Rosie Sykes' budget recipes with frozen peas

Cooked when picked and frozen shortly after, frozen peas retain all the sweet, fresh flavor of the vegetable. They are very comforting and easy to transform into all kinds: pea soup, for example, takes only a few minutes, while peas mashed with a good dose of butter or olive oil go well with everything, from fish sticks to poached eggs, or even mixed into pasta. - the possibilities are limitless. Frozen peas are essential when cooking on a budget, so even if you only have a cooler, be sure to keep a small bag of peas in there at all times.

Pav bhaji with peas and potatoes (photo top)

This deliciously spoonable/spreadable curry eaten on buns (pav) is one of the most popular street food in mumbai. I was introduced to it by my baker friend, Adam, although this version is simpler than his, mainly to keep costs down. If you can get pav bhaji masala powder, so much the better - its hallmark is mango powder, which I've replaced here with lemon zest and juice.

Prep 15minCook 35minServes 4

3 potatoes, peeled and cut into 3cm cubesSea salt and black pepper½ tsp ground turmeric300g baby potatoes frozen peas35g butter1 tbsp oil2 medium onions, peeled and finely diced1 fresh red chilli1 red, yellow or green bell pepper, stem, pith and seeds removed, flesh finely diced (or 120g frozen sliced ​​bell peppers, thawed and a little chopped) 4 tomatoes, finely diced Zest and juice of ½ lemon 20 g fresh coriander, finely chopped stems, coarsely chopped leaves 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp garam masala, or pav bhaji masala a pinch of chili powder 4 white buns, halved a good dose of salt, a little black pepper and turmeric. Bring to a boil, then simmer until tender - keep an eye on the water in the pan, as you don't want it boiling dry; likewise, you don't want to strain yourself a lot of water at the end. When the potatoes crumble, add the peas and, if they seem dry, a little more water, cook for another five minutes, then strain the cooking juices into a bowl and set aside. Coarsely mash the potatoes and peas.

Meanwhile, heat 15g butter and the oil in a second medium-sized pan, then add all the onions except for a heaped tablespoon and a little salt. Once they begin to sizzle, lower the heat, cover, and cook for six to eight minutes, to soften. Check them from time to time: if they take on a lot of color (a little is enough), stir with a little water. Once the onions are tender, add the chilli, minced pepper, tomato, lemon zest and coriander stems, increase the heat and cook, stirring regularly for a few minutes. Once the tomatoes are nicely softened, add the ginger-garlic paste, stir for a minute, then stir in three-quarters of a tablespoon of garam masala and cook for another minute or two.

Add the reserved cooking liquor, then stir in the mash and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture has a loose, spreadable consistency that will spread nicely over the bread. Add a few tablespoons of water to loosen, if needed, simmer for a few minutes, so all the flavors intensify, then stir in the lemon juice and season to taste.

Let the curry sit over low heat while you melt the rest of the butter in a large skillet. Reserve a third of the melted butter, stir in the remaining quarter tablespoon of garam masala and chili powder to the rest, then drop the cut buns into the spiced butter, to absorb it, and heat through.

Stir the chopped coriander into the curry and pour the reserved melted butter on top.

Drop some curry on top of the base. 'a roll, garnish with some reserved raw onion, cilantro, an optional squeeze of lemon and the lid of the roll, then tuck in.

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