Carlin Pea Masala is a modern British recipe for a classic curry of carlin peas in a spiced tomato and seasonal greens base finished with cider vinegar. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Carlin Pea Masala.
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Ingredients:
250g dried carlin peas
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 small thumb root ginger, peeled
1 small bunch fresh coriander, leaves and stems
1-2 green chillies, roughly chopped, seeds and all (depending on heat)
1 tbsp ground coriander seeds
1-2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
6 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 large handfuls shredded seasonal greens
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp cider vinegar
coriander leaves, to garnish
Method:
If you’re starting from dried carlin peas, soak them in a large bowl of water over night, then rinse and simmer them in plenty of water for about 40 to 45 minutes until tender. Drain the peas but reserve 150ml of the cooking liquid for this recipe.
Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan over medium heat and, when hot, add the cumin. Fry, stirring, until aromatic (about 90 seconds), then add the onion and turn down the heat. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring regularly, until golden brown.
Meanwhile, use a food processor or stick blender to process the garlic, ginger, most of the coriander (reserve some for serving) and chillies to a coarse paste.
Transfer this paste to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring so it doesn’t catch on the bottom, then add the ground coriander seeds, chilli powder and turmeric (along with a splash of water to loosen the mixture, if needed). Bring to a simmer and cook for a couple more minutes.
Stir in the chopped tomatoes, then the cooked carlin peas along with the 150ml of their reserved cooking liquid. Season with salt, bring to a bubbling simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes, or until the gravy has thickened.
Stir in the greens, cook for a few minutes until wilted, then add the garam masala and vinegar.
Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly before turning into a warmed bowl and serving garnished with the remaining coriander.
