Simple, practical, and full of everyday flavour, Pattani Kurma | Green Peas Kurma is a gluten-free, vegan South Indian main course made with simple everyday ingredients in about 30 minutes. The recipe lays out the ingredients and each cooking step clearly, so you can adjust seasoning, texture, and serving size for your own kitchen.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 20 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: South Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 cup green peas ((pattani or matar) - fresh or frozen)
  • 1 potato (- extra large or 2 medium potatoes - peeled and diced)
  • 1 onion (- medium size, finely chopped or ½ cup finely chopped onions)
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 2 teaspoon fennel powder (* check notes)
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 tej patta ((Indian bay leaf) - medium-sized)
  • 2 to 3 cloves
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 2 to 2.25 cups water (or add as required)
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • salt (as required)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (- chopped, for garnish)
  • 2 teaspoons poppy seeds ((khus khus))
  • 2 tablespoons coconut (- fresh, grated or 2 tablespoons unsweetened desiccated coconut)
  • 1 inch ginger (- peeled and chopped)
  • 2 to 3 kashmiri red chilies (or 1 to 2 dry red chilies - seeds removed)
  • 6 to 7 cashews (- whole)

Method

Preparation

  1. Heat some water in a small bowl or pan and turn off heat. Soak the dry kashmiri red chilies and cashews in the hot water for 15 to 20 mins.
  2. Later drain the water and set aside the soaked cashews and red chillies.
  3. Rinse the green peas and keep aside. Rinse, peel and dice the potatoes.
  4. In a grinder or blender, grind or blend the soaked cashews and dry chillies, coconut, poppy seeds, ginger with little water to a smooth and fine paste.

Making Pattani Kurma

  1. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 3 litre pressure cooker. Keeping heat to a low, add all the whole spices - tej patta, cloves, cinnamon and fry till fragrant for a few seconds.
  2. Add the onions and sauté them till golden brown. Stir often when sautéing onions.
  3. Add the prepared ground kurma paste and stir to combine.
  4. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or till the oil leaves the sides of the kurma masala paste.
  5. Now add the spice powders one by one - turmeric powder, coriander powder and fennel powder.
  6. Stir and sauté for a minute on low heat. Add the peas, potato and salt. Pour about 2 to 2.25 cups water.
  7. Pressure cook for 2 whistles on a medium to high heat or till the potatoes and peas are softened and tender.
  8. If the gravy looks watery, then simmer till the gravy thickens a bit.
  9. If the gravy looks dry, then add some water and simmer for some more time without the cooker's lid.
  10. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve the Pattani Kurma hot with some roti, chapathi, paratha or 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.