East African Sweet Pea Soup

[Jacuma]

* 2 cups chopped onion
* 2 tsp minced garlic
* 1 tsp grated fresh peeled ginger
* 1 tsp salt
* 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
* 1 tbsp homemade garam masala, which we happened to have on hand, OR
o 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
o 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
o 1 tsp ground cumin seeds
o 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
o 1/8 tsp ground cloves
o 1/4 tsp cinnamon
o 1 tsp turmeric (I don't like it and didn't use it, but Moosewood does)
* 2 tomatoes, chopped
* 1 sweet potato, diced
* 3 1/2 cups water
* 3 cups fresh green peas (took me 45 minutes to shell them!)

Braise/deglaze onions and garlic in a pot for 5-10 minutes.

Mix in the ginger, salt, and all spices and cook for a few minutes, stirring often.

Add tomatoes and sweet potato, stir. Add 1 1/2 cups of water, stir.
Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add 2 cups of the peas and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and add remaining 2 cups of water.
Puree in batches in a blender until smooth. return to the pot, add the last cup of peas, and cook on medium heat for 3-5 minutes.