Indian vegetable - Green Peas/Matar/Hare Matar/Pachai Pattani/Vatana - (GLOSSARY) - What are green peas?, Flavour and Culinary uses of Green peas in Indian cooking, Homemade frozen peas, How to purchase and store green peas?

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Green Peas Uses/Matar Uses/Hare Matar Images/Pachai Pattani Uses/Vatana Uses/Peas/Garden Peas/English Peas/Sweet Peas/Matar Peas

Green Peas

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ABOUT - "GREEN PEAS"

Green peas, also known as Peas, Garden peas, English peas or Sweet peas in English, Pachai Pattani in Tamil, and Matar or Hare Matar in Hindi. The scientific name of the green pea plant is Pisum Sativum and belongs to the family of Fabaceae.

Botanically, the green pea plant is a herbaceous vine and it has been in cultivation for hundreds of years. It is a cool-season crop grown for its edible pod-shaped vegetable and that contains edible green seeds.

A pea, although treated as a vegetable in cooking, it is botanically a fruit, since they contain seeds and is developed from the ovary of a (pea) flower.

Green Peas

APPEARANCE OF GREEN PEA/MATAR/PACHAI PATTANI

The green pea plant is a quick-growing, annual herbaceous vine that requires trellis to support healthy growth. It is a cool-season vegetable crop and with proper maintenance, it produces matured edible seedpods. Each seedpod contains evenly lined several seeds and these seeds are called PEA. The peas are all in green colour and that is why it is called GREEN PEAS.

Green peas are small spherical seeds, medium green coloured with a smooth texture.

Green Peas

FEW INDIAN REGIONAL OR VERNACULAR NAMES FOR GREEN PEAS

Tamil name – Pachai Pattani.

Hindi name – Matar/Hare Matar.

Telugu name – Pachi Batani.

Malayalam name – Pachai Pattani.

Urdu name – Matar.

Bengali name – Bara Matar.

Gujarati name – Vatana.

Kashmiri name – Matar.

Odia name – Matara.

Punjabi name – Matar.

FLAVOUR OF GREEN PEAS/PACHAI PATTANI/HARE MATAR/VATANA

Fresh green peas have a sweet and starchy taste and are also nutty in texture. The boiled or steamed green peas will taste sweeter and smoother in texture.

INDIAN CULINARY USES OF GREEN PEAS/PACHAI PATTANI/HARE MATAR/VATANA

Fresh green peas/pachai Pattani/hare matar is a seasonal vegetable. It is widely available in the month of November-February. Even though frozen or dried peas are available around the year, the best time to relish green peas is during the season.

In earlier times, green peas were grown mostly for their dry seeds. However, in recent times, green peas are used variably from simply boiled peas to various curries across Indian states.

Green peas are easy to cook with as well as versatile ingredients. It can be added to a variety of dishes like RISE-BASED RECIPES LIKE PULAO and BIRYANI, STIR-FRIES, CURRIES, KURMA, SOUP and many more.

Pachai Pattani Sundal (Green Peas Sundal)

In the picture - Pattani Sundal/Pachai Pattani Sundal/Green Peas Sundal

For the detailed Pattani Sundal/Pachai Pattani Sundal/Green Peas Sundal. Kindly, click the below link -

🔗Pattani Sundal/Pachai Pattani Sundal/Green Peas Sundal

Fresh green peas can be used to make various INDIAN STREET FOODS including CHAATS.

FOR EXAMPLE

GREEN PEAS KACHORI, ALOO and PEAS SAMOSA, PEAS MASALA FOR CHAAT, PEAS PAKORA etc.

TIP

FLAVOURFUL CAMBO = GREEN PEAS + POTATO.

(You can find potato and green peas combinations in most Indian street foods).

Fresh green peas are also added to many non-vegetarian dishes like KEEMA (MINCED MUTTON), MUTTON and CHICKEN CURRIES, KURMAS, STUFFINGS etc.

HOME-MADE FROZEN GREEN PEAS

How to make frozen peas at home?

Generally, Indians across different states would like to preserve green peas before the end of the green peas season. They prefer the frozen technique to preserve green peas.

Here below is the simple method to freeze green peas -

  • Remove the seeds from the pods, rinse in 2-3 exchanges of water;
  • Boil the water in a large wide pan, once it reaches boiling point, drop the green peas;
  • When the green peas float on top (takes 2-3 minutes), remove them from fire and strain immediately;
  • Run the blanched green peas in cold water to arrest further cooking;
  • Spread the peas in the kitchen towel and allow to cool and pat-dry the moisture completely;
  • Store them in a Ziploc bag. Freeze it. Use them as required.

Tip 1

Do not store green peas in bulk quantity in a single bag. Divide them into a few portions and use Ziploc bags size accordingly.

Tip 2

Do mark the date on storage bags. 

Green pea is one of the healthiest ingredients and has been part of the human diet for hundreds of years. We should try to include green peas in our diet during the season.

The above is some of the recipe ideas using fresh green peas. You could innovatively use green peas in your cooking.

Green Peas

TIPS TO BUY AND STORE GREEN PEAS/MATAR/HARE MATAR/VATANA/PACHAI PATTANI

Fresh green pea is a seasonal vegetable and it is widely available in the months of November-February. Even though dried peas and frozen peas are easily available around the year, the best time to relish green peas is in the season.

You can buy fresh green peas from the local vegetable sellers, organic stores and also the online market.

When buying fresh green peas, look for freshness, and light green coloured and pick the plump pods without any wrinkles. Additionally, do choose the pod with enough seeds and avoid empty pods.

HOW TO STORE GREEN PEAS/PEAS/PACHAI PATTANI?

You can easily store fresh green peas in the refrigerator for a few days. For that, place the unshelled and unwashed green peas in a plastic bag and refrigerate them. This method suits green peas in small quantities. If you are buying green peas in bulk quantities, do choose a frozen method to store them, as I mentioned earlier in this article.

Note

When you store shelled green peas in the refrigerator, they will sprout.

Or,

When you store shelled and washed green peas in the refrigerator, they spoil quickly.

HAPPY COOKING!
with better ingredients for better food.


Do try the recipe using "Fresh Green Peas/Pachai Pattani"

🔗Pachai Pattani Sundal/Fresh Green Peas Stir Fry

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