Green peas masala is a rich curry made with green peas in a tomato and cashew gravy. Curd and spices add depth to the masala. You can serve it with roti, naan or rice. A no onion and no garlic recipe.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 30 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 60 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: North Indian, Punjabi

Ingredients

  • 3 tomatoes ((medium to large) - 250 grams tomatoes or 1.5 cups chopped tomatoes)
  • 10 to 12 cashews
  • 1 cup matar (or 140 grams matar (peas))
  • 1 to 1.5 teaspoon ginger+green chili paste (or ½ inch ginger + 1 to 2 green chilies - crushed to a paste in a mortar-pestle)
  • 2 tablespoon curd (beaten (yogurt))
  • 2 tablespoon milk powder (or dairy whitener)
  • 1 generous pinch asafoetida ((hing))
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ to ¾ teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • ½ teaspoon kasuri methi (- crushed (dry fenugreek leaves))
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 tablespoon oil
  • salt as required
  • 1 tej patta
  • 2 cloves
  • 2 green cardamoms
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 1 or 2 single strands of mace (- optional)

Method

Preparation

  1. First soak 10 to 12 cashews in warm water for 20 to 30 minutes.
  2. When the cashews are soaking, steam the fresh peas till they are cooked completely. You can steam them in a steamer or pressure cooker. If cooking in a pressure cooker, then cook for 2 whistles.
  3. Later drain the water from cashews and add the cashews along with 1.5 cups chopped tomatoes in a blender or grinder jar.
  4. Without adding any water, grind to a fine and smooth paste. Keep the ground tomato-cashew paste aside.

Making masala base

  1. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan. Then add the whole garam masala - 1 tej patta, 2 cloves, 2 green cardamoms, 1 inch cinnamon, 1 or 2 single strands of mace (optional). Sauté till the spice become fragrant.
  2. Then add 1 to 1.5 ginger+green chili paste and a generous pinch of asafoetida. Stir and fry on low heat till the raw aroma of ginger and green chilies go away.
  3. Now add the tomato-cashew paste. Stir and mix the paste well.
  4. The mixture splutters a lot while sauteing, so cover the pan with a lid and cook this masala mixture, till it stops spluttering.
  5. Meanwhile in a small bowl whisk 2 tbsp of fresh full fat curd till smooth.
  6. Stir and saute the masala paste on low to medium heat, till it thickens and you see oil specks on top and oil releasing from the sides.
  7. Then add the ground spices - turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder.
  8. Stir and sauté for a minute.
  9. Now lower the flame. Then add beaten curd.
  10. As soon as you add the curd, stir quickly with a ladle or spatula so that the curd does not curdle.
  11. Stir the curd very well with the whole mixture. Remember to add beaten curd on a low flame and keep on
  12. Stirring quickly and continuously till the entire curd is mixed incorporated in the masala paste.
  13. Add 1 cup water.

making green peas masala

  1. Then add the cooked green peas. Season with salt. Stir everything very well.
  2. Add 2 tbsp milk powder. Instead of milk powder, khoya can be added. But add khoya and saute it once the tomato-cashew paste is done. Stir again.
  3. Bring the green peas masala curry to a simmer on a low to medium flame.
  4. Lastly add 1/2 tsp kasuri methi, which has been crushed. Stir and switch off the flame.
  5. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve peas masala with chapatis, tandoori rotis, naan. You can also serve green peas curry with jeera rice or saffron rice.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.