How to make Romy Gill’s green pea sabzi

It’s the vegetable everyone’s got in their freezer – turn yours into a delicious side dish, writes Romy Gill

Lean and green: best served alongside a paratha flatbread (Ed Law )

Growing up in India when I did, my parents didn’t freeze food to keep it for longer. 

I was used to pickling things in order to preserve them, or turning them into chutneys, or fermenting them. I also remember my mum prolonged things by making syrups too. 

So after I moved to the UK, I discovered the frozen aisles in supermarkets with a wide range of frozen ingredients. 

The concept of frozen vegetables was new to me.  Back home, peas were something we enjoyed helping our mum or dad take out of the pod. They were very fresh and in season.

In the UK, however, a bag of frozen peas is something practically everyone will all have in their freezer, regardless of when they’re in season. And you won’t have to shell them either. 

This green pea recipe, also known as matar ki, is a great side dish and can be eaten with a paratha.

Matar ki sabzi

5tsp oil  

1tsp cumin seeds

150g white onion, sliced thinly

6g garlic, sliced thinly

2 green chillies chopped, seeds in

1tsp ground turmeric

1tsp salt  

2tsp ground coriander  

150ml coconut milk  

300g frozen peas (washed in cold water and then drained)

handful of fresh coriander chopped  

Heat oil in a pan over a medium heat, add cumin seeds once they start to pop, then add sliced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the sliced onions and green chillies, cook for 6-7 minutes. Make sure to stir the onions.

Add ground turmeric, salt, and ground coriander, mix and cook for a minute. Next add frozen peas and cook for 2 minutes.

Once the peas are coated in the mixture add the coconut milk, lower heat and cover the pan with a lid and cook for 3-4 minutes. Just before switching the heat add the coriander and stir into the peas.

Serve hot with roti, rice or with pitta bread. Cut the pitta breads in half to make pockets and fill with the sabzi.

Romy Gill is a chef and food writer. Her debut book ‘Zaika’ is available to buy now. Follow her @romygill