Matar Ka Nimona is a delicious Indian vegan curry recipe made with frozen or fresh green peas and potatoes. A simple and perfect curry for weeknights!
Table of Contents
What is Matar Ka Nimona?
It's a simple yet appetizing vegan green peas gravy recipe that's prepared in Uttar Pradesh (a northern Indian state) especially during winters. Why winters?
That's because it is the harvest season of green peas and nearly every household will have this produce in their kitchen during this time of the year.
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Matar ka Nimona is one of those ideal weeknight meals that's comforting, delicious to taste and extremely easy to make using just few basic ingredients.
Matar means green peas in Hindi but I don't know why the dish is called Nimona. However, all I would say is, don't think too much about the name. Give the recipe a try!
This recipe has green peas and potatoes which I feel are always a great combination. Be it in a Samosa or the humble Aloo Matar. They work wonderfully together!
I love green peas (known as matar in Hindi) and always have a bag of frozen peas in my freezer. I end up adding it to many recipes, ranging from Indian food to pasta!
They are easy to cook with, low-fat, mildly sweet to taste and are very nutritious. Green peas also have anti oxidant and anti inflammatory properties.
Recipes with green peas
Here are some vegetarian and vegan recipe you can make with green peas. Do check them out.
- Khoya Matar
- Green Peas Pulao
- Peas and Spinach Pastry Puffs
- Kovalam Mutter
- Peas and Papad Sabzi
- Lasooni Matar Palak
- Rajasthani Carrot Peas Gravy
- Methi Matar Malai | Fenugreek Green Peas
- Green Peas Crepes/Dosa
Healthy weeknight meals is not a myth!
We believe in eating freshly cooked meals at home on weekdays. Here is what we do to ensure that we eat a balanced and tasty meal.
We prepare a weekly menu every Sunday. We select recipes that are not very elaborate, but we also enjoy experimenting with different cuisines.
Though not always possible, we try to stick to the ingredient list when grocery shopping. I prefer cooking with fresh ingredients and avoid processed food.
We try to include lots of seasonal vegetables and fruits in our diet and also try to have a balance of flavors on the plate. Portion control is also key.
Why make this
This recipe of Matar ka Nimona is a keeper for many reasons!
- A delicious one pot curry
- Naturally vegan
- Perfect for weeknights
- A different way of serving green peas
- Simple and easy to make
- Needs basic pantry essentials
- Minimal prep required
- Can be made in 30 minutes
Ingredients needed
Green peas - The traditional recipe calls for fresh peas. But it's hard to find it here in the US, so I make it with frozen green peas. It tastes good nevertheless.
Other veggies - Potatoes, tomatoes are just the two veggies you need for this recipe apart from green peas.
Spices and herbs - Turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder, amchur powder, garam masala, asafoetida, cumin seeds, cloves, and bay leaf help bring out the flavors.
Garlic, green chillies, ginger, and cilantro are some spices are herbs that complete this curry.
Cooking oil - Traditionally, mustard oil or ghee is used. You can also use any vegetable oil or vegan ghee to make this recipe of Matar Nimona.
Here's how to make it
- Thaw and coarsely grind half the green peas and keep it aside for now. There is no need to add water while grinding. Just pulse it twice.
- Saute the coarsely ground green peas in oil for 4-5 minutes on medium flame. Be careful to not burn it. Keep stirring it regularly. Transfer to a plate.
- In a mixer grinder jar add cilantro (with stalks), ginger, garlic and green chillies and blitz to a smooth paste. Set this cilantro paste aside for now.
- Peel and cut potatoes in wedges. Shallow fry them in oil till they turn light golden.
- Transfer them onto paper towels to soak off the excess oil if any and keep it aside as well.
- Heat oil in a pan, temper cumin seeds, cloves and bay leaf. Then add and fry the prepared cilantro paste. Saute for about 3-4 minutes or till the oil begins to leave the sides.
- Next add the chopped tomatoes along with salt. Continue to saute for 4-5 minutes or till the tomatoes turn soft and pulpy. Mash them with the back of the ladle as they cook.
- Then add all the spices like asafoetida, turmeric powder, coriander powder, amchur powder, chilly powder and garam masala to the pan.
- Add some splashes of water to avoid the burning of spices and fry for a minute.
- Now add the coarsely ground green peas, remaining green peas and water as required. Cook this for 5-7 minutes. You need to cook a bit longer if using fresh peas.
- Then add the fried potatoes, and garnish with cilantro. Mix and take it off the flame.
Serving suggestions
Serve Matar ka Nimona with plain rice or Jeera rice. It also pairs well with an Indian bread like chapati, roti, naan, paratha, puri, or bhakri with some raita on the side.
Some also like to enjoy this green peas curry as a hearty soup with some sev on top. Save this Matar ka Nimona recipe and include it in your weekly menu rotations.
Tips, recommendations, and suggestions
Fresh peas will work the best in this recipe. However, if you can't find it, use frozen green peas. If you like the flavor of onions, add it when making the cilantro paste.
When making the green peas paste, ensure that you keep it coarse. Do not grind it to a smooth paste. The coarse texture works well in this vegan peas recipe.
The traditional recipe calls for deep frying the potatoes. You can fry them or shallow fry, air fry, roast, or boil them. The final flavors of the dish will change accordingly.
You can also skip adding potatoes altogether. However, I feel they make a great pair with peas and make this dish lip-smacking.
The consistency of this green peas curry is a personal choice. If you want to eat it with rice, make it a bit thin and if you plan to serve it with bread, keep the gravy thick.
Store leftovers in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can also make it ahead of time. This recipe of Nimona matar also freezes well for 3-4 months.
Instead of green peas, you can also make Nimona with green chana, or dried peas. Flavors will be different but it will still be flavorful.
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Matar ka Nimona
Equipment
Ingredients
To prepare the green peas paste
- 1 cup green peas
- 1 tbsp oil
To prepare the cilantro paste
- 1 cup cilantro
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 5 green chillies
To prepare the potatoes
- 2 potatoes
- Oil for shallow frying
To prepare Matar ka Nimona
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tomatoes
- Salt as required
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp coriander cumin powder
- 1 tbsp chilly powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp amchur powder
- 1 cup green peas
- 2 cups water
- 2 tbsp cilantro for garnish
Instructions
To prepare the green peas paste
- Thaw and coarsely grind half the green peas and keep it aside for now. There is no need to add water while grinding. Just pulse it twice.
- Saute the coarsely ground green peas in oil for 4-5 minutes on medium flame. Be careful to not burn it. Keep stirring it regularly. Transfer to a plate.
To prepare the cilantro paste
- In a mixer grinder jar add cilantro (with stalks), ginger, garlic and green chillies and blitz to a smooth paste. Set this cilantro paste aside for now.
To prepare the potatoes
- Peel and cut potatoes in wedges. Shallow fry them in oil till they turn light golden.
- Transfer them onto paper towels to soak off the excess oil if any and keep it aside as well.
To prepare Matar ka Nimona
- Heat oil in a pan, temper cumin seeds, cloves and bay leaf. Then add and fry the prepared cilantro paste. Saute for about 3-4 minutes or till the oil begins to leave the sides.
- Next add the chopped tomatoes along with salt. Continue to saute for 4-5 minutes or till the tomatoes turn soft and pulpy. Mash them with the back of the ladle as it cooks.
- Then add all the spices like asafoetida, turmeric powder, coriander powder, amchur powder, chilly powder and garam masala to the pan.
- Add some splashes of water to avoid the burning of spices and fry for a minute.
- Now add the coarsely ground green peas, remaining green peas and water as required. Cook this for 5-7 minutes. You need to cook a bit longer if using fresh peas.
- Then add the fried potatoes, and garnish with cilantro. Mix and take it off the flame.
- Serve it with any Indan bread or rice.
Notes
Nutrition
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This is a nice blog, I like this recipe, thanks for sharing.
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Wow! What a flavorful dish! Love how colorful it is!
i absolutely love curry and even though im not vegan i just had to try it. im glad i did. this is so good.
This sounds super delicious. I never tried anything like this before but now I must make this recipe because it looks so good. Love all the flavors and the fact that is easy to make.
First time making this and loved it, thank you!
Oh great..so glad you liked it. 🙂
Gave this a shot for dinner last night and loved it! So full of flavor; I will have to have it again, tonight!
awesome! glad you liked it 🙂