Chura Matar | Delicious Matar Poha
Chura matar recipe with step by step photos – UP style recipe of chura matar or matar poha. Chura matar is a delicious and healthy evening snack which is popular and made in many homes in Uttar Pradesh during the winters.
During our visit in Banaras, we used to have chura matar everyday in the breakfast buffet of the hotel where we were staying. Two regular Banarasi breakfast dishes that would be always there in the breakfast buffet were Aloo Poori and chura matar.
Fresh green peas are available only during winters and there are some recipes that taste good with fresh Green Peas only and this is one such recipe. However if you don’t have fresh green peas then you can make this dish with frozen peas as well.
Chura matar is made differently in both UP and Bihar. In UP the making of chura matar resembles the preparation of Maharashtrian kanda poha, whereas in Bihar the poha is fried and is somewhat like a Poha Chivda.
The taste of chura matar is quite different from the classic Maharashtrian Poha Recipe (onion poha) or homestyle Batata Poha (simple version with potatoes).
It is also distinctly different from the slightly sweet and tangy Indori Poha, a specialty from Indore, and the light and savory Aval Upma from South India.
Ingredients like black pepper powder, garam masala powder and asafoetida (hing) are added which makes this dish taste very different than Maharashtrian kanda poha. Also no onions are added. So this recipe is a no onion no garlic version of peas poha.
Serve chura matar hot drizzled with some lemon juice as an evening snack. You can also serve it as a side snack with Masala Chai.
How to make Chura Matar
1. Take 1.5 cups thick poha (90 grams) in a strainer or colander. Rinse with fresh water twice. Move the poha with your hands while rinsing. The poha just needs to get softened. So rinse gently.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan or kadai. Then add 10 to 12 cashews (chopped or halved) and fry them in the oil.
3. Fry till the cashews become golden. You can also add some raisins if you want.
4. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside in a separate bowl or plate.
Making chura matar
5. Add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds to the same oil and let them crackle on low heat.
6. Add 1 or 2 green chilies (chopped) and 1 teaspoon of finely chopped ginger.
If you want to make the dish more spicy then you can increase the number of green chilies at this step.
7. Saute till the raw aroma of ginger goes away. Basically saute for some seconds.
8. Then add the ½ cup fresh green peas (80 grams matar) and mix it well with the remaining ingredients.
9. Next add ½ to ⅔ cup water for cooking the green peas.
10. Season with salt as per taste.
11. Next add ¼ teaspoon sugar. Stir and mix well.
The addition of sugar is optional and can be skipped. At the same time if you prefer then you can increase the quantity of sugar.
12. Cover the pan with its lid and cook on a medium-low to medium heat till the peas are cooked.
Instead of cooking peas, you can steam only the green peas separately. Then just add the steamed peas. Stir and mix very well. Then add poha and mix everything.
13. In between do check and give a stir. In case all the water dries up and the matar are not cooked, then add some more hot water and continue to cook the matar.
14. The water will reduce by the time the peas are cooked. There will be some moisture in the pan, which is fine. If there is too much water in the pan and the peas are cooked, then cook the mixture without a lid, so the water evaporates.
15. When the water has evaporated and there is some moisture in the pan, then add ½ teaspoon black pepper powder, ½ teaspoon garam masala powder and 1 pinch of asafoetida (hing).
16. Stir and mix very well.
17. Add the poha.
18. Gently mix the poha with the rest of the mixture. Cook for a minute. You can also cover the pan and cook for a minute on low heat.
19. Add ½ to 1 teaspoon lemon juice and mix it gently with the poha.
20. Switch off the heat and add ⅓ cup of chopped coriander leaves. Mix very well.
21. Serve chura matar hot or warm garnished with the fried cashews. While serving you can drizzle some more lemon juice if you want.
It makes for a hearty evening snack. A cup of hot tea also goes well with it.
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups thick poha or 90 grams poha (flattened rice or parched rice)
- ½ cup fresh green peas (matar) or 80 grams matar
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 or 2 green chilies (hari mirch) – chopped
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger (adrak)
- ½ to ⅔ cup water for cooking green peas
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder (kali mirch powder)
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- ⅓ cup chopped coriander leaves (dhania patta)
- ½ to 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 10 to 12 cashews (kaju)
Instructions
Preparation for chura matar
- Take 1.5 cups thick poha (90 grams) in a strainer or colander.
- Rinse with fresh water twice. Move the poha with your hands while rinsing.
- The poha just need to get softened. So rinse gently.
Making chura matar
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan or kadai. You can use any neutral flavored oil.
- Add 10 to 12 cashews (chopped or halved) and fry them in the oil.
- Fry till the cashews become golden. You can also add some raisins if you want.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside in a separate bowl or plate.
- Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds to the same oil and let them crackle on low heat.
- Add 1 or 2 green chilies (chopped) and 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger.
- Saute till the raw aroma of ginger goes away. Basically saute for some seconds.
- Then add the ½ cup fresh green peas (80 grams) and mix it well with the remaining ingredients.
- Next add ½ to ⅔ cup water for cooking green peas.
- Season with salt as per taste. Also add ¼ teaspoon sugar. Stir and mix well.
- Cover the pan with its lid and cook on a medium-low to medium flame till the peas are cooked.
- In between do check and give a stir. In case all the water dries up and the peas are not cooked, then add some more hot water and continue to cook the peas.
- When the peas are cooked and there is some moisture in the pan, then add ½ teaspoon black pepper powder, ½ teaspoon garam masala powder and 1 pinch of asafoetida.
- Stir and mix very well. Then add the poha.
- Gently mix the poha with the rest of the mixture. Cook for a minute. You can also cover the pan and cook for a minute on low flame.
- Then add ½ to 1 teaspoon lemon juice and mix it with the poha.
- Switch off the heat and add ⅓ cup chopped coriander leaves. Mix very well.
- Serve chura matar hot or warm garnished with the fried cashews.
Notes
- For a more spicy taste, increase the number of green chilies. Also add more black pepper and garam masala powder.
- You can add more sugar if you want.
- Can use thick white poha or thick red poha.
- You can add more green peas if you want.
- Fresh green peas taste best, but if you cannot get fresh green peas, then used frozen green peas.
Nutrition
Chura Matar recipe from the archives was first published on January 2017.
Very easy to make and a tasty recipe.
Thanks.
can we add haldi powder in this recipe?
divya, yes you can add.
Is there any substitute for the poha? Pre-cooked rice, perhaps? I’ve never seen anything like poha here in the US.
there is no substitute for poha if the texture and taste is considered. though cooked rice can be substituted in most recipes, but the taste & texture of poha is different than cooked rice. you should be able to get poha in indian grocery stores. you will surely get it there. in english, poha is known as flattened rice or parched rice. hope this helps.