Sauteed Green Peas

Are you looking for a simple, quick side dish for your Thanksgiving dinner? Sauteed Peas or Sauteed green peas are just perfect for any occasion, any menu. One of the quickest side dish that takes 5 minutes only. This sauteed peas recipe is also naturally vegan, gluten-free.

I love green peas. In fact, I have a soft inclination for green color vegetables like spinach, kale, etc. The dark green color is just too irresistible for me. Fresh green peas are harvested in winters especially. You may make these sauteed peas with either fresh ones or frozen green peas.

These are abundantly available in winters especially from November to February. Those peas are tasty with a hint of natural sweetness. Off season peas lose the taste, aroma, and that fresh sweet flavor.

So the best way I take more fresh peas in season and remove them from pods and freeze them in a ziplock pouch for months. Though it may not last for more than 1 or 2 months (maximum in my case) depending on the quantity I use in my everyday cooking. 🙂

Green peas – Nutrition & Health Benefits

Being a student of Nutrition and Health Education, I do look for nutritional values in my everyday food as these are the sources to keep our body and mind healthy by providing all required vitamins, minerals, essential nutrients naturally.

Botanically peas are considered as fruits as they contain seeds and develop from the ovary of the plant. But again this is used as a vegetable in our cooking. So here the seeds (green peas) and the pods (the outer covering) both are edible. Many times we use only the peas and throw away the outer covering. But both are edible and have a natural sweetness.

Nutritional Values of Green Peas

Peas are high in fiber, low in fat, and high in plant protein. This has zero cholesterol. These are the powerhouse of vitamins and minerals. This superfood is loaded with vitamin A, B1, B6, C, K. Just like cruciferous vegetables, this also provides a maximum amount of Vitamin K to our body. Research says that 1 cup of boiled peas provides 46% daily recommended amount of vitamin K.

Health Benefits of Peas

High protein, fiber, loads of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and the phytonutrients present in green peas provide numerous health benefits. It keeps bones and muscles strong. Helps and improves the digestive system.

Also, peas help in weight loss (low calories, zero cholesterol vegetable) and in the maintenance of proper body weight. It also helps in preventing cancer, diabetes, heart diseases. Read a detailed article on the nutrition and health benefits of green peas.

How to preserve green peas (Frozen Green Peas)?

As we know, winter is the season when you get good quality peas. To preserve the peas is a quick and easy process. In 4 steps I will make this simple.

• Take water in a vessel with little salt & sugar in and bring it to a boil.
• Add shelled peas and blanch for 2 minutes.
• Then drain out peas from hot water immediately and transfer to a bowl of iced water to stop cooking of peas.
• Allow it to cool completely. Remove from water and let it air dry before packing in freezer bags.

Frozen peas is ready for months. Remove from freezer whenever required. Thaw for sometime before cooking.

How to cook frozen peas?

Cooking frozen peas is easier. Frozen peas are parboiled or blanched peas. So it takes lesser time to get cooked. Make sure you have removed 10 -15 minutes earlier you start cooking.

While cooking adding a pinch of sugar helps in bringing out its natural sweetness. If required, you can blanch it for another minute before adding it to the pan.

If you are mixing with other vegetables, don’t add it at a very early stage of cooking. When other vegetables are 90% cooked, add these frozen peas and cook for the rest 5 – 7 minutes maximum.

Sauteed Green Peas

This is a quick recipe that doesn’t take more than 10 minutes to make and with a minimal ingredients. Here I have sauteed red onions with it. No other spices than garlic powder, salt, cayenne pepper.

Instructions:

Heat oil in a pan. Add sliced onions and saute for a minute. Now add frozen peas and saute for 1 minute. Add spices, a pinch of sugar and give it a nice stir. Now add 4 – 5 tbsp water and cover with a lid. Steam for 2 minutes. Don’t add more water. We just need little water so that peas will be steam cooked quickly (and no need to blanch the peas separately).

Method 2

There is another way to make it. You need to blanch the peas first for 2 minutes. Then remove and transfer to cold water to stop overcooking. Next heat oil and saute onions. Add spices and blanched green peas. Saute for a minute.

Is this sauteed green peas keto-friendly?

Since green peas have complex carbs, these are considered as starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn, squash, this is not recommended during the keto diet. Or up to 5% of the total diet in a day.

How long does fresh peas take to cook?

Green peas are the soft seeds of the fruit. These are eaten raw as well. And when you are cooking, it doesn’t take more than 5 minutes to cook fresh peas.

Are frozen peas better than fresh peas?

Fresh peas are best when available seasonal. Post that it tastes really bland without any real flavour and that sweetness. So for rest of the period after 1 month, I prefer frozen peas. Also frozen peas have that sweetness.

Frozen Peas are steam-boiled before freezing. So the natural sweetness is being restored. Hence it contains more flavor and tastes better than fresh peas.

I love to add these green peas to other dishes as well like, mashed eggplant, mushroom peas rice, paneer peas curry, sauteed cauliflower, peas potato curry, and skillet veggies hash, Peas & Fenugreek Rice, etc.

Recipe Card for Sauteed Peas

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