Matar Ki Sabzi

ByKanan Patel Updated on
5 Comments
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This quick and healthy matar ki sabzi makes a great side dish to include in routine lunch/dinner. This sabzi goes well with phulka roti or plain paratha.

Dry green peas sabzi served in a bowl.

About This Matar Ki Sabzi Recipe

When it comes to the curry or sabzi, I end up using matar combined with other vegetables like aloo matar, mushroom matar, methi matar malai, etc.

But many times, I am out of vegetables. So that time I make this matar ki sabzi. Because I always have the bag of frozen peas in the freezer.

This is no onion no garlic recipe. This can be made Jain by skipping the ginger.

This sabzi is not completely dry-dry kind. But this sabzi is a semi-dry type when thick, moist gravy is coated with green peas.

Ingredient Notes

  • Green peas: If you’re in India then fresh green peas are easily available when in season (mostly winter). But here in the USA, I always keep a bag of frozen peas in my freezer and use them as needed.
  • Ginger, Green chili: I have crushed the ginger and green chili into a wet jar of my spice grinder. You can use ready-made paste. While crushing these two, if you like then you can add a couple of cloves of garlic as well.
  • Tomatoes: It adds a slight tang to the sabzi.
  • Yogurt: Plain yogurt is whisked until smooth and added to the sabzi for flavor. The sour flavor of yogurt goes well with the slight sweetness of peas.
  • Spice powders: 3 most commonly used and basic spices are used here – chili powder, turmeric powder, and coriander powder.
  • Freshly chopped cilantro is added at the end as a garnishing. 

How To Make Matar Ki Sabzi? (Pics)

  1. Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Then add cumin seeds and let them sizzle a bit.
  2. Add crushed ginger, and green chili and saute for 30-40 seconds or until the raw smell of ginger goes away.
  3. Add chopped tomatoes and a pinch of salt.
  4. Mix and cook until tomatoes are soft and almost mushy.
Collage of 4 images showing tempering spices, sauteing ginger chili, cooking tomatoes.
  1. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, and coriander powder.
  2. Mix and cook for a minute.
  3. Add green peas, remaining salt and water.
    💡 Note: Here I am using frozen peas so I have added them directly here and will cook them for some time. But if using fresh green peas then boil them before adding them here as fresh takes longer to cook.
  4. Cover and cook until peas are soft and tender. 
Collage of 4 images showing adding spices, cooking peas with water.
  1. Lower the heat to the lowest possible and add whisked yogurt.
  2. Immediately stir the yogurt before it gets curdled. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes. Most of the gravy thickens and coats the peas. 
  3. Lastly, add freshly chopped cilantro.
  4. Mix and it is ready to serve.
Collage of 4 images showing adding yogurt and cilantro.

Expert Tips For Matar Ki Sabzi

  • Add yogurt carefully: Stir the yogurt into the gravy right away and make sure the heat is on low to avoid curdling or separating.
  • Fresh vs frozen peas: Frozen peas are already blanched, so they cook faster. If you’re using fresh peas, make sure to boil or steam them first before adding to the sabzi.
  • Gravy tip: Right after cooking, the sabzi might look a little watery. But let it rest for 5 minutes, and the peas will soak up the excess liquid, giving you a nice, thick gravy that coats every bite.

Serving Ideas

  • Serve this matar ki sabzi with roti or plain paratha. Have kachumber salad on the side.
  • This can be served as a side with your dal-chalwal or kadhi chawal. Have a roasted papad or pickle on the side.
Matar ki sabzi in a bowl.

Check Out Other Green Peas Recipes

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below. If you’re sharing it on your Instagram then don’t forget to tag me @spice.up.the.curry

Matar Ki Sabzi Recipe

5 from 3 votes
Matar ki sabzi in a bowl.
This quick and healthy matar ki sabzi makes a great side dish to include in routine lunch/dinner. This goes well with phulka roti or plain paratha.
Kanan
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Serving Size 2

US measuring cups are used (1 cup = 240 ml)

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons Oil
  • ¼ teaspoon Mustard seeds
  • ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon Ginger paste or freshly grated or crushed
  • 1 small Green chili, crushed or chopped
  • ½ cup Tomato, finely chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 ½ cups Green peas
  • ½ cup Water
  • 2 tablespoons Plain yogurt, (dahi or curd) whisked
  • 2 tablespoons Cilantro or coriander leaves, chopped finely

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Then add cumin seeds and let them sizzle a bit.
  • Add crushed ginger, green chili and saute for 30-40 seconds or until the raw smell of ginger goes away.
  • Add chopped tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Mix and cook until tomatoes are soft and almost mushy.
  • Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder. Mix and cook for a minute.
  • Add green peas, remaining salt and water. NOTE: Here I am using frozen peas so I have added them directly here and will cook them for some time. But if using fresh green peas then boil them before adding them here as fresh takes longer to cook.
  • Cover and cook until peas are soft and tender.
  • Lower the heat to the lowest possible and add whisked yogurt. Immediately stir the yogurt before it gets curdled.
  • Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes. Most of the gravy thickens and coats the peas.
  • Lastly, add freshly chopped cilantro. Mix and it is ready to serve.

Notes

  • Stir the yogurt immediately into the gravy otherwise, it may get curdle and separate. Also, keep the gas heat low.
  • Fresh or frozen peas: Frozen peas are blanched before freezing so it gets cooked faster than fresh peas. So if using fresh peas then boil or steam them before making sabzi.
  • At the end of cooking, you may find sabzi has some gravy. But as it rests for 5 minutes, all the liquid gets soaked up by the green peas and you’ll be left with thick gravy coated with the peas.

Nutrition

Calories: 244kcal (12%) | Carbohydrates: 20.7g (7%) | Protein: 7.6g (15%) | Fat: 15.3g (24%) | Saturated Fat: 1.4g (7%) | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 336mg (14%) | Potassium: 471mg (13%) | Fiber: 6.9g (28%) | Sugar: 8.7g (10%) | Vitamin A: 1700IU (34%) | Vitamin C: 71mg (86%) | Calcium: 70mg (7%) | Iron: 2.5mg (14%)
Kanan Patel

To understand the art and science of cooking, I’ve read many cookbooks and culinary books—and now I’m sharing all that experience with you. I started this blog in 2012 to share reliable vegetarian, Indian, and eggless baking recipes (with step-by-step photos and videos) that you can count on.

5 from 3 votes

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5 Comments

  1. Surprisingly good!

    I didn’t have one of the spices and mistakenly put 1 1/2 cups water instead of 1/2 cup…
    Nonetheless, it was still delicious! Since I had to drain out most of the excess water (and spices) I added some garam masala at the end.

    I’ll be bookmarking this website!5 stars

    Reply