Green peas and meat stew | Leela Vatena ma Gos

 

Leela Vatena ma Gos | Green Peas and Meat Stew

 

We only ate seasonal vegetables when I was growing up. It was always fresh, with little access to frozen or processed foods. We had no idea how fortunate we were to be eating nutritious meals. Green peas were in season through the winter months in Karachi, and this hearty stew was considered ideal on a chilly night. Eaten with fresh warm rotlis, vegetables cooked with meat and its broth called "ma gos," is a common way most Parsi homes serve up their daily meals. This is thanks to our ancient Persian food culture and heritage, which play an important role in moulding our cuisine.

In time, I have also learned to prepare fried onions in large quantities to freeze and keep for daily use, saving both time and cleaning up. Fresh ginger and garlic are crushed in batches and refrigerated for cooking daily meals. Organising my pantry whenever it is convenient greatly helps me.

 

Serves 6

 

1 tsp oil

1 kg |2.2 lb bone in meat pieces, lamb, mutton, or goat

2 tsp crushed ginger

2 tsp crushed garlic

1 ½ tsp salt

1 ½ tsp cumin powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 cinnamon stick

6 green cardamom pods

4 cloves 

4 black peppercorns

3 green chillies, finely chopped

3 tomatoes, skinned and finely chopped

1 ¼ cup crushed fried onions

1 kg |2.2 lb fresh tender green peas in their pod-cleaned

500 g | 1.1 lb potatoes, peeled and cubed

8 green onions or scallions—cut into large chunks

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh coriander

 

In a pan, heat the oil. Add the pieces of meat and brown them all over. Add the ginger, garlic, salt, cumin, and chilli powders. Stir. Add all the warm spices. After another minute, add the green chillies, tomatoes, and fried onions. Once mixed, add 2 cups of water. Bring it to a boil, cover, lower the heat, and allow it to cook for 45 minutes until the meat is almost tender. Add all the prepared vegetables—fresh green peas, potatoes, green onions, and coriander. Cook this together until the meat is tender and the gravy is thick. Serve hot with fresh, warm rotli.

 

Tips 

Use the entire green onion.

If you must use frozen peas, you will need just 700 g|1 1/2 lb and add it towards the end.

 

 My published cookbooks are available for sale through myself via email, in independent book stores across the world and on Amazon India.

The Route to Parsi Cooking: From Pars to India and Beyond is an award winning book. It has been self published in June 2024. Email at theroutetoparsicooking@gmail.com

The World of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders is a 3 award winning book. It has been self published in July 2019 and will be going into its second print in 2022. 

The Vegetarian Parsi, inspired by tradition is an award winning cookbook. It was published by Spenta Multimedia India and is available on Amazon India and through email order at thevegetarianparsi@gmail.com.

The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine was published in 2016 by Austin Macauley and continues to be available through amazon book depot book depository and from the publishers.