Channa Matar

1/4 cup ghee or vegetable oil
1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Pinch of salt
Pinch of turmeric
Pinch of cumin seeds
2 1/2 Tbsp Spiced Onion Puree
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Pinch of sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garam masala
Dash of paprika
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
2-2 1/2 cups chicken stock
3-4 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1 recipe of Channa, fried and drained, ghee or oil from frying reserved

Using the leftover ghee or oil from frying the channa, fry the potato cubes with a pinch of salt and turmeric. Fry cubes until golden and almost entirely cooked. Remove and set aside to drain.

Heat 1/4 cup ghee or oil in the skillet. Add the cumin seeds and spiced onion and fry gently for about a minute. Add the potatoes back to the pan along with the turmeric, cayenne, ground cumin, salt, and sugar. Cook, stirring regularly, for about 1 to 2 minutes. Add garam masala and paprika and stir to blend well. Remove from the heat and mix in the yogurt. Return to the heat, add the peas, and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add the channa cubes. Sprinkle with the chopped cilatro and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.

Variation: Tofu would probably work pretty well in this recipe instead of the channa. It’ll still need to be cut into a half-inch depth and pressed to get out the extra liquid, then fried. I have no idea whether firm or soft tofu would be used.