Green Peas Masala | Green Peas Curry

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Green peas masala recipe with step by step photos – an almost restaurant-style delicious recipe of green peas curry. Almost restaurant like as the recipe does not have onions and garlic. Though, if you want you can add onions and garlic. Makes for a comforting meal when paired with some roti, naan or rice.

green peas masala served in a blue colored handi with fresh green peas kept on the side and text layover.

This matar masala recipe does not use butter or cream like most of the restaurant style recipes I have posted. Cashews and milk powder are added to make this gravy creamy, smooth and slightly sweet. I made the gravy a bit spicy, but you can always add the amount of spices as per your tastebuds. The gravy tastes similar to Paneer butter Masala gravy.

Usually I combine peas with other veggies to make dishes like Aloo Matar, Matar Paneer or gobi matar. But at times I just make a gravy like this recipe or make a dry peas curry. For best taste use fresh green peas. However, you can also use frozen green peas if they are not in season.

Serve peas masala with roti, naan or phula. You can also serve green peas masala with jeera rice or saffron rice or ghee rice.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Green Peas Curry

Preparation

1. First soak 10 to 12 cashews in warm water for 20 to 30 minutes. Use whole cashews.

cashews for green peas masala recipe

2. When the cashews are soaking, steam the fresh peas in a pan or a steamer till they are tender and softened. You can steam them in a steamer or a stovetop pressure cooker or in the Instant Pot.

If cooking in a pressure cooker, then cook for 2 whistles adding water as needed. You can also use frozen peas.

peas or matar for green peas masala recipe

3. Later drain all the water from the cashews. Add the cashews together with 1.5 cups chopped tomatoes in a blender or grinder jar.

cashew masala for green peas masala recipe

4. Without adding any water, grind to a fine and smooth paste. Keep the tomato-cashew paste aside.

cashew masala for green peas masala recipe

Make Masala Base

5. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a pan. Lower the heat and then add the whole garam masala or whole spices:

  • 1 tej patta
  • 2 cloves
  • 2 green cardamoms
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 1 or 2 single strands of mace (optional)

Fry for some seconds on low heat till the spices become fragrant.

oil for green peas masala recipe

6. Then add 1 to 1.5 ginger+green chili paste and a generous pinch of asafoetida (hing). Stir and sauté on low heat till the raw aroma of ginger and green chilies go away.

spices for green peas masala recipe

7. Now add the tomato-cashew paste.

tomato paste for matar masala recipe

8. Stir and mix the paste well.

stir peas masala

9. The mixture splutters a lot while sautéing, so cover the pan with a lid and cook this masala mixture, till it stops spluttering on a low heat.

cooking peas masala

10. Meanwhile in a small bowl whisk 2 tablespoons of fresh whole milk curd (yogurt) till smooth.

preparing green peas masala recipe

11. Stir and sauté the masala paste on a low to medium heat, till it thickens and you see oil specks on top and oil releasing from the sides.

sauteing matar masala

12. Then add the below listed ground spices:

  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ to ¾ teaspoon red chili powder (add as per taste)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
spices for matar masala recipe

12. Stir and sauté for a minute.

sauteing matar masala

13. Now lower the heat or you can opt to turn the heat off. Add whisked or beaten curd (yogurt).

curd for matar masala recipe

14. As soon as you add the curd, stir quickly with a ladle or spatula so that the curd does not split.

making green peas curry recipe

15. Stir the curd very well with the whole mixture. Remember to add beaten curd on a low heat and keep on stirring quickly and continuously till the entire curd is mixed and incorporated evenly in the masala paste.

making green peas curry recipe

16. Add 1 cup water. Stir and mix thoroughly to make an even gravy.

water for green peas curry recipe

Make Green Peas Masala

17. Then add the cooked green peas.

mater for matar masala recipe

18. Season with salt as needed.

salt for matar masala recipe

19. Stir and mix everything very well.

making green peas curry recipe

20. Add 2 tablespoons milk powder.

Instead of milk powder, khoya or mawa (milk solids) can be added. But remember to add khoya and sauté it after the tomato-cashew paste is cooked through.

making green peas masala recipe

21. Stir and again.

stir matar masala recipe

22. Bring the peas masala curry to a simmer on a low to medium heat. About 5 to 6 minutes on a low to medium heat after you add the milk powder.

making green peas curry recipe

23. Lastly add ½ teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves), which has been crushed. Stir the curry and switch off the heat.

making green peas masala recipe

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve green peas masala with chapati, tandoori roti, naan or roomali roti.

You can also serve green peas curry with steamed rice or jeera rice or biryani rice or ghee rice.

green peas masala recipe, green peas curry recipe, masala matar recipe

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green peas masala recipe, green peas curry recipe, masala matar recipe

Green Peas Masala | Green Peas Curry

This is a creamy and delicious green peas masala gravy. A no onion no garlic recipe.
4.93 from 28 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Cuisine North Indian, Punjabi
Course Main Course
Diet Vegetarian
Difficulty Level Moderate
Servings 4
Units

Ingredients

for tomato-cashew paste

  • 3 tomatoes (medium to large) – 250 grams tomatoes or 1.5 cups chopped tomatoes
  • 10 to 12 cashews

other ingredients

  • 1 cup matar or 140 grams matar (peas)
  • 1 to 1.5 teaspoon ginger+green chili paste or ½ inch ginger + 1 to 2 green chilies – crushed to a paste in a mortar-pestle
  • 2 tablespoon Curd beaten (yogurt)
  • 2 tablespoon milk powder or dairy whitener
  • 1 generous pinch asafoetida (hing)
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ to ¾ teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
  • ½ teaspoon kasuri methi – crushed (dry fenugreek leaves)
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 tablespoon oil
  • salt as required

whole spices

  • 1 tej patta
  • 2 cloves
  • 2 green cardamoms
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 1 or 2 single strands of mace – optional

Instructions
 

Preparation

  • First soak 10 to 12 cashews in warm water for 20 to 30 minutes.
  • When the cashews are soaking, steam the fresh peas till they are cooked completely. You can steam them in a steamer or pressure cooker. If cooking in a pressure cooker, then cook for 2 whistles.
  • Later drain the water from cashews and add the cashews along with 1.5 cups chopped tomatoes in a blender or grinder jar. 
  • Without adding any water, grind to a fine and smooth paste. Keep the ground tomato-cashew paste aside.

Making masala base

  • Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan. Then add the whole garam masala – 1 tej patta, 2 cloves, 2 green cardamoms, 1 inch cinnamon, 1 or 2 single strands of mace (optional). Sauté till the spice become fragrant.
  • Then add 1 to 1.5 ginger+green chili paste and a generous pinch of asafoetida. Stir and fry on low heat till the raw aroma of ginger and green chilies go away.
  • Now add the tomato-cashew paste. Stir and mix the paste well.
  • The mixture splutters a lot while sauteing, so cover the pan with a lid and cook this masala mixture, till it stops spluttering.
  • Meanwhile in a small bowl whisk 2 tbsp of fresh full fat curd till smooth.
  • Stir and saute the masala paste on low to medium heat, till it thickens and you see oil specks on top and oil releasing from the sides.
  • Then add the ground spices – turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder.
  • Stir and sauté for a minute.
  • Now lower the flame. Then add beaten curd.
  • As soon as you add the curd, stir quickly with a ladle or spatula so that the curd does not curdle.
  • Stir the curd very well with the whole mixture. Remember to add beaten curd on a low flame and keep on
  • Stirring quickly and continuously till the entire curd is mixed incorporated in the masala paste.
  • Add 1 cup water.

making green peas masala

  • Then add the cooked green peas. Season with salt. Stir everything very well.
  • Add 2 tbsp milk powder. Instead of milk powder, khoya can be added. But add khoya and saute it once the tomato-cashew paste is done. Stir again.
  • Bring the green peas masala curry to a simmer on a low to medium flame.
  • Lastly add 1/2 tsp kasuri methi, which has been crushed. Stir and switch off the flame.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves and serve peas masala with chapatis, tandoori rotis, naan. You can also serve green peas curry with jeera rice or saffron rice.

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts
Green Peas Masala | Green Peas Curry
Amount Per Serving
Calories 187 Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 4mg1%
Sodium 614mg27%
Potassium 332mg9%
Carbohydrates 12g4%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 900IU18%
Vitamin C 22.9mg28%
Calcium 70mg7%
Iron 1.4mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This Green Peas Masala recipe post from the archives, first published in March 2015 has been updated and republished on November 2022.

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Welcome to Dassana's Veg Recipes. I share vegetarian recipes from India & around the World. Having been cooking for decades and with a professional background in cooking & baking, I help you to make your cooking journey easier with my tried and tested recipes showcased with step by step photos & plenty of tips & suggestions.

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82 Comments

  1. Very yummy when tried by adding ginger and onion too.. Everyone guests come for dinner this curry is my first choice.. Thks a lot

  2. Thanks a lot for the recipe dear.
    I was awesome in taste as well as presentation.
    My hubby and his friends simply loved it.5 stars

  3. hi instead of fenugreek leaves can I use fenugreek powder as I have Everest fenugreek powder I got it aftr chkn in few of ur recipes. And also wen u say 2 tablespoons is that heaped or flat. Thank you.

    1. kaneez, you can use fenugreek powder, but just add a light pinch or else the gravy will become bitter. its flat and not heaped. if i use heaped, then i will mention that its heaped tablespoon.

  4. I tried the recipe today and it was amazing! Thank you very much!
    Only that I couldn’t grind the cashews to a fine paste like in the recipe (I think your grinder works better than mine 🙂 )… Still the taste wasn’t compromised at all I think!
    Thanks once again..

    1. thanks for this lovely feedback ruchi. good to know that the matar masala recipe was good in spite of the cashews not being ground to a fine paste.

  5. Hi Dassan, if I use garlic and onions in this recipe, when do I add them please ? After sautéing the whole garam masala spices OR blending them with the cashews and tomatoes To maintain smoothness of gravy ? Hope to hear back from you in this…..tnx much and always 🙂

    1. dimpy, add garlic when ginger+green chilies are added. add onions after sauteing the ginger+green chili+garlic. if using garic and onions than no need to use hing. saute the onions till golden, then add tomato+cashew paste.

  6. Hi,
    Thank u so much for the tasty receipes, nt only this one bt i have tried many of the receipes, al the receipes were tasty. Thank u for the detailed explanations, and also for your patience….whenever i want to try somethng new i wl go throgh ur site, and i wll be able to clear all my doubts here….. i may nt be able to comment al the time bt always thank in my heart… thank u so much sister….. all the best…… and will be waiting for more receipes to try ….. thank u once again….

    1. thanks a lot shwetha. its fine if you are not able to comment. will be adding more recipes 🙂

  7. Thanks for your wonderful recipe.
    Can I freeze fresh peas directly after removing the outer pods? Please advice.

    1. yes geetha you could freeze fresh peas when not in season and you want to store for future use 🙂

  8. Thank you so much for these recipes. You always serve as a helping hand in the kitchen. Thank you so much for your presence.

  9. this might be the best website i have came across :>

    made this recipe.. and it came out delicious .

    i added some garlic and one chopped up large onion5 stars

  10. Hi Dassana,
    Thank you for the awesome recipes! Live in US and your recipes help me stir up some amazing Indian dishes!
    Can I add paneer to this dish? Also I saw the section with no onion or garlic.. Do you have some Jain recipes? ( no potato, onion and garlic)

    1. thanks hiral. you can add paneer to this recipe. i do not have any jain recipe without potatoes. but there are many no onion garlic recipes.

  11. Hello. I have been following your recipies for sometime now. Tried peas curry today. My husband loved it so much that he had it as a main dish and a side dish. He did not touch any other dishes on the table.
    Thank you for the lovely recipient.

  12. Hello Dassana
    sorry to leave you comment on this page actually I wanted to leave a comment on palak paratha but was not able to . For palak paratha if I want to use frozen spinach what is the method to make this paratha and how much frozen spinach for how many cups of atta please advise, thanks

    1. welcome simmi. i will not be able to tell you about how much frozen spinach. because i have never used it. you will have to use approximation.

  13. Awesome recipe site..i just discovered ths site n found all te recipes i hv gone through as 100% genuine…measurements, ingredients, process everything is similar to how we do. As i m a south indian…these r all our regular b.fast recipes n our way of making. Good job dear…since m on mobile screen…i was just going tru few of breakfast recipes..dint try to find bloggers name or details.. Anyway…good job to who ever owns ths site..thr r 100s of recipe sites…n i been exploring many f them…but dint find any blogs which i felt i can close my eyes n cook as per recipe given..I m going to try some of ur recipes.. Kudos to you…keep up te good job..step by step picture tutorial n briefing really helpful for beginners as well as for non professional cooks.. Awesome !! Let me explore more…Thanks!!!

    1. thanks a lot preethi for this encouraging feedback. glad to know that you liked the recipes. do try some recipes.