Mushy Pea Curry – don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!

I won’t lie, it took me about 4 years from hearing about this recipe to being brave enough to actually give it a go!

I love mushy peas and I love curry but I simply couldn’t get my head around how the two would work together.  I’m not a fussy eater and will give anything a go (apart from fresh tomatoes of which I have a life long real phobia but that’s another story!) but I took my time to work up to giving mushy pea curry a whirl and I have my niece to thank for giving me the final push as she’d made it, the whole family enjoyed it (even the kids) and it had become a firm family favourite.  I decided to give it a try because if a 3 year old and a 5 year old were happy to eat it, it surely couldn’t be that weird and I’m so glad I did!  

It’s now one of my ’emergency meals’ – something that I can knock up in 20 minutes from store cupboard staples and using the base recipe, you can adapt each time depending on what you have in.

“I hate mushy peas though”

I’ve heard this from so many people – it appears mushy peas are a bit like marmite, you either love them or hate them.  

BUT, even if you are in the ‘hater’ category, I’ll still challenge you to give this recipe a go – I’ve come across many people who don’t like mushy peas but absolutely love this recipe.

Ingredients – base recipe (2 large portions)

• 1 tin of mushy peas
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
•  I tbsp of curry powder (add as much or as little as you like depending on your taste)
• 1 tsp of garlic granules (or 1 clove finely chopped)
• 1 onion (finely chopped)

Make it your own – added extras

The beauty of this recipe is you can throw in anything else you fancy.  Suggestions are:

Sliced carrots, chopped mushrooms, chopped peppers, sliced leeks, leftover chicken, chickpeas – I think every time I’ve made it, I’ve added in different things depending on what’s in the cupboard or fridge.

Method

Step 1

Chop up your onion and whatever other vegetables you are using 

Add a splash of water and the curry powder and garlic to a large pan and place on a medium heat.

Add the vegetables to the pan and let simmer for about 10 minutes 

Step 2

Add the chopped tomatoes.  

Fill the empty tin to about 1/4 will water and pour into the pan.

Give it a good stir and allow to cook for another 5 mins

Step 3

Add the whole tin of mushy peas and stir through.

Cook for another 5 minutes

The finished article!

I kept this one vegetarian friendly and added chopped carrots, chopped mushrooms, a bit of courgette that needed using up as well the end of an aubergine.

To Serve

Even though the curry is packed with veg already, I always add extra to the plate and one of my favourites is roasted cauliflower – this is tandoori spiced (literally chop cauliflower into florets, spray with low calorie spray oil and sprinkle with seasoning of your choice and place in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes).

A portion of rice sprinkled with nigella seeds (I love nigella seeds both for the taste and they are really good for you!)

So, my advice – if you’ve not tried this dish before, just give it a go and you may surprise yourself!  Plus you’ve added a quick and easy ’emergency meal’ to your repertoire and can fall back on this when time is short (plus its a great budget friendly meal too!).

I’d love to hear from you if you do give it a go!

For more information on any of my meal planning or weight loss coaching services, please get in touch with me at georgina@mealplansmadeeasy.co.uk or phone 07843 442607