Potatoes with Peas

Tonight I am anxious to try out my new Indian cookbook. We will eat potatoes and peas with cumin, and Naan. There are lots of recipes for Naan, and I will probably make it tonight but it is never as good as what you get from a restaurant--or even the store because you just can't simulate a tandoori oven.

That sounds a little starchy so I will also serve a cucumber with a little lemon juice and cilantro sprinkled over it and plain yogurt.

First, I will wash and cube about one potato per person. This cannot be done too far in advance, because the potatoes discolor. You can keep them in a bowl of cold water about an hour before you plan too cook them.

Finely chop 2 Tbl garlic and 2 Tbl fresh ginger together.

For 4-5 potatoes, Add 2 tsp cumin seeds into a large skillet with 2 Tbl of oil. Roast until darkened. Add the garlic and ginger, a sliced chili, 2 tsp turmeric, 1/4 cup of tomato paste and the potatoes. Then cover with 2 and 1/2 cups of water, bring to a boil, cover and cook. Add the peas when the potatoes are almost done. The recipe calls for shelled peas, I am going to use sugar snap. It also cooks them longer but we like crisp vegies. The peas to potato portion is almost equal. Decide what you prefer. Stir occasionally, you may need to add more water. Sprinkle with cilantro. This would also be nice if you substituted spinach for the peas, adding it just at the end to soften.

One reason why this book appealed to me, besides the fact that Kevin and I had one of our first dates at an Indian restaurant, is that all the recipes are quick and easy. Six ingredients. Perfect for busy families.