet if you often feel fatigued and sluggish. That is because they provide nutrients that help support the energy-producing cells and systems of the body.
• Iron advantage. Green peas are also a good source of iron, a mineral necessary for normal blood cell formation and function, whose deficiency results in anemia, fatigue, decreased immune function, and learning problems.
• Super antioxidant vitamin C. In addition, green peas are a very good source of vitamin C, which protects many energy-producing cells and systems in the body from free radical damage. Body tissues with particularly high vitamin C requirements include the adrenal glands, ocular lens, liver, immune system, connective tissues, and fats circulating in the blood.

Recipe

Peas curry with a twist

This curry cannot be made in a hurry. The ingredients are the usual ones—

• Shelled peas—two cups
• 3 medium size potatoes boiled, peeled and cut in cubes.
• Onions—1 medium
• Garlic clove—five pieces
• Ginger—1/2 inch
• Tomatoes—2
• Spices—coriander, turmeric, cumin and chilly powder combined one and half tsp
• Garam masala—a pinch

Method

• Boil peas in a little water for five to seven minutes till they are soft.
  Grind them in a grinder in a coarse paste. You will have the paste ready in five seconds.
• Grind together onion, ginger, tomatoes and garlic.
• Heat oil in a wok and gently sauté potatoes. Keep them aside.
• Now add the wet paste, also add spices and keep stirring at a low flame so that it doesn’t burn.
• When the moisture evaporates fold in peas along with a cup of water. Add potatoes and allow the curry to simmer for five to ten minutes. Keep stirring it off and on.
• Add pinch of garam masala to the curry before it leaves the stove.
  Enjoy hot with rotis or steamed rice.

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