Mpizeli/Arakas Kokinisto (Greek Peas in Tomato Sauce)

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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/Arakas Kokinisto (Greek Peas in Tomato Sauce)

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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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!

  4. 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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