Peas Pulao with Sai Bhaji

'Sai Bhaji' is a traditional sindhi dish that is made with Spinach, yellow split peas(chana dal) and a combination of everyday vegetables like onions, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, bottle gourd and so on. We love to have this dish with Peas pulao.

This dish is also very easy and quick to make if you have the vegetables at hand. And when I am not in the mood of making chapatis and I have spinach at hand, I quickly dish out this healthy combo.

To make Sai Bhaji, I used-

1 bunch of fresh Spinach

1 cup Yellow Split Peas(chana dal), soaked for 1/2 an hr in water

1 big Onion, chopped

2 Tomatoes, chopped

1 big Potato, chopped

1 cup chopped Bottle Gourd

2 Green chillies, chopped

1/2 tsp grated Ginger

1 tsp chopped Garlic

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1/2 tsp Turmeric Pwdr

1/2 tsp Red Chilli Pwdr

1 tsp Coriander Pwdr

1/2 tsp Cumin Pwdr

1/2 tsp Garam Masala Pwdr

1 tbsp oil

Salt

Method-

First of all clean the spinach, remove the stalks and wash well and then chop it and keep aside.

(You can also add methi leaves and dill leaves if you have them. Wash and chop them and add with the spinach.)

Heat Oil in a Pressure Cooker. Add the cumin seeds.

After they splutter add ginger, garlic and green chillies.

Then put in the onions and saute well.

Add the tomatoes next.

Also add salt, turmeric and all the powdered masalas at this stage.

Do not overcook the tomatoes.

Put in the potatoes and bottle gourd.

(Sometimes I use potatoes only. As we are not very fond of bottle gourd and eggplant. But you can also add carrots and green beans)

Also add the chana dal at this point.

After roasting all the veggies and the dal for sometime, put in the spinach.

Saute for a couple of mins and add 1/2 a glass of water and put the lid of the cooker and pressure cook it for 2 whistles.

Let the pressure drop on its own.

Then open the lid and churn the vegetable with a wooden churner, till the vegetable is well blended.

And its ready to serve.

For the Peas Pulav-

1 cup Basmati Rice

1/2 cup Green peas, selled and rinsed.

2 cups water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin seeds

A pinch of Turmeric

Pick and rinse the rice and soak it in water for 1/2 an hour.

Heat Oil in a pan. Splutter the cumin seeds. Add turmeric.

Put in the green peas. Saute.

Drain the water from the rice.

Add the rice to the pan and saute well for 5 mins.

Then add water and salt.

Let the rice cook on medium flame till it is nice and fluffy.

Serve it hot with Sai Bhaji.