Kovalam Matar: Kerala-Style Green Peas Curry
Savor the taste of Kovalam Matar, a vegan and gluten-free green peas curry that combines the richness of coconut with fragrant spices. This Kerala-style kurma masala is a delightful and wholesome weekday meal that comes together in 30 minutes.
Servings 4 people
Calories 307.67kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
To make the masala paste
- 1 cup coconut
- 3 tablespoon cashew paste or soaked cashews
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 3 green chillies
- ¼ cup water
To prepare the curry
- 1 tablespoon vegan ghee or oil/vegan butter
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon urad dal
- 5-6 curry leaves
- 1 onion
- 1.5 cups water
- 3 cups green peas
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon chilly powder
- salt
- ¼ cup cilantro
Instructions
To make the masala paste
- Add coconut, garlic, green chillies, and cashew paste to a blender.
- Blitz to make a smooth paste by adding water. Add more water than recommended if needed. Keep it aside for now.
To prepare the curry
- Heat vegan ghee or oil in a pan and temper mustard seeds, and cumin seeds. Once they splutter, add curry leaves and urad dal. Fry till the urad dal turns light golden.
- Then add finely chopped onions along with salt and saute till the onions turn translucent. This could take 4-5 minutes on medium flame.
- Next, add the ground paste along with half a cup of water (to prevent the ground masala from sticking to the bottom of the pan). Mix and cook this for 4-5 minutes on medium flame or until the raw smell goes away.
- Now add the seasonings like turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, chilly powder, and salt. Continue to cook for a minute.
- Then add the thawed/cooked green peas to the pan along with the remaining water. Cook the curry covered for 8-10 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve warm with any Indian flatbread.
Notes
You can use freshly shredded or desiccated coconut for this recipe. However, fresh coconut tastes the best. You can use fresh or frozen green peas. Add chopped tomatoes to the curry for an extra tang. Grind in some green chillies along with the coconut and cashews if you like it more hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 307.67kcal | Carbohydrates: 30.46g | Protein: 10.53g | Fat: 17.5g | Saturated Fat: 10.19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.54g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4.55g | Sodium: 142.23mg | Potassium: 501.6mg | Fiber: 11.32g | Sugar: 9.83g | Vitamin A: 1.108IU | Vitamin C: 76.03mg | Calcium: 70.26mg | Iron: 4.18mg