Pattani Kurma | Green Peas Kurma

Cozy, lightly spicy, and perfectly satisfying, this vegan Pattani Kurma or Green Peas Kurma is a South Indian delight. Made in just 30 minutes, this delicious korma is quick enough for busy weeknights and is satisfying enough to crush even the most ravenous hunger.

About Pattani Kurma

There are so many recipes you can cook with green peas. This South Indian style Peas Kurma is a staple at home and I make it during the season of fresh green peas. Having said that I also make it with frozen peas when we want to enjoy a delicious kurma gravy with fluffy, soft poori.

The recipe gets its name as one of the hero ingredient in this particular kurma variant is green peas – which are also called ‘Pattani’ in Tamil. So you can refer to this recipe as Pattani Kurma or Peas Kurma.

As an avid cook, I have a tendency to accumulate plenty of cookbooks, magazine tear-outs, newspaper clippings, and printed recipes. Anything that looks tasty gets bookmarked for later. Do you have a habit like that?

That’s the case with this Pattani Kurma — I made it more than a decade ago and it has become a favorite curry with everyone – right from family to friends and guests too. In fact, I can’t even remember which book or recipe inspired me to make it, but I can tell you: it’s simply delicious.

While you might think that as a food blogger I’m whipping up special recipes left and right and that we eat like royalty every day. I assure you, this is not the case. Most days, I end up cooking regular chapathi, some kind of vegetable preparations and Dal, and rice like many Indian households.

However, even with my simple, easy, everyday recipes, I do what I can to make them taste special, and I’m usually pretty successful.

This yummy Peas Kurma recipe is one that I turn to again and again. While it is more of a homestyle recipe rather than a restaurant-style dish, it is easily one of the best kurma recipes I have ever tried.

I have made this Peas Kurma in a stovetop pressure cooker to save time but you’re welcome to use a regular pan or Instant Pot instead. I have added notes in the recipe card on how to make the kurma in a pan.

This Pattani Kurma goes well with Paratha, Poori, or even steamed rice. I made Kerala Parotta to go with the Green Peas Kurma.

Ingredients & Substitutions

This quick and easy recipe for Pattani Kurma requires just a handful of ingredients and a bevy of spice cabinet staples. Also it is made with both green peas and potatoes.

Feel free to use either fresh or frozen green peas for this recipe. If you opt for frozen, you don’t need to defrost them first.

Waxy potatoes (e.g. red or yellow potatoes or Yukon Gold) will hold their shape better than starchy Russet or Idaho potatoes. Feel free to omit the potatoes if you are not fan of them.

The rest of the ingredients are the various Indian ground spices, onions, herbs, poppy seeds, coconut and cashews. For the onions – red, yellow, white, or sweet onions will all work here.

I prefer using homemade spice powders when possible, and coriander powder, fennel powder is no exception. Feel free to use whatever you have on hand.

For the fennel powder, If you don’t have it, then lightly roast 1.5 teaspoons of whole fennel seeds and grind them along with the coconut, poppy seeds, etc.

Poppy seeds are used in thickening the gravy. But you could skip them due to availability.

Fresh coconut gives really good taste to the gravy. Though you can also use unsweetened desiccated coconut if that’s what you have on hand.

There are also some cashews added that give creaminess without any dairy. Feel free to swap them with blanched almonds instead.

I also add Kashmiri red chillies as I love the vibrant red color these dried chillies give to the gravy, but you’re welcome to use any other dry red chilies you prefer.

How To Make Pattani Kurma

This simple vegan kurma comes together in just 30 minutes with the help of a pressure cooker. Here’s how:

Prep Ingredients

1. Heat some water. Turn off heat and soak 2 to 3 dried red kashmiri chilies and 6 to 7 whole cashews in the water for 15 to 20 minutes. Do remove the seeds from the red chillies before soaking.

After 15 to 20 minutes drain the water and set the soaked red chillies and cashews aside.

2. Rinse 1 cup of fresh green peas and set aside. Rinse, peel and dice 2 medium potatoes (or 1 extra large potato) as well.

3. In a grinder or blender:

• add the soaked cashews and red chillies
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds (khus khus)
• 2 tablespoons fresh grated coconut or unsweetened desiccated coconut
• 1 inch peeled and chopped ginger

Add little water or as needed to grind the kurma gravy ingredients.

4. Grind or blend to a fine and smooth paste. Set aside.

5. Measure all the ingredients and keep ready for making pattani kurma.

Make Pattani Kurma

6. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 3 litre pressure cooker. Keep heat to a low. Add all the whole spices:

• 1 medium-sized tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
• 2 to 3 cloves
• 1-inch cinnamon stick

Fry till fragrant for some seconds.

7. Add 1 medium-sized chopped onion (or ½ cup chopped onions).

8. Sauté on low to medium heat stirring often until onions turn golden brown.

9. Add the prepared ground kurma paste.

10. Sauté on medium-low to medium heat stirring often for 3 to 4 minutes or more, till the fat leaves the sides of the kurma masala paste.

11. Now add the ground spice powders one by one:

• ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon of coriander powder
• 2 teaspoons of fennel powder

12. Stir and sauté for a minute.

13. Add the green peas and peeled, chopped potatoes.

14. Stir and mix well.

15. Add salt as required.

16. Pour in about 2 to 2.25 cups of water.

17. Stir to mix well.

18. Pressure cook for 2 whistles on a medium to high heat or till the potatoes and green peas are tender and cooked.

19. Here the peas kurma is all ready to be served.

20. Garnish with some coriander leaves.

21. Serve the Pattani Kurma hot with some roti, chapathi, phulka, paratha or rice.

Expert Tips

• Cut the potatoes into even sizes. This will help to ensure that they cook evenly!
• For a spicy taste, add more red chillies. Instead of red chillies you can opt to add green chillies. With green chillies, the color of the gravy will change.
• Instead of fresh coconut, use desiccated coconut. You can also use frozen coconut.
• Feel free to omit potatoes and make the kurma with a total of 1.25 to 1.5 cups of green peas.
• As with many stews and curries, this green peas kurma is especially good after a day. Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 1 day.
• To thicken the kurma if in case the gravy looks watery after pressure cooking – simmer without lid until the gravy thickens a bit.
• If the kurma looks too thick after pressure cooking, then add some water and simmer for some more time without lid.

This Pattani Kurma from the blog archives first published in January 2014 has been updated and republished on December 2022.