Matar Ka Nimona Recipe

Matar ka nimona is a green peas curry made commonly during winter in Uttar Pradesh. It is a delicious vegan homestyle side dish.

This matar or green peas recipe does have a strange name but it tastes good when made with fresh, sweet peas that one gets in winter.

I remember mum cooking it during the winter months when I was a child. Some people also make it with green chana or fresh green gram.

It is a relatively simple, homestyle dish that goes well with chapatis and rice both.

This dish really sings with flavour of fresh peas. You can make it with frozen peas too. But I would recommend using fresh peas here.

The curry is also made by grinding fresh peas. Tomato paste, ginger and green chillies along with spices are used to flavour this homestyle dish.

You may also like these other winter delicacies:

Gajar ka Halwa recipe, Aloo Matar ki Sabzi, Sarson Ka Saag, Makki ki Roti, Palak ka Paratha, Gajar ki Kanji, Aloo Matar ki Sabzi

Ingredients

Green Peas: Fresh lightly sweet green and plump green peas are what provide this dish its luscious colour and flavour.

Tomatoes: They give this curry a light sour flavour.

Ginger, green chillies and chopped cilantro or coriander leaves: These give it slight heat, accentuate the green colour and robustness.

Spices: Garam masala, ground coriander, cumin seeds and some whole spices give it light spice while retaining its signature peas flavour.

Variations

Matar ka nimona recipe is already vegan and vegetarian. 

You can make it gluten free by doing away with heeng or asafoetida.

You can also use this recipe to make with green chana or cholai in place of peas.

Add more water to make a thinner curry if you so prefer.

You can also add boiled and cubed potatoes to the recipe. I prefer it without it.

Serving suggestions

Matar ka nimona is best served with rotis, puris, parathas or boiled rice.

Instructions

Assemble together chopped ginger, garlic cloves, chopped cilantro or coriander leaves and chopped tomatoes.

Make a paste of green chillies, coriander leaves, ginger and garlic along with tomatoes in a blender. This will have a greenish tinge. Keep aside.

Now heat mustard oil in a kadhai or pan. You can use other oils like coconut oil or peanut oil too.

Add in cumin seeds and asafoetida and allow to sputter for about 30 seconds. Now add whole spices and cook for a minute more.

Add in the masala paste. Cook for about 10 minutes till tomatoes are well cooked and there is no kachcha or raw smell to ginger-garlic paste.

You can see that oil comes out on the sides of the masala.

Take peas in a blender and make a paste leaving a few peas coarse or whole. Do not make a fine paste.

Once the tomato-green masala is cooked, add the blended peas mixture to it and cook covered on a low flame for 5 minutes.

Now add water depending upon how thick you want the curry to be.

Add salt and coriander powder. Cover and cook on low heat till the gravy is done. Takes about 5-10 minutes.

Switch off the heat. Add garam masala.

Taste and adjust seasoning.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

📖 Recipe Card

Matar Ka Nimona from UP

Rachna Parmar

Matar ka nimona is a flavourful homestyle UP dish made with fresh green peas. It is enhanced by the sweet flavour of fresh peas.

5 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine UP | North Indian

Servings 4 people

Calories 101 kcal

people

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 1.5 cups green peas shelled
• 3 green chillies as per taste you can reduce or increase the number of chillies
• ½ inch ginger
• 5 cloves garlic
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 tsp. mustard oil use any oil if you don't have mustard oil
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 pinch hing asafoetida
• 2 tbsp. cilantro chopped
• Salt to taste

Whole spices

• 2 green cardamom
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 star anise
• 4 cloves

Instructions

 

• Assemble together chopped ginger, garlic, tomatoes and green chillies.
• Make a paste of green chillies, coriander leaves, ginger and garlic along with tomatoes in a blender. This will have a greenish tinge.
• Now heat mustard oil in a kadhai or pan. Use coconut oil or any other oil as a replacement.
• Add in cumin seeds and asafoetida and allow to sputter for about 30 seconds. Now add whole spices and cook for a minute more.
• Add in the masala paste. Cook for about 10 minutes till tomatoes are well cooked and there is no kachcha or raw smell to ginger-garlic paste. You can see that oil comes out on the sides of the masala.
• Take peas in a blender and make a paste leaving a few peas coarse or whole. Make sure it is not a fine paste.
• Once the tomato-green masala is cooked, add the blended peas mixture to it and cook on a low flame for 5 minutes.
• Now add water depending upon how thick you want the curry to be.
• Add salt and coriander powder. Cover and cook on low heat till the gravy is done. Takes about 5-10 minutes.
• Switch off the heat. Add garam masala.
• Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Video

Notes

1. This is best made with fresh peas though you could use frozen peas too. The flavour will be different then.

2. Some people also add finely cubed potato to the dish. In case you are using potatoes, cook them along with the green peas mixture.

3. You may use onion in the masala but I avoid it.

4. Make the curry thick or runny as per your preference.

5. Mustard oil is preferred though you may use regular vegetable oil.

6. This is really delicious and unique pea curry.

Nutrition

Calories: 101kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 5gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 130mgPotassium: 384mgFiber: 6gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1146IUVitamin C: 50mgCalcium: 104mgIron: 4mg

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