Mpizeli/Arakas Kokinisto (Greek Peas in Tomato Sauce)

posted in greek on Aug 03, 2015

Mpizeli (bees-EL-ee) is one of those things that always seems to be hanging out on the stovetop of every Greek home. I ate truckloads of it growing up and I still love it. It’s great as a side, of course, but I will literally just eat it as a snack—sometimes even cold from the fridge (I know, I’m weird). I actually prefer this pea dish at room temperature, so it’s great for potlucks, parties, and picnics. This kind of-sort of made it on the blog a bazillion years ago, as an alternate version of Greek style okra. It’s one of those things that, while still pretty common for me to make, is so normal I don’t even think about blogging it (likely because until recently I thought I already had. ;))

I put a ballpark dill measurement below but, honestly, I’ve never truly measured it. Even when I’ve tried in an attempt to be more concise with a recipe, I end up adding more as I’m cooking, so it doesn’t really matter. Bottom line is add what you want to add. You’ll probably end up adding a lot more than you think you will, though. There’s something about copious amounts of dill that really makes this. I have a friend who dislikes dill and initially didn’t even want to try this before proceeding to eat bowls full of it.

Also, this is a really forgiving dish. Another reason I haven’t really blogged this before is because sometimes I add a little water or a little crushed tomato as I’m cooking it, and it’s fine for eating but perhaps not for recipe documentation. Bottom line is just taste and add as you go.

Common additions to this dish are potatoes or mushrooms. You can also make a one-dish meal, similar to this kokinisto, with chicken or another protein.

Mpizeli

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1.25 cups crushed tomatoes
1 – 2 cups water
1 lb. peas (I use frozen)
1/4 cup (or to taste) freshly chopped dill
optional additions: 8 oz. sliced mushrooms, 1-2 large russet potatoes, cut into 2″ pieces

In a 3 -4 qt pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until translucent. Stir in the tomatoes, 1 cup of the water, peas, dill, plenty of salt, and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to a light boil and partially cover. Cook, stirring occasionally (and adding water if necessary), for 45 minutes until peas are soft and sauce is thickened. Simmer/lightly boil completely uncovered if your sauce is not thickening. Re-season to taste if necessary.

If you’re adding mushrooms, I add them before the boiling step. For potatoes, add them with about 15-20 minutes of simmer time left, and you will likely need to add more water but check how your peas look first.

Mpizeli/Arakas Kokinisto (Greek Peas in Tomato Sauce)

6 thoughts on “Mpizeli/Arakas Kokinisto (Greek Peas in Tomato Sauce)”

Leigh says:

August 3, 2015 at 7:02 pm

My family is italian and we make something very similar called macaroni and peas. We use oregano instead of dill. The tomatoes, onions and peas make a delicious slightly sweet sauce.

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Kate says:

August 3, 2015 at 7:57 pm

this reminds me of a lot of different garbanzo bean recipes. But we do love peas in this house, so I’ll have to give this a try.

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Joanne says:

August 4, 2015 at 6:45 am

It’s so funny how the simpler things that we make all the time rarely make it to the blog. Definitely going to have to try this and see if the.boy recognizes it!

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Joanna says:

August 6, 2015 at 2:44 pm

This was such a yummy recipe!! Thanks so much for sharing!! 🙂

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1. elly says:
  
  August 6, 2015 at 3:46 pm
  
  So glad you liked it, Joanna!
  
  Reply
Brittany says:

August 10, 2015 at 7:57 am

I filled out your survey, but something I would love to see on your blog are a few additional categories:

Slower cooker meals
Fast & Easy/30 minute/One pot meals

Thank you for sharing your recipes with us to inspire us in the kitchen!

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