PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOKING TIME: 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
COURSE: Main Course
SERVES: 4 persons
Nimona is a typical UP dish which can be made both with green peas and green gram (chana). I tasted Nimona for the first time after my marriage, at my in-law’s place. I liked Nimona so much that I soon started making it. Some of you may not have tasted it but Nimona is a dish worth trying. You can make Nimona anytime when fresh peas are available but the best Nimona is made from peas at the end of the season – when the seeds are a bit hard and not so sweet.
The recipe for making Nimona is very simple; very few spices are used but the dish tastes awesome. Traditionally, only peas or green gram were used for making Nimona but slowly people started adding potatoes to the peas/gram. I prefer adding paneer which, I think, makes the Nimona taste better. You can use either potatoes or paneer. I season the Nimona with tomatoes but some people season Nimona with curd or amchoor. Here, again, you can make your choice. You can serve Nimona with roti, pooris or rice but when serving Nimona with rice, you have to keep the gravy a little thin.
INGREDIENTS:
1. Matar dana – 1 bowl (crushed coarsely)
2. Paneer – 150 gm
3. Ghee – 2tbsp or ghee-1tbsp+oil-1tbsp
4. Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
5. Hing -1/2 tsp
6. Garam masala – ½ tsp
7. Fresh coriander Chopped - 2 tbsp ( for garnishing)
INGREDIENTS FOR MASALA PASTE:
1. Onions sliced- 1big
2. Ginger – 1/2 inch
3. Garlic- 4-5 cloves
4. Tomato -1
5. Coriander powder – 1 tsp
6. Turmeric powder – ¾ tsp
7. Red chilli powder- 1-2 tsp
8. Salt to taste
METHOD:
1. Put matar dana in a grinder. Grind to a coarse paste. Do not add water while grinding. Keep the paste aside.
2. Now put all the masala paste ingredients in a grinder jar and make a fine paste.
3. Take 2 tablespoons ghee in a pan and heat till it.
4. Add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and hing. Let the spices crackle and splutter.
5. Now add the ground masala paste.
6. Mix well and sauté, stirring occasionally. Sauté till you see oil being released from the sides and the paste becomes lumpy and starts gathering around.
7. Mix the green peas with the masala. Sauté it until oil starts being released from the sides.
8. Add paneer cubes. Mix well.
9. Add 1.5 to 2 cups of water. You can add less or more water, as required.
10. Mix well.
11. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer till the green peas are cooked. This takes about 10 to 11 minutes on a low to medium flame. After 5-7 minutes stir the paste. If you feel the water is less, you can add some more water.
12. Once the gravy is done, you will see oil floating on top and the peas will be cooked.
13. Now add garam masala and coriander leaves. Mix well. Serve hot with chapati or rice.
TIPS:
1. Always use ripe peas, which gives nice taste to the nimona.
2. Some people mash the peas to a smooth creamy mixture but I like to keep them slightly intact. You can do either.
3. If you are serving with chapatti make the nimona a little thick and if you are serving with rice you can dilute the gravy a bit.
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