Braised Peas
Peas as the main, not a side. I keep returning to this recipe lately, it’s so easy and puts a proper meal on our table!
On an ordinary afternoon in Athens, my mother Yianna heats good-quality extra-virgin olive oil in a pot, adds chopped onions, garlic, and a few staple vegetables, just good potatoes and carrots. Then tosses in a packet of frozen peas to make one of my favourite childhood meals: arakas laderos, peas gently braised in olive oil.
Like most ladera dishes, it begins slowly: onions and garlic soften in the oil, filling the kitchen with that smell of potential, hinting that something good is on the way. Then everything simmers quietly until soft and soupy.
I love frozen peas because even high-quality petit pois are inexpensive, and probably the easiest legume to find and cook. This recipe isn’t about fancy technique. It’s about rhythm: low heat, care, and letting the sweetness of the peas settle into a simple vegetable broth.
Big love, Despina xxx
Arakas laderos. Peas braised with extra virgin olive oil and vegetables
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35–40 minutes
Ingredients
Extra-virgin olive oil, plenty
2 medium brown onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 big carrot, roughly diced
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into medium–small chunks
½ bunch fresh dill finely chopped or a few leaves of fresh basil, 4 to 5 will do
Salt and ground black pepper
A pinch of cinnamon
1/2 sweet paprika, if you like
2 ripe medium large plum tomatoes, coarsely grated or 1 heaped tbsp of double concentrated tomato paste
500g good quality petit pois frozen peas
One lemon
Method
Heat about 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5–6 minutes, until soft and translucent. Stir in the diced carrots and potatoes, cinnamon and paprika and gently cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Stir in the grated tomatoes (or tomato paste) and cook for a couple of minutes. Then pour in enough water or stock to cover the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Let everything simmer until it begins to soften. I usually test the potatoes and carrots with a knife. You want them al dente, just tender but still holding their shape.
Add the peas and top it up with a bit more water (add water only if need needed). drizzle in a little more olive oil, and bring everything to a gentle boil and cook uncovered.
Lower the heat and cook for about 20–30 minutes, until the potatoes and carrots are tender but still intact and the peas are soft.
Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed. Finish with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil (about 2-3 tbsp), a few pinches of black pepper, and 2–3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice to brighten the flavours.
If your cooking liquids look a bit thin and seem to have too much water, simply bring the stew to a gentle boil to reduce the liquid and achieve a cloudy, flavourful, soupy broth. Be careful not to over-stir, as the potatoes may become mushy!
We had it with wholemeal bread, anchovies and Kalamata olives. Arakas is always better the next day, when the flavours have settled. You can have it with rice, as a side with cooked meat or fish, or even mixed through pasta.
