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Matar Kulcha

Tanvi Srivastava
Matar Kulcha is a popular street food from Delhi.It is lip smacking vegetarian curry made with dried white peas and served with bread kulcha.
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Prep Time 8 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4
Calories 249 kcal

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker, Cooking Pot, Blender

Ingredients
  

For boiling the peas

  • 1 cup matar (dried peas) soaked in enough cold water for 8 hours and drained
  • 1 black cardamom
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cloves
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon oil

Temper the Peas

  • 1.5 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 1 teaspoon ginger chopped or julienned
  • 2 indian green chillies (hot), or use serrano pepper, adjust to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon hing
  • ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder see blog post for how to
  • 1 teaspoon chaat masala
  • 1 teaspoon Kala Namak rock salt
  • ½ teaspoon dried mint
  • ¾ teaspoon red chilli powder (hot), adjust to taste
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
  • ½ tablespoon tamarind pulp I use store bought and its quite salty and tangy, adjust quantity as you like
  • ½ teaspoon salt adjust to taste

For Topping

  • Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, onions, tomatoes, green chillies
  • Lemon Juice

Instructions
 

Boil the Matar

  • Make sure to soak the dried white peas (matar) overnight or for at least 6-8 hours. This will ensure that they cook evenly and become tender.
    Tip #1 If you forgot to soak the dry peas, soak them in warm water- they are ready in 4-5 hours (of course it depends of quality and freshness of peas too).
  • In a pressure cooker, add everthing listed under "for boiling the peas". Add 1-1.5 cups water and pressure cook on medium for 2-4 whistles until tender. These peas cook very fast so keep an eye. Let pressure release naturally. The peas should be soft when squeezed between your fingers but hold shape.

Temper the Peas

  • Heat oil in a pot.
  • Add the cumin seeds, hing, green chillies and ginger all at once and saute for a minute or so. Dont let burn.
  • Add the boiled peas next along with all the liquid. Add all the powdwered spices next. Mix well and let simmer for 3-4 minutes.
  • Add the boiled peas next along with all the liquid. Check and adjust the salt. Coved the lid and let the peas cook with everrthing for about 20 minutes on low medium heat till the poatoes are tender.
  • Add the tamarind pulp, mix nicely, you can mash the peas a bit for a thicker consistency.Check and adjust the salt. Cover and let everything simmer for another 5-7 minutes or until desired consistency. You can store the matar chaat for 2-3 days in the fridge.
  • Dish out in a large or individual bowls. Garnishd with chopped onions, tomatoes, green chiilies, cilantro and fresh lemon juice on top. Serve warm.

Notes

    • Prior to cooking, remember to soak the dried peas. This step ensures even cooking.
    • When preparing this chaat, focus on achieving a variety of textures. You'll enjoy the softness of the cooked peas alongside the crunch of fresh chopped herbs and vegetables. Be careful not to overcook the peas, they should retain their shape.
    • Consider adding boiled potato cubes as a topping or during the simmering process . The combination is simply delightful
    • Storage- If you have leftovers, store the matar kulcha in the refrigerator. It will keep well for 2-3 days. Remember to reheat before serving.
    • Due to use of hing, this recipe is not gluten free. If you prefer a gluten-free version, simply omit the hing from the ingredients.
    • If you prefer a no onion, no garlic version of the chaat, you can skip adding onions altogether. Customize the recipe according to your dietary preferences.
Serving 
  1. As the name suggests, my favorite way to eat it is with bread kulcha or tawa kulcha. You can use store-bought kulcha or make it at home
  2. You could also serve it with aloo tikki for a pure street style experience. This is how Mumbai style ragda patties are made. 
  3. If you cannot find kulcha, use naan instead. Here's my instant no yeast naan recipe.
  4. I love to add green chutney or tamarind chutney on top if I serving it on its own as chaat.

Nutrition

Calories: 249kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 10gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.03gSodium: 1183mgPotassium: 473mgFiber: 9gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 157IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 63mgIron: 4mg
Keyword matar kulcha
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