Learn how to make this matar nimona with detailed step-wise pictures. You all know how much I love to explore different cuisines. This matar nimona, fresh green peas, and potato curry caught my attention a couple of years back, and I wanted to try it always. I finally got a chance to make it this year. When I think about green peas dishes, the first thing that comes to my mind is matar paneer, and I know we can do other excellent dishes with fresh green peas, and this nimona is one such dish.
My version of matar nimona
Matar nimona is quite popular in Uttar Pradesh, the northern state of India. Seasonal veggies always add magic, and that’s what fresh green peas do to this dish. Matar means green peas, and nimona means spicy curry. When I saw some fresh peas in the stores this time, I decided to try this matar nimona right away! You can find many matar nimona recipes online, but I adapted mine mainly from Nisha Madhulika mam’s recipe. I also got the idea of grinding some fresh cilantro and garlic, and tomato from this recipe. They add fresh green coriander seeds. But I went with fresh leaves as I didn’t have the green coriander seeds. I modified the spices and procedure also a bit. That was not intentional, though. I saw both the recipes, made a mental note, and during the testing, after frying the potatoes, I sauteed the ground peas first and then added the ground tomato masala and made the curry. We loved the curry, and then I realized I should have sauteed the tomato masala first. But we liked the curry and didn’t find any raw taste, so I went with my procedure when I made the curry again, and that’s what I am sharing with you today.
Steps involved
The steps might be lengthy, but it’s an easy and straightforward recipe. You can shell the green peas as part of your meal prep, and once the green peas are ready, you can make this dish quickly. The recipe involves four main steps. You can serve nimona with roti or paratha. More than roti and paratha, we enjoyed this curry with jeera rice, and that’s how I have presented this curry here.
Ingredient substitutions and related questions
Can I use frozen peas? I haven’t tried this recipe with frozen peas. I would recommend fresh peas for sure. Tender and sweet green peas elevate the flavor of this dish. Can I use any other oil instead of mustard oil? Again, I highly recommend mustard oil for this recipe, but I can understand, it’s an acquired taste. It took us some time to get used to the flavor, and now we love it. So do give it a try; if not, you can use any other oil of your choice. Why is there jaggery in the ingredient list? The green peas that I get here in the US are always a hit or miss. Sometimes they are bland and not sweet; in that case, I add some jaggery. But that’s completely optional.
Dietary Specifications
Matar nimona is a naturally vegan curry without onion. You can skip the garlic and make it a no onion no garlic recipe as well. I have used ⅛ tsp of asafoetida, but you can use gluten-free asafoetida or skip a gluten-free version.
How to make matar nimona
Grind the green peas
Take one cup of green peas in a mixer jar.
Pulse it coarsely without adding any water and set it aside in a bowl along with the remaining ¼ cup of peas.
Prepare the spices and tomato paste.
Grind all the ingredients given under “To Grind” – tomatoes, green chilies, garlic, ginger, cilantro, coriander powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, and red chili powder (if using) by adding ½ cup of water and set it aside. Rinse the mixer jar with 1 cup of water and set it aside.
Fry the potatoes.
In a pan, add the 2 tbsp of mustard oil and heat the oil over medium-hear till it reaches its smoking point.
Add the chopped potato and fry them until they turn light golden brown. Keep rotating and flipping the potatoes for even cooking.
After frying, remove them from the oil and drain them on the kitchen towel.
Prepare the nimona
In the same pan in which you fried the potatoes, add the cumin seeds and the asafoetida and let the cumin seeds sizzle.
Now add the ground peas along with the whole ones. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Mix well, and the peas will absorb all the oil. And that’s fine—cover and cook for 3 minutes. Then remove the lid and cook the peas for 3 to 4 more minutes until the raw smell of the peas goes and off. Make sure to mix the peas in between so that it doesn’t stick to the pan.
Now add the ground tomato paste and salt.
Mix well and cook the masala for about 5 to 7 minutes until the raw smell goes off.
Add the reserved one cup of water and the fried potatoes now.
Let this gravy simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes over low heat. By now, the peas should be soft and mushy. If your peas are hard, cook for a few more minutes. Taste the nimona and adjust the salt and spices. If your peas are not sweet, add the jaggery at this stage.
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with rice or roti.
Recipe Notes.
As always, adjust the green chilies and salt to your taste. Red chili powder and jaggery are optional.I used two tomatoes, approx 200 grams. 150 to 200 grams of tomatoes should be sufficient for this recipe.If using mustard oil, make sure to heat the oil over medium heat till it reaches its smoking point. Cook the curry in medium-low heat and make sure the masala and peas’ raw smell goes off.
More green peas recipes
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PS: If you try this matar nimona, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it ASAP. Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest for more healthy and delicious ideas! Follow me on Instagram or join my Facebook Group for more gardening and recipe updates! You can also sign-up for my newsletter for weekly updates.
