Green Pea Vadiyan (Dumpling) Curry / Nimona

Step 1: Prepare Green Pea Paste for Vadiyan

In a blender jar, combine 1.5 cups fresh green peas, 1 bunch coriander leaves, 3 green chilies, 2 red chilies, 1 inch ginger piece, and 1 tsp salt. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water if needed and blend to a coarse paste. Transfer the paste to a bowl.

Step 2: Form Vadiyan Mixture

Set aside 1 tablespoon of the green pea paste. To the remaining paste in the bowl, add 3-4 tsp besan (gram flour) and mix well to form a thick, binding mixture.

Step 3: Boil Gravy Ingredients

In a large pan, add 0.5 glass of water. Add 2 cut onions, 4-5 cut tomatoes, 15-20 garlic cloves, 1 inch ginger piece, 15-20 green pea pods, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 small green cardamoms, 15-20 black peppercorns, and 4 cloves. Bring to a boil and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 10-15 minutes.

Step 4: Steam Vadiyan

While the gravy ingredients are boiling, place a steamer plate over the pan. Drop small, irregular portions of the besan-pea paste onto the steamer plate to form vadiyan (dumplings). Cover the pan and steam for 8-10 minutes until the vadiyan are firm. Remove the steamed vadiyan and set aside to cool.

Step 5: Prepare Gravy Paste

Once the gravy ingredients are soft, carefully remove them from the boiling water using a slotted spoon and transfer them to a blender jar. Add about 0.5 cup of the boiling water from the pan to the blender. Blend to a smooth paste.

Step 6: Cook the Gravy Base

Heat 2 tbsp mustard oil in a clean pan until it smokes. Add 0.5 tsp cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add the blended gravy paste to the pan. Cook on low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the oil separates from the masala, about 5-7 minutes.

Step 7: Add Spices and Peas to Gravy

Add 0.25 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp red chili powder, 0.5 tsp cumin powder, and salt to taste. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then, add the 1 tablespoon of green pea paste that was set aside earlier and the boiled green peas (shelled from the pods). Mix and cook for another minute.

Step 8: Simmer Gravy with Vadiyan

Add 1 glass of water to the gravy to achieve desired consistency. Bring it to a boil. Once boiling, gently add the steamed vadiyan to the gravy. Cover the pan and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes to allow the vadiyan to absorb the flavors.

Step 9: Final Touches and Serve

In a separate small pan, heat 1 tbsp ghee. Add this hot ghee to the curry. Sprinkle 0.5 tsp garam masala over the curry and mix gently. Serve hot with chapati, paratha, or jeera rice.

• Adjust the spice level of green chilies and red chili powder according to your preference.

• Ensure the gravy ingredients are well-boiled and soft before blending for a smooth paste.

• Do not over-fry the vadiyan; a light fry is sufficient to prevent them from breaking in the gravy.

• For a richer gravy, add a tablespoon of fresh cream or cashew paste at the end.

• You can add other vegetables like potatoes or paneer along with the vadiyan for more variety.