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Lilva tuvar nu shaak
Green pigeon pea curry
લીલવા તુવેરનું શાક: fresh green pigeon peas in a ginger, green chilli and coriander masala
From December to February, Gujarati markets fill with fresh tuvar pods, and families in Surat, Vadodara and Ahmedabad spend evenings shelling them for lilva dishes. This simple shaak cooks the sweet, nutty green pigeon peas with ginger, green chilli, ajwain and a fistful of coriander, with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of sugar for the classic Gujarati balance. Eat it with bajra rotla, rotli or khichdi. The usual mistake is cooking the peas too long, which turns them grey and floury; they should stay green and tender. Chef's tip: frozen lilva from Indian grocers work well outside the season; add them straight from frozen and shorten the cooking time.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
- ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida
- 3 cloves garlic (optional)crushed
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 14 oz fresh or frozen green pigeon peas (lilva tuvar)shelled
- ¾ cup water
- 1 ½ tsp coriander-cumin powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 ⅜ oz fresh corianderfinely chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat the 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy pan over a medium heat. Add the ½ tsp ajwain (carom seeds) and ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida and let them sizzle for 10 seconds.
1 minStep 2: Add the 2 tbsp green chilli and ginger paste and 3 cloves garlic and fry for 1 minute until the raw smell goes. Stir in the ½ tsp ground turmeric.
2 minStep 3: Add the 14 oz fresh or frozen green pigeon peas (lilva tuvar) and stir to coat for 2 minutes. Pour in the ¾ cup water, cover and cook over a medium-low heat for 10–12 minutes (5–6 if frozen), stirring once.
12 minStep 4: Check a pea: it should squash easily but still be bright green. Add the 1 ½ tsp coriander-cumin powder, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar and cook uncovered for 2–3 minutes until most of the liquid has gone.
3 minStep 5: Stir in the 1 ⅜ oz fresh coriander and 1 tbsp lemon juice, cook 30 seconds and serve hot with rotla or rotli.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lilva tuvar nu shaak take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of gluten-free asafoetida?
- A pinch each of garlic powder and onion powder (asafoetida stands in for onion and garlic).
- What can I use instead of green chilli and ginger paste?
- Grated fresh ginger, same amount.
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