Ordinary peas uplifted to a taste extrodinair, You don’t have to serve this delight with spicy chicken as it spices up and dish. Try it with the Sunday roast, beef chicken or pork pot lifts the whole dish

Macho Peas

Turn ordinary peas into a taste sensational  explosion in your mouth with macho peas.This is one recipe that I just had to recreate in my own kitchen. The main challenge to create the Nando’s copycat macho peas was a portion for one. There is five in the family and the other four just don’t do spicy.

So Nando’s release the actual recipe on Instagram and well reported by the Daily Mail & The Su. Their Full recipe is at the bottom of the post along with the recipe for Nandos spicy rice & Nandos Peri Peri Chicken

Homemade Macho Peas

admin Ordinary peas uplifted to a taste extrodinair, You don’t have to serve this delight with spicy chicken as it spices up and dish. Try it with the Sunday roast, beef chicken or pork pot lifts the whole dish Macho Peas Turn ordinary peas into a taste sensational  explosion in your mouth with macho peas.This is ... Read more Sides Homemade Copycat Macho Peas European Print This

Serves: 2 Prep Time: 00:05:00 Cooking Time: 00:03:00 00:03:00

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 3.5/5

( 40 voted )

Ingredients

• Handful of frozen petit pois
• 1 tsp of dried mint
• 1/2 tsp of dried chilies
• 1/4 of lemon for the juice
• pinch of sugar
• Knob of butter
• Salt & Pepper

Instructions

Place mint and chilies in a small bowl Squeeze the lemon over the mint and chilies Add the peas to the dish Season with salt & pepper and a pinch of sugar Stir with a spoon Place  knob of butter on top of the peas Cover with Cling film Microwave for 1 1/2 mins to 2 mins Remove cling film stir once more than serve

Notes

I occasionally throw in some chopped frozen ham into the peas

Copycat Macho Peas

It isn’t very often I go into chain restaurants to eat. On this occasion it wasn’t a problem as it was on the company credit card entertaining a client. The corporate life is now over and my life is more fulfilled here with my food blog.

My theory is if something can taste exactly the same in 50 plus restaurants then its boil in the bag. After all its students who work the grills so the skill level is next to zero. Don’t get me wrong the chicken in Nando’s is pretty good but the marinade makes it. Perhaps I need to marinate a chicken for 24 hours like Nando’s then cook it in the oven, then to finish on a griddle. (or BBQ)

I digress a little ranting about mass cooking  as this is about the Macho Peas.

Nando’s Sides

My customer I was with at the time ordered the spicy rice and I ordered the macho peas, both large to go with our chicken. As I mentioned it was tax deductible on the company credit card but I was gobsmacked to discover the macho peas were over £4.50. So at those prices it wasn’t going to be a regular trip to Nando’s.

It took a few trials and error’s to get to the perfect copycat macho peas. It had to be quick, convenient and of course not interfere with the rests of the families dinner. The quickest and most convenient way to start is with frozen peas. Personally I now get my petit pois at Aldi as they are far cheaper than any other supermarket.   

Macho Peas And Chilli

If your the same as me you probably think a chilli is a chilli and you buy them from the same place always. The supermarket occasionally loose or in a supermarket. Apparently chillies can be fruity, citrusy and some chillies are smoked to bring out another level of flavour. So my personal challenge this next month is to try some different chillies starting by ordering some from Amazon. If you would like to know more about growing your own chillies try this great site here. 

Save those pennies and dry your own chillies and make your own chilli jam.

Macho Pea’s To The Next Level

So you like it hot ? Well I decided one day to take my Nandos copycat peas to the next level. I only added less than half a teaspoon of the spice and wow did it increase the heat level. What spice did I add to take the macho peas to macho man level.

I used cayenne pepper, only a sprinkle and boy did it set the perspiration a going. If you have any moire spice ideas to make the macho peas more macho man then let us know on CDI

Nando’s Official Macho Pea Recipe

• 400g frozen peas
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 3-4 springs fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 2-3 sprigs fresh mint, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 good pinches of dried red chilli flakes

So basically the same as my original Nandos copy cat recipe, except I don’t use the olive oil. They also cook the frozen peas in the pan. When cooked they drain the peas and put them back with the other ingredients and mix. The microwave macho peas is so much quicker and less mess as well.

Nandos Spicy Rice Recipe

• 200g Basmati rice
• 450ml cold water
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• ½ white onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• ½ green pepper, thinly sliced
• ½ can chopped tomatoes
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• Juice from one lemon
• Handful of coriander

Method For Nandos Spicy Rice

Pour your rice into a pan along with your onion and one tablespoon of olive oil and salt, then turn it to a medium heat. Next add in your green pepper and your chilli, to taste. Cook for a while then add half a can of chopped tomatoes, stir it and then add in 450ml of water before turning up the heat and popping a lid on the saucepan.

When the rice is nearly done turn down the heat, and add in your seasonings – turmeric, cayenne pepper and smoked paprika and leave it on the heat until cooked. 

Nando’s Peri Peri Boneless Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 chicken breast peer person or 2 chicken thighs per person
• 1 jar of your favourite Nandos Peri Peri sauce (mines medium)

Nandos Peri Peri Boneless Chicken Method

I don’t think we learned any secrets in the cooking of this peri peri chicken. Ideally marinade your choice of chicken overnight in the peri peri sauce. Cook in the oven for around 20 mins at 190c. Then head of food at Nando’s Tim Molema finished the chicken off by pan frying it. Job done now you have a complete meal from Nando’s Peri Peri Chicken and 2 sides, Macho Peas and Spicy Rice

Karl Morley

Happiest in the kitchen feeding the 3 children who are constantly hungry. Lucky enough to have worked in a Pro kitchen on a voluntary basis to learn the tricks of the trade.. Buckinghams The restaurant with one Table. With Chef Nick Buckingham.(RIP)