matar kulcha is one of the popular street food of north india specially in delhi and amritsar. you might see many street vendors selling matar kulcha in roads or even outside schools and colleges. they serve the matar in large brass pots.
the word matar in hindi means peas. in this recipe the peas that are used are dried white peas. the same peas is used in making ragda of ragda pattice or ragda chaat or masala puri. and kulcha is a leavened flatbread made without yeast.
another very popular street food that comes very close to matar kulcha is chole bhature. chole bhature is a punjabi recipe of white chickpeas curry with fried leavened bread known as bhatura. chole bhatura is popular almost all over india and even abroad.
whereas matar kulcha is more popular in north india only. although you might get kulcha in good restaurants in central as well as southern india too. if you want to make kulcha at home then you can check my plain kulcha recipe or aloo kulcha recipe or paneer kulcha recipe. otherwise readymade kulcha is nowadays available in many super markets too.
unlike bhatura or naan, kulcha remains soft even when they become cold. they don’t become hard. so they can be made in advance and stacked up and stored in the fridge. when serving they can be reheated on a griddle or in the microwave until slightly warm.
the matar curry has a semi thick consistency with a tangy taste and flavor. generally the matar recipe is made little spicy. i have not made matar curry very spicy so if you want then you can make it bit more spicy by using more red chili powder or green chili and garam masala. if you don’t have kulcha then you can eat the matar curry with naan too. you can also have the matar plain without any accompaniment.
this matar recipe is adapted from nita mehta’s cookbook “taste of delhi”. i have used my own measurements than what was mentioned in the book and have cut down on the amount of mint leaves that is used to make the jaljeera chutney. this recipe makes use of jaljeera. you can even use readymade jaljeera powder instead of making the chutney. about 1 to 2 tbsp of jaljeera powder can be used in the recipe.
below is a video with the step by step pics for making matar curry. this recipe is very easy to make. cook the white peas. make the chutney. temper the spices and mix everything. very easy. you have to soak the peas a night before or for at least 7-8 hours before cooking them. if you have readymade kulchas than you just need to make the matar and you have a nice breakfast or brunch.
matar kulcha recipe
INGREDIENTS
for the matar (white peas curry)
- 1.25 cups dried white peas (safed matar)
- 3 to 4 cups water for pressure cooking the dried white peas.
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder (bhuna jeera powder)
- ½ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder)
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder (lal mirch powder)
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
jaljeera chutney
- ¾ cup fresh mint leaves - loosely packed
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
- seeds removed from 1 black cardamom - discard the outer cover
- 1 dry red chili - deseeded (optional)
- a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
- 1 teaspoon black salt (kala namak)
- 5 to 6 whole black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder)
- 1 tablespoon seedless tamarind
- ¼ or ⅓ cup water for grinding or add as required
toppings for matar kulcha
- 1 small onion - finely chopped
- 1 medium sized tomato - finely chopped
- 1 green chili - slit or chopped
- ½ inch ginger - julienned or finely chopped
- 1 lemon - quartered
- some coriander leaves (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
cooking safed matar (dried white peas)
- soak the matar or dried white peas overnight or for 7-8 hours.
- drain and then pressure cook with 3 to 4 cups of water till the matar are completely cooked.
- if there is extra water and the mixture is thin, then simmer till the matar get a medium consistency.
- mash the matar slightly with a wooden spoon.
- the soaked matar can also be cooked in a pan, but they will take a lot of time.
preparing jaljeera chutney
- grind all the ingredients listed under jaljeera chutney with 1/4 or 1/3 cup water to a smooth paste. keep aside.
making matar curry
- in a pan, heat oil. on a low flame, first brown the cumin seeds.
- remove the pan from fire.
- then add the dry spice powders one by one - chaat masala, roasted cumin powder, amchur powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder.
- stir and immediately pour this mixture into the cooked matar/peas or add the cooked matar to this mixture.
- switch on the fire and heat through the matar for 3-4 mins.
- now add the prepared jaljeera chutney and stir.
- if the matar mixture looks dry, add some water.
- cook the matar or peas curry till all the flavors are mingled, for about 2-3 minutes.
- check the seasoning and add more black salt if required.
- you can make this and keep it aside till you prepare the kulchas. when serving reheat the matar curry.
- serve matar kulcha in bowls or plates. top with onions, tomato, ginger and chilies. squeeze some lemon juice on top and mix lightly.
- garnish with coriander leaves and serve with matar kulchas.
It’s an amazing, easy yet tasty recipe.
thank you.
Excellent taste, especially the jal jeera chutney.
hi dassana! there seems to be a typo error regarding oil.it isn’t mentioned in the ingredients list.
does one need to add salt whilst cooking matar?thanks
thanks meveera. i have missed adding oil quantity. will update the post. salt is not added. but you can add salt if you want. add less salt as later also salt is added.
Can I use pav instead of kulcha for serving. Will it work.
Thanks
rujuta, you can use pav instead of kulcha. matar gravy tastes good with pav also.
can I use chickpea instead of white peas as the latter is slightly unhealthy? If yes, then what is the amount of chole should I use?
Nayan, you can take approx 1 cup chickpea
Thnks for amazing recipe… tried it.. Nd just loved it
welcome jyotsna
If i dint soak the matar overnight, can you plz tell what to do?urgent plz
just soak them in how water for 2 to 3 hours.
The kulcha recipe is really good and healthy. I used only whole wheat flour to make it and it came out really well. Thanks
thanks ameeta for sharing this variation as well as the feedback. adding whole wheat flour is healthy. will give a try.
Hi,
I have tried very many recipes of yours and they have turned out perfectly suiting my families tastes. I love cooking too.. Have made matar kulche many a times but my husband says though close it’s not like what the guy on the streets of Delhi sells. Isn’t this recipe oil free??? Will try your version too…
thanks sridevi. some recipes are made sans oil and some with. its similar to the ragda recipe that is served with ragda patties in mumbai and even ragda is made with or without oil. i think the street versions have their own secret masala or spices which makes the difference. homemade food can never be as close as the ones that are served on the streets 🙂
Very true… And that’s the secret I would love to unearth…
sure sridevi and thankyou.
i want to use readymade jaljeera powder, can you please tell the amount of powder to be used?
thanks.
mix the jaljeera with 1/4 to 1/3 cup water and add to the cooked peas. add 1 to 2 tbsp. if you feel the taste not coming through, then you can add 1 tbsp more. begin with 1 tbsp first and then increase if you do not get the right taste.
Tried the recipe today, and it turned out excellent!!
Easy to prepare,and better than your street side bhaiya!
pleased to know this suneeti thankyou 🙂
This is the best matar kulcha recipe i have tasted. Was looking for a good recipe for a long time and found it on your website.
Have tried many of your other recipes too in the past, awesome job with the way you explain along with pictures. Makes it look very easy to try ?
thanks swapnil for sharing positive feedback on recipes. glad to know this.
Awesome recipes in ur websites made my life. Thank you soo much.
welcome neha
I love this recipe. It always does wonders to my in laws. Thank you for posting this one.
welcome himani
hello, off late I have been trying quite some of ur recipes and all of them have turned out really well. Mostly Sanbjis, that is instant. I have to try ur bread recipe . Love baking but my previous tries on bread was always a failure
thanks sudha. if you use a good quality yeast and proof it correctly. then 90% of your work is done. you just need to knead the dough well and leaven for the right period of time. do try baking breads at home. its creative as well as therapeutic.
Thank you so much… have a nice day..
welcome ankita
Can I use green peas instead of white peas in this recipe..the dish came out really well…thank for the recipe…take care
thanks ankita. yes you can use green peas. you can use both fresh or dried green peas. with fresh green peas, the taste will be different though.
Looks really yummy will try this recipe
Thanks Dassana. wonderful recipe
welcome naim
Ausome,,,,,i tried it’s really tasty, thums up…….
thanks misha
Great recipe Dassana.
Keep it going.
There is always room for ‘traditional’ Indian food in this world!!
thanks ajoy
I am already feeling hungry now…looks very tempting
OMG! you are making me hungry, dassana…..making this on Sunday…kids will love this.
I love kulchas, although not much of a fan of matar.. so everytime mom use to make kulchas it was chole-kulche for me. 🙂