Chura matar recipe with step by step photos – UP style recipe of chooda matar or matar poha. Chura matar is a delicious and healthy evening snack which is popular and made in many homes in Uttar Pradesh during the winters.
During our visit in Banaras, we used to have chura matar everyday in the breakfast buffet of the hotel where we were staying. Two regular Banarasi breakfast dishes that would be always there in the breakfast buffet were Aloo poori and chura matar.
Fresh green peas are available only during winters and there are some recipes that taste good with fresh Green peas only and this is one such recipe. However if you don’t have fresh green peas then you can make this dish with frozen peas as well.
Chura matar is made differently in both UP and Bihar. In UP the making of chura matar resembles the preparation of Maharashtrian kanda poha, whereas in Bihar the poha is fried and is somewhat like a Poha Chivda.
The taste of chura matar is very different from Poha recipe (onion poha) or Batata poha (potato poha). Ingredients like black pepper powder, garam masala powder and asafoetida (hing) are added which makes this dish taste very different than Maharashtrian kanda poha. Also no onions are added. So this recipe is a no onion no garlic version of peas poha.
Serve chura matar hot drizzled with some lemon juice as an evening snack. You can also serve it as a side snack with Masala Chai.
Step-by-Step Guide
How to make Chura Matar
1. Take 1.5 cups thick poha (90 grams) in a strainer or colander. Rinse with fresh water twice. Move the poha with your hands while rinsing. The poha just needs to get softened. So rinse gently.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan or kadai. Then add 10 to 12 cashews (chopped or halved) and fry them in the oil.
3. Fry till the cashews become golden. You can also add some raisins if you want.
4. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside in a separate bowl or plate.
Making chura matar
5. Add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds to the same oil and let them crackle on low heat.
6. Add 1 or 2 green chilies (chopped) and 1 teaspoon of finely chopped ginger.
If you want to make the dish more spicy then you can increase the number of green chilies at this step.
7. Saute till the raw aroma of ginger goes away. Basically saute for some seconds.
8. Then add the ½ cup fresh green peas (80 grams matar) and mix it well with the remaining ingredients.
9. Next add ½ to ⅔ cup water for cooking the green peas.
10. Season with salt as per taste.
11. Next add ¼ teaspoon sugar. Stir and mix well.
The addition of sugar is optional and can be skipped. At the same time if you prefer then you can increase the quantity of sugar.
12. Cover the pan with its lid and cook on a medium-low to medium heat till the peas are cooked.
Instead of cooking peas, you can steam only the green peas separately. Then just add the steamed peas. Stir and mix very well. Then add poha and mix everything.
13. In between do check and give a stir. In case all the water dries up and the matar are not cooked, then add some more hot water and continue to cook the matar.
14. The water will reduce by the time the peas are cooked. There will be some moisture in the pan, which is fine. If there is too much water in the pan and the peas are cooked, then cook the mixture without a lid, so the water evaporates.
15. When the water has evaporated and there is some moisture in the pan, then add ½ teaspoon black pepper powder, ½ teaspoon garam masala powder and 1 pinch of asafoetida (hing).
16. Stir and mix very well.
17. Add the poha.
18. Gently mix the poha with the rest of the mixture. Cook for a minute. You can also cover the pan and cook for a minute on low heat.
19. Add ½ to 1 teaspoon lemon juice and mix it gently with the poha.
20. Switch off the heat and add ⅓ cup of chopped coriander leaves. Mix very well.
21. Serve chura matar hot or warm garnished with the fried cashews. While serving you can drizzle some more lemon juice if you want.
It makes for a hearty evening snack. A cup of hot tea also goes well with it.
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Chura Matar Recipe
Chura matar – UP style recipe of chooda matar or matar poha. Chooda matar is a popular evening snack.
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Preparation for chura matar
Take 1.5 cups thick poha (90 grams) in a strainer or colander.
Rinse with fresh water twice. Move the poha with your hands while rinsing.
The poha just need to get softened. So rinse gently.
Making chura matar
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan or kadai. You can use any neutral flavored oil.
Add 10 to 12 cashews (chopped or halved) and fry them in the oil.
Fry till the cashews become golden. You can also add some raisins if you want.
Remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside in a separate bowl or plate.
Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds to the same oil and let them crackle on low heat.
Add 1 or 2 green chilies (chopped) and 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger.
Saute till the raw aroma of ginger goes away. Basically saute for some seconds.
Then add the ½ cup fresh green peas (80 grams) and mix it well with the remaining ingredients.
Next add ½ to ⅔ cup water for cooking green peas.
Season with salt as per taste. Also add ¼ teaspoon sugar. Stir and mix well.
Cover the pan with its lid and cook on a medium-low to medium flame till the peas are cooked.
In between do check and give a stir. In case all the water dries up and the peas are not cooked, then add some more hot water and continue to cook the peas.
When the peas are cooked and there is some moisture in the pan, then add ½ teaspoon black pepper powder, ½ teaspoon garam masala powder and 1 pinch of asafoetida.
Stir and mix very well. Then add the poha.
Gently mix the poha with the rest of the mixture. Cook for a minute. You can also cover the pan and cook for a minute on low flame.
Then add ½ to 1 teaspoon lemon juice and mix it with the poha.
Switch off the heat and add ⅓ cup chopped coriander leaves. Mix very well.
Serve chura matar hot or warm garnished with the fried cashews.
- For a more spicy taste, increase the number of green chilies. Also add more black pepper and garam masala powder.
- You can add more sugar if you want.
- Can use thick white poha or thick red poha.
- You can add more green peas if you want.
- Fresh green peas taste best, but if you cannot get fresh green peas, then used frozen green peas.
Nutrition Facts
Chura Matar Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 393 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 8g
Sodium 234mg10%
Potassium 231mg7%
Carbohydrates 65g22%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 474IU9%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 4mg20%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin C 24mg29%
Vitamin E 3mg20%
Vitamin K 21µg20%
Calcium 32mg3%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 132µg33%
Iron 4mg22%
Magnesium 55mg14%
Phosphorus 150mg15%
Zinc 2mg13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This Chura Matar post from the archives first published in January 2017 has been republished and updated on November 2022.
Source: Dassana’s Veg Recipes