SPLIT PEA MASH WITH SAGE BUTTER
Simple stuff, this is a recipe worth trying if you simply want an easy wholesome bowl of nom. “I don't know why, but I really like it,” said Nick upon tasting this dish. It’s not much to look at, but this earthy green mash (think mushy peas crossed with butter beans) is pimped up with the sizzle of pan fried buttery sage — deliciously fresh and vibrant from my garden despite the winter weather. It’s perfect for this time of year, when our Agni is high to keep us warm and it can handle legumes rather well.
Serve a scoop of this mash as a side dish to pickles and roast veggies, or a veg curry, or wherever you use a mash usually, or just load it straight up with veggies as you’re cooking and you’ve got a hearty stew. It’s also delicious with a pinch of smoked paprika or a dash of chilli flakes. Blend in some roasted garlic, lemon, tahini and plenty of extra virgin olive oil, and you have a split pea green hummus mash of sorts. Add several glugs of stock and you have a soup. And of course play with any of the Dosha spice mixes from East by West — it’s super versatile and you can turn leftovers into fried patties the next day. Phew, what can’t this mash do?!
Personally I’d had too many experiences of split peas that remain al dente or even crunchy (!) no matter how long they are cooked until I tried this bicarb of soda soak method, so I can’t recommend skipping it (although you can also try this hot soak method). Also make sure your split peas are freshly packed and haven’t been lurking in the back of the cupboard for years which will also hinder a creamy dish. Make sure you read the East by West tips below for extra know-how when it comes to cooking beans or dried peas.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 6 as a side dish
For the mash
500g dried split green peas, rinsed and soaked overnight with ¼ tsp baking soda* (bicarbonate of soda)
1 garlic clove, bashed
1 bay leaf
¾ tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
3 cups water
A glug of extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of asafoetida/hing
Freshly ground black pepper
For the sage butter
3 tbsp ghee/butter, or your choice of vegetable oil
10 sage leaves, finely chopped, plus whole sage leaves to garnish (if you know people love buttered sage leaves like I do, then make plenty)
METHOD
Drain and rinse the soaked peas.
Place in a saucepan with the garlic and bay, add 3 cups of water and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, lid on.
After 10 minutes, take a look at the peas. If the edges of the peas are starting to go opaque and the cooking liquid is starting to cloud, you’re onto a good thing. If it isn’t, add a ¼ teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to speed the cooking process up.
Continue cooking for 30 to 50 minutes (it really depends on the size and age of the peas) until the peas are very soft, stirring occasionally and adding more water if necessary.
Remove the bay leaf. If there is quite a bit of water then ladle a little out (reserve as a base for soups/gravies), then add a good glug of olive oil.
Use a stick blender or a food processor to make the mash, rough or smooth to your liking — adding a bit of hot water if needs be to get the right consistency. With a stick blender, I find pushing and pulsing the blender into the mash works best rather than whizzing it around in the pot.
In a fresh pan, melt the butter or ghee and on a medium heat, sizzle the whole sage leaves and set aside. Add the chopped sage leaves into the pan with the remaining butter for a quick sizzle then stir most of this sage butter into the mash.
Spoon the mash into a warmed bowl, top with the remaining sage butter, top with the sage leaves and plenty of freshly ground black pepper to garnish and serve immediately.
East by West tips:
*Beans and large dried peas are harder to cook and digest than smaller split peas like red split and mung dal. For this reason, I always soak them first (and definitely always for the whole beans), covering them in water by 2 inches. Adding a quarter teaspoon of baking soda (bicarb of soda) to the soaking liquid is a good idea in case the green split peas are old (you never know how old they were when you bought them or how they were handled — even a frost/growing conditions can affect how quickly the peas break down). Then if they don’t seem to be breaking down quickly when you bring them to boil in fresh water add a quarter teaspoon of baking soda again.
Add some asafoetida/hing or kombu as this will help digest those beans and peas!
If making in a slow cooker, make sure you’ve brought the beans to the boil with some baking soda first before transferring to the slow cooker.
You can also use a pressure cooker for this recipe. I don’t have one as it’s an extra piece of equipment and I don’t eat beans (preferring split lentils) enough to clog up my small kitchen with one!
If you need to reheat this dish, add a splash of water and stir it thoroughly as you slowly bring it up to a simmer, adding more water as necessary. Any leftovers I tend to turn straight into a soup with the addition of veg stock.
