Matar is a vegetarian everyday dish in north India usually containing paneer (Asian type of cheese) and served with rice and an Indian type of bread (naan, paratha, roti, etc).

Since we don't do dairy and I can't eat tofu I left the paneer out of the recipe. Also, I just make more of the matar instead of serving it with rice or bread.

Though it might sound strange for two expats living in Asia that we don't eat rice very often and gluten-containing products such as bread are no longer on the menu either.

Why all these restrictions you might wonder. Eliminating dairy and gluten from our diet while upping our intake of whole, fresh, organic plant-based products has enabled us to conquer our health issues without any meds.

And to be honest, Indian stews taste just fine without the addition of all those ingredients.

But let's get back to the matar, which means green peas. So that will be the base of this yummy weeknight dish!

INDIAN-STYLE VEGAN MATAR ALLA AMY

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 2)

1/4 cup raw cashew nuts, soaked
2 cups green peas (fresh or frozen)
1 carrot, chopped
1.5 cup celery, finely chopped
1-2 green chili peppers (or chili paste to taste), finely chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1.5 cup tomato, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
2 cloves
2 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
A piece of a cinnamon stick
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 cup water
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Fresh chopped parsley to taste

DIRECTIONS

Soak cashews at least for 4 hours. Overnight is best. If you forgot you could also soak them in boiling hot water for 30-60 minutes. Blend the soaked cashew with a little water until a smooth paste.
Heat cooking oil and fry cloves, cardamon, cinnamon until fragrant. this will take about 30 seconds. Stir/toss constantly to make sure they don't burn.
Stir in green chili, ginger, and garlic. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute more before adding the onion. Cook until the onion is translucent.
Then add tomatoes, carrot, celery, green peas, water, blended cashews, turmeric, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper. Stir well, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes. Or until carrots are soft.
Divide over bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.