Vatano ani kooka Gashi/Green Peas and Chinese Potato Curry.

Vatano ani Kooka ghalnu Gashi / Green Peas and Chinese Potato Semi Spicy Curry .......

Kooka is called Chinese Potato in English available during winter season in southern parts of India. These are small in size and have a lot of mud stuck to it on the surface. One needs patience to clean these potatoes. But these have a very distinct taste of their own and are tasty even when added / combined with other vegetables or pulses. These are also finely sliced and made into simple bhaji / upkari that taste very good with Dal-Chawal. Here I have combined it with vatano ie Green Pease and prepared Gashi a semi spicy curry. This curry goes well with rice or roti / chapati. 

Shell and collect about 3 cups of green peas. Wash and keep them ready aside.

Clean the Kooka / Chinese Potato and peel off the skin, cut them into medium sized pieces and wash in plenty of water and keep this ready. You can just cut them into two pieces if the kooka is small sized or keep them whole if very small in size.

Add in both kooka / Chinese Potato and Green peas in a pressure pan with 2 cups of water and pressure cook to 1 whistle only. You can cook this directly in a vessel too. The green peas or kooka should not become mushy or over cooked. So release the pressure with the help of a long spatula gently. Do not stay close while you do this. Then gently remove the lid and allow the steam to pass off so that the vegetables cool down and further cooking gets arrested. Remove it in a vessel. 

To be ground : Grind to a fine paste 1 heaped cup of freshly grated coconut with 5-6 kashmiri Red chilly, 1 tsp jeera and a small marble sized piece of tamarind. Do not add excess water. When the paste is fine and done remove and add it to the cooked green peas and kooka in the vessel and mix well.

Add salt to taste and water if the consistency of the gravy is too thick. Bring all to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Remove and keep aside.

For Tempering : Heat 1 tblsp oil in a small pan. When hot add 1 tsp of mustard seeds, when they splutter add 7-8 fresh curry leaves, fry a bit and pour over the curry. 

Mix well, cover and keep aside for 5-10 minutes for the seasoning to get absorbed into the gravy. Serve with Rice, Roti, Paratha or any other accompaniment of your choice.