Peas/Beans Curry

# of servings:  4	Soak Time:  20 mins (optional)
Preparation Time:  5 mins	Cook Time:  20 mins

This versatile, crowd-pleaser delicacy is easy to make and needs very little active time!  This must-try entree can be served with hot rice, roti, chapati or poori. 

Ingredients:

• Pigeon peas (or) Green peas (or) Lima beans  (or) Soybeans/Edamame (or) Garbanzo beans (or) Papdi Lilva beans - 2 cups
• Tomatoes - 2 medium
• Onion - 1 small
• Garlic - 4 pods
• Grated coconut - 1 cup
• Jaggery (or) brown sugar - 1 tsp
• Ginger - 1 inch
• Turmeric root - 1 inch (or) turmeric powder - 0.5 tsp
• Red chilies - 8-10
• Cashews - 1 fistful
• Poppy seeds - 1 tsp
• Coriander seeds - 1.5 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Cloves - 5
• Cinnamon - 1 inch
• Cardamom - 3 pods
• Salt 

Method:

• In half a cup of water, soak the poppy seeds and cashews for at least 20 minutes (optional) 
• To a pressure cooker vessel, add the chosen peas/beans along with salt (just enough for the beans), jaggery, and turmeric ('Pressure' mode for 3 mins. in IP)
• Chop the tomatoes 
• Dice the onions and garlic
• Heat a vessel and dry roast red chilies, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds ('Saute' mode in IP)
• Heat a tbsp of oil in the vessel and add chopped tomatoes ('Saute' mode in IP)
• Grind together soaked poppy seeds, cashews, onion, garlic, coconut, ginger, turmeric, red chilies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and remaining salt 
• When the tomatoes soften, add the ground paste and bring to a gentle boil ('Soup' mode in IP)
• Add the cooked peas/beans and bring to a gentle boil
• Turn off heat and enjoy with hot rotis, pooris, or rice

Tips and Tricks:

• Soaking the poppy seeds helps in grinding it into a smoother paste than a grainy one
• Soaking cashews gives a richer and thicker texture to the gravy
• Adding the salt, jaggery and turmeric to the peas/beans while cooking aids in cooking evenly and in bringing out the natural flavors in the beans
• Chopping the tomatoes small will quicken the time needed to soften them
• Gentle boil will keep the flavors of the spices intact

Pictures: 

Final Outcome: