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Matar Chaat Recipe
5 from 6 votes

Matar Chaat Recipe

A lip-smacking chaat prepared with white peas gravy, spices, & herbs. It is light, nutritious, & vegan.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 4 people
Course: Snacks
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 cup white peas dried
  • 1 potato peeled, washed, & cut into small cubes (optional, medium
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt or as needed
  • 3 tablespoon neutral cooking oil I have used sunflower oil, generic cooking oil
  • 1 pinch asafoetida or 1/8 teaspoon hing
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder non-spicy
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice fresh
  • 2 tablespoon cilantro finely chopped, fresh, or coriander
For spice paste
  • 2 tomato roughly sliced or chopped, medium
  • 1 inch ginger roughly chopped
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
For the ground spice mix
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1 dry red chili desseded, small
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 inch cinnamon stick
For serving
  • 1 onion finely chopped, medium
  • ¼ cup tamarind water tamarind pulp+hot water, thick
  • 2 tablespoon Coriander finely chopped, fresh leaves
  • 1 green chili finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon black salt
  • ¼ cup nylon sev

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Wash the white peas and soak them in enough water for at least 8 hours or overnight.
  2. Drain the water and add the peas in a pressure cooker along with potato cubes, turmeric powder, salt, and water. Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles over a medium flame.
  3. Remove the pressure cooker from flame and let the pressure release.
  4. Heat a pan and add cumin seeds, coriander seeds, dry red chili, cloves, and cinnamon stick. Saute over low flame for 1-2 minutes or until aromatic. Then transfer to a plate and allow it to cool down.
  5. Once done grind or crush the dry roasted spices into a coarse powder and set aside.
  6. Take chopped tomato, chopped ginger, cumin seeds and salt in the small grinding jar and grind to a paste and set aside.
  7. Now heat oil in a pan. Once the oil turns hot add hing/asafoetida. Wait for a few seconds then add the tomato paste and saute over lower medium flame until oil separates.
  8. Add the Kashmiri red chili powder and saute for a few seconds more.
  9. Add the pressure cooked peas and potato. Saute to mix and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
  10. Once done turn off the flame, add lemon juice, chopped coriander, and ½ teaspoon freshly made spice mix powder. Stir to mix.
  11. White peas gravy is ready.
  12. Transfer the gravy into individual serving plates.
  13. Top with finely chopped onion and thick tamarind water. Sprinkle black salt.
  14. Also add chopped green chili, ground spic mix, and finely chopped coriander.
  15. Finally, top with sev and serve immediately.

Notes

  • Make sure to soak the white peas in water for at least 8 hours.
  • Do not overcook the peas or else they will become mushy.
  • To make the chaat even healthier skip adding sev.
  • If hing or asafoetida is not available skip it. 
  • For thick tamarind water, soak tamarind pulp in hot water for 10 minutes. Then squeeze to extract the thick tamarind water. If required you can strain it as well.
  • Tamarind water can be replaced with fresh lemon juice or thick beaten curd/yogurt.
  • Roasted ground spice mix enhances the flavor of the chaat. If you are in a hurry substitute it with roasted cumin powder or chaat masala powder.
  • Add spices according to your taste and preference. You can increase or decrease the amount mentioned.
  • Skip chilies, if serving kids.
  • To amp up the flavor of this chaat papdi, plain or sweetened curd(yogurt), green chutney, sweet tamarind chutney can be used as well.
  • You can prepare the matar gravy in advance, then refrigerate and heat it just before assembling the chaat.