Mamta's Kitchen

Matra Chaat-Spicy, Mushy White Peas/Marrowfat Peas/Field Peas (An Indian Street Food)

Matra (Dry Peas) ki Chat

Abha Gupta

IndianMainSnackVegetarian

This is a delicious yet easy snack to make, using dry peas, called ‘matra' in Hindi. These peas are light brown in colour, same as chickpea colour. Normal dry peas are green and called matar, a feminine term. The term 'matra' or 'matara', is a masculine. The word Chaat is used for a group of hot, spicy and tangy, vegetarian snacks/street foods from north India. The Hindi word chaatna means 'to lick'. Chaat dishes are so delicious that they make you smack your lips and want to lick the plate clean, finger licking good! They are traditionally served in plates or bowls made from leaves, held together with dry, thin sticks. These days, plates are made in machines by pressing leaves from suitable trees, completely disposable and biodegradable. After years of using plastic disposable/plastic plates, bowls and glasses, India is returning to these in a big way.

In India, chaat is often sold by street hawkers, specially in the evenings. You can see people standing all around a Chaat Wallah's cart, eating and licking their plates. Serves 6

Edited May 2023.

Ingredients

  • 250 gm. dry, white peas or Field Peas (sookhi matar), not the dry green ones.

  • Water to boil hem in

  • 2 tbsp. cooking oil

  • 1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and gated

  • 1 level tsp. cumin seeds, dry roasted and coarsely ground

  • 1 level tsp. coriander or dhania seeds, dry roasted and and finely ground.1 tsp. salt

  • 1/2 tsp. chilli powder

  • 1 tsp. chana masala or Chat Masala

  • 1 inch of dry tamarind from a tamarind block or 1 tsp. tamarind pulp or 1 tsp. Amchoor-dry mango powder

  • For serving:

  • 1 inch ginger, peeled and finely chopped or shredded

  • 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves

  • 2-3 green chillies finely chopped

  • 1 red onion, peeled and finely shredded/chopped

  • 1 lime or lemon, cut into small wedges

  • Tamarind or Imli Chutney

Instructions

  1. Wash and soak peas overnight.

  2. Place in a pressure cooker with enough water to cover plus half an inch above. Cook under full pressure for 5 minutes. If you do not have a pressure cooker, boil briskly until quite soft.

  3. Allow the cooker to cool down before opening, check that peas are soft. If not, cook some more.

  4. Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of water, microwave for a minute, mash and strain to get tamarind water.

  5. Add tamarind water, chilli powder, roast cumin powder, chana masala or chat masala, mango powder/amchoor or about a tbsp. of lemon juice to the cooked peas.

  6. Add a little water, if the peas look too dry. They should be slight runny, but not too much.

  7. If using tamarind water, add it here. The peas should now have thick gravy.

  8. Bring to a quick boil just before serving.

  9. Place portions in individual bowl or plates, garnish with coriander leaves, ginger, chopped green chillies, chopped red onions, chopped green chillies and a wedge of lemon in each plate.

  10. Spoon a little Tamarind Chutney over the top. If you do not have tamarind chutney, squeeze a little fresh lemon juice.

  11. Serve with Kulcha Bread or on their own.

  12. You can serve the peas in a large bowl, with all the garnish ingredients on the side, for people to help themselves.

Notes

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