Black-Eyed Peas with Methi leaves

Young Author's Day and a Blog
It was Young Author's Day in DD's class yesterday and really glad was able to make it, it was great fun listening to the stories that these kids had made up. There is a great number of future authors for popular fiction, no doubt about that. Visiting activities at her class have always been fun and relaxing. The only thing they are during weekdays mornings and extreme planning has to go into being able to go. What amazed me most was the patience and respect that they gave to each author who was reading the story. Nobody made a sound or talked to their friends sitting next to them. It is little wonder that there are so many authors in the US and the book stores are filled with so many titles.

Well the downside (or is it upside?) of blogging is that everyone in the house wants to do it too. DD has been bugging me for a while now about starting her own blog. We made a deal that she has to come up with reasons to start her own blog and a name for the blog. The reason was made up in no time, the blog was going to house her poetry and fiction collection and she had a name ready "Cherry Blossoms". After much debate and going back and forth decided it was ok for her to have her own blog but I control the password but the typing and posting will be done by her.


I hit the last batch of Methi leaves that I had planted some time ago and wanted a special dish. NPR Kitchen Window had an article on Crete: Ancient Diet with Modern Message caught my eye, about how they eat the food produced from their land and sharing it with others a little like home. The recipe for Black-Eyed Peas with Fennel sounded like something I could try, but with Methi leaves in place of fennel. Guess any leafy green would work fine. Very few ingredients but very very tasty.


Recipe Source: NPR's Kitchen Window




Black Eyed Peas with Methi
1. 1/2 cup of Methi leaves (chopped both the leaves and stem)
2. 1 Medium Red onion Chopped fine
3. 1 1/2 Black-Eyed Peas soaked overnight
4. 3 garlic cloves chopped
5. 3 green chillies slit lengthwise
6. 1 tsp sambhar powder
7. 3 Red tomatoes chopped
8. 2 tbsps Tomato sauce
9. seasonings (cumin and curry leaves)
10. 1 tsp oil and salt

Method
1. Cook the Black-Eyed Peas on the stove pot till soft.
2. In a pan heat the oil and add the seasonings and the green chillies.
3. Add the onion and saute till translucent
4. Add the garlic and saute for a few minutes.
5. Add the chopped methi leaves and saute till they wilt.
6. Now add the tomatoes and saute till they turn soft and mushy.
7. Add the sambhar powder,salt and the tomato sauce mix.
8. Add the BE peas and cook till the liquid evaporates.

Serve with rice or chappathis.