Matar ki Sabji is a simple North Indian dry green peas sabzi made with fresh or frozen green peas, herbs and everyday Indian spice powders. This easy recipe is also a no onion, no garlic dish and is naturally vegan and gluten-free. Serve it as a side dish with chapati, roti, phulka or paratha. It also packs well in a lunch box.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Cuisine: North Indian

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups green peas ((matar), fresh or frozen)
  • 1½ cups water (– to be added in a stovetop pressure cooker)
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 to 2 green chilies (– slit)
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder (or red chilli powder or cayenne pepper)
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder ((dhania powder))
  • 1 teaspoon fennel powder ((saunf powder))
  • ½ teaspoon cumin powder ((jeera powder))
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • ½ teaspoon dry mango powder ((amchur powder))
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (– chopped (cilantro))
  • salt (– according to taste)

Method

Steaming Green Peas

  1. Rinse the green peas and place them in a small steel bowl or pan. Do not add any water to the bowl.
  2. Add water to a 2-litre stovetop pressure cooker. Place a small steel trivet inside the cooker, then place the bowl of green peas on the trivet.
  3. Cover the pressure cooker with its lid and pressure cook on medium to medium-high heat until the peas are tender (about 5 to 6 whistles or 6 to 7 minutes). Instead of steaming, you can boil the green peas in a pan with water until tender.
  4. Once the pressure drops naturally, open the cooker, check that the peas are cooked, and drain any water left in the bowl. Keep aside.

Making Matar Ki Sabji

  1. Heat oil in a pan or kadai. Add the slit green chili and sauté for a few seconds on low to medium-low heat.
  2. Add the steamed green peas and mix well so they are lightly coated with the oil.
  3. Reduce the heat to low or switch off the heat before adding the spice powders.
  4. Add all the ground spices and sauté for about a minute on low heat, stirring well so the peas are evenly coated.
  5. Add salt and dry mango powder. For a tangier taste, increase the dry mango powder or use lemon juice instead. You can also add a little chaat masala and black salt if you like.
  6. Mix well and sauté for another minute.
  7. Turn off the heat, add the chopped coriander leaves, and mix gently.
  8. Serve matar ki sabji hot with roti, phulka or paratha.

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.