Matar Chaat is a popular North Indian street food prepared with White Pea or Safed Matar. Matra or Matar Chaat is super delicious snack made with a mix of spices with lip smacking chutneys. It is a popular dish in North India especially Delhi and Uttar Pradesh region.
Make this sweet tangy and spicy Chaat with safed matar for snack time or serve it with Kulcha bread for a wholesome filling meal. You can also include it in your Holi and Diwali chaat party menu. Famous as Dilliwale Matra Kulcha
About the Recipe
Safed Matar ki Chaat or Matar Chaat, is one of the most popular street food in Northern India especially in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh region(popular as Matra).
Matra is prepared by using white/yellow peas in a tangy, semi-thick gravy and eaten with Kulcha as a whole meal and or in dry form as Ghugni(dry Matra chaat) eaten as an appetizer, snacks.
In Delhi NCR region you can see a lot of cycle vendors carrying a brass pot full of Matra Chaat and bags of Kulcha bread, selling this delicious meals which are quite a hit among college students and office-goers as quick breakfast/ brunch/lunch. In Uttar Pradesh also, it is a very popular street food and is sold by roadside vendors.
During my PG days in Delhi, Matar Kulcha was my budget friendly lunch, whenever I wanted a quick n yummy meal!!
Why I love this simple Matar Chaat
- It is a fuss free recipe with readily available ingredients.
- It is loaded with protein and fibre and almost has zero oil.
- It's under 30 mins. if you have presoaked matar and chutneys ready.
- You can conveniently make it for a big crowd and store it for 2-3 days.
White Peas/Safed Matar
White Peas are the dried form of green peas. These are harder and starchier than the fresh peas and need to be soaked for few hrs before cooking and are packed with fibre and rich in protein.
These are popularly know as safed vatana/ watane matar in Gujarat and Maharashtra and are used for making Maharashtrian Misal, Ragda for Ragda Patties( popular street food of Maharashtra) and also used as filling for Mumbai Paani Pooris.
White peas or Matar is also one of the ingredient in many other chaat recipes like Ragda Patties, Mumbai style Paani Poori or Golgappe in UP and Delhi.
Googhani/ Matra Chaat(dry form) is a popular street food item in Western UP and Bihar made with white peas.
Another version of Googhani recipe from Western U.P and Bihar is Kala Chana Ghugni with Black Chickpeas.
In this post, I am covering the Matar Chaat or Matra recipe.
It is also served with Kulcha Bread for a filling and wholesome meal.
Ingredients to make Matar Chaat
Matra chaat is a zero oil recipe but when we serve matra with Kulcha, many people, shops and vendors add a tempering of cumin seeds and other spices. It is one's personal choice whether to add the tempering or serve without tempering. Check the recipe card for details.
White Peas/Safed Matar are the main ingredient of this recipe. Use a good quality white peas as very old batch may give an after taste.
Chutneys- Green chutney or Mint Coriander Chutney , Tamarind water or amchur(dry mango powder) can be used for the tangy flavour. For ease you can also use Tamarind (Dates) chutney instead of making tamarind water. There will be a very little amount of oil in the recipe when we use tamarind chutney.
Spices- Roasted Cumin Powder (check notes for how to make it), Red Chilli Powder, Black Salt/Pink Himalayan Salt and Chaat Masala.
Herbs and Vegetables- Onion, Tomato, chopped green chillies and fresh coriander leaves are added to matra and used for garnish. Many people add boiled potato also, but I skip it. You may also add finely chopped cucumber. Avoid green chillies when making for big crowd (especially if there are kids). You can keep cut chillies aside so that people who want it can add separately.
How to make Matar Chaat
Checkout a quick shorts video in recipe card on Matra chaat
The real flavour in Matra Chaat comes from the special Mint Coriander Chutney and Tamarind chutney or simply tamarind water. Boiled White peas are tempered with spices and chutneys are added to it.
Boil White Peas
Soak peas (matar) in water overnight or for 6-7 hrs.
Drain from the water and pressure cook the peas with 2-3 cups of fresh water, till 2-3 whistles on medium flame.
Check for the doneness. Peas should be soft little mushy and skin should separate. If there is extra water let it cook on slow flame. Or separate the water and keep aside for later use.
Make Chutneys
For Tamarind Water (when not using Tamarind Chutney in the recipe)- To make tamarind water, soak a small piece of tamarind in lukewarm water. When it softens you can rub it, take the pulp and then strain the water, add jaggery and mix. Alternatively, you can also mix tamarind paste in water with some jaggery and make tamarind water to add in chaat.
To make Mint Coriander Chutney, take half cup packed coriander leaves and few mint leaves. Clean and wash it nicely. It should be dirt free. In a grinder, take the leaves, ginger(1/2"), 1-2 green chillies, black salt as per taste. Add 1-2 ice cubes or cold water and grind to fine paste. Chutney should not be runny/watery. Add lemon juice and take out in a jar/bowl.
Check the detailed recipe of Mint Coriander Chutney HERE
Assemble Matra Chaat
Take boiled matra, drain the extra water. You can add it later as required or use in kneading dough/soup/dal.
Then add the spices red chili powder, roasted cumin powder, salt and chaat masala. Please not, chaat masala already has salt in it so add accordingly.
Add chopped onion, tomato, green chilli and both the chutneys. Mix nicely.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve it in small bowls or as dip with chips, crackers and papdi.
Tips to make lip smacking Matar chaat
- Soak the peas for few hrs or overnight.
- Boiled white peas get very mushy if over cooked. So keep the timings in mind and keep the flame to medium when boiling peas.
- Adjust the spices and chutney as per your taste.
- You can boil the peas 1-2 days ahead when preparing for your parties, reheat peas and assemble chaat before serving.
- You can freeze the boiled peas for about a month. thaw in refrigerator, reheat and then assemble chaat before serving. Do not refrigerate the thawed peas again.
How to serve Matra with Kulcha
For Matra Kulcha, you can temper matra/boiled peas first and then add chopped onion, tomatoes and chutneys.
To serve it with Kulcha, prepare the tempering. Heat oil and add cumin seeds. Add roasted cumin powder, red chili powder, garam masala and amchur powder(optional) and saute for few seconds. Take care not to burn the spices. Keep the flame to low. Then add boiled matar along with all the water or little . Add gravy as per the consistency you prefer.
For Homemade Kulcha recipe click here. This is Kulcha is baked or cooked on griddle and is made with yeast. It is different from the popular Amritsari Kulcha cooked in tandoors and is made without yeast.
Matar Chaat dip/Matra Dip
You can serve matra as dip with papdi, nachos or pita chips. Or you can also serve it as finger food in edible katori (Papdi katori) /canapés.
Other Street Food/Chaat Recipes for Diwali Party or Holi Party and other get together
Chole Bhature, Dahi Vade, Moong Dal Stuffed Aloo Tikki, Sev Puri, Ram Ladoo, Aloo Chana Chaat in Tacos, Bhel Puri, Smashed Potato Chaat, Corn Peanut Chaat, Gluten-free Vrat ki Papdi Chaat, Aloo Shakarkandi ki Chaat, Moradabadi Dal Chaat, Dahi Phulki
FAQ's
Matar Chaat is a no onion no garlic recipe. You can skip chopped onions of you don't want onions.
White peas are dried green peas and should be soaked for a couple of hrs before cooking. IF you forget to soak for plan to make and have short time, then soak the peas in hot boiling water for an hour. Then boil in pressure cooker of Instant Pot
You can boil Matar in Instant Pot or any electrical pressure cooker. Please check the recipe for instructions.
If the peas too much mushy then you can use it as topping for Aloo tikki toppings/Ragda patties or with paani puri. Or, you can make curry with bhuna masala and serve with rice.
Recipe Card
Matar Chaat or Matra Chaat
Ingredients
- 1 Cup White Peas/ Safed Matar 200 g
- Salt as required while boiling white peas
- ½ tsp Roasted Cumin Powder/ Bhuna Jeera Powder
- ½ tsp Red Chilli Powder or as per spice level
- Chopped Onion as required
- Chopped Tomatoes as required
For Mint and Tamarind Chutney:
- ½ cup Fresh Coriander Leaves
- 10-15 Fresh Mint Leaves (Pudina patte)
- ½ tsp Seedless Tamarind/ Tamarind Paste check notes
- 1-2 Green Chilli or as preferred
- ½ tsp Black Salt
- Water for grinding
For Tempering Matra (to serve with Kulcha)
- 2 tbsp Oil
- ¼ tsp Asafetida (Hing)
- ½ tsp Cumin Seeds(Jeera)
- ½ tsp Garam Masala Powder
- ½ tsp Amchur Powder (Dry Mango Powder)
Instructions
Boil White Peas/Matar
- Wash white peas 2-3 times and then soak in enough water for 5-6 hrs.
- When ready to make, drain water from soaked peas, rinse it once more then transfer to pressure cooker.
- Peas will double in size when soaked over night.
- Add about 2-3 cups water or in which matar are sufficiently soaked.
- Place and seal the lid. Do not add salt now, as the skin of matar may get hard.
- Cook for about 3-4 whistles. Let the pressure go naturally, then check the peas. It should not be very mushy. The skin should also seperates.
- You can also boil peas in open pan, till it gets soft , but it will take lot of time.
- To boil peas in Instant pot check the section at the end.
- When ready to make, separate the extra water. Use it later if required. Or, use in kneading dough, curries, soup etc.
- Take boiled matra, separate/strain the extra water. You can add it later as required or use in kneading dough/soup/dal.
- Then add the spices red chili powder, roasted cumin powder, salt and chaat masala. Please not, chaat masala already has salt in it so add accordingly.
- Add chopped onion, tomato, green chilli and both the chutneys. Mix nicely.
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
- Serve it in small bowls or as dip with chips, crackers and papdi.
Make Chutneys
- For Tamarind Water (when not using Tamarind Chutney in the recipe)- To make tamarind water, soak a small piece of tamarind in lukewarm water. When it softens you can rub it, take the pulp and then strain the water, add jaggery and mix. Alternatively, you can also mix tamarind paste in water with some jaggery and make tamarind water to add in chaat.
- To make Mint Coriander Chutney, take half cup packed coriander leaves and few mint leaves. Clean and wash it nicely. It should be dirt free. In a grinder, take the leaves, ginger(1/2"), 1-2 green chillies, black salt as per taste. Add 1-2 ice cubes or cold water and grind to fine paste. Chutney should not be runny/watery. Add lemon juice and take out in a jar/bowl. Check the detailed recipe of Mint Coriander Chutney HERE
To boil White Peas in Instant Pot
- Take overnight soaked peas in inner pot.
- Add water about 2-3 cups (for 1 cup soaked peas) or an inch above the level in which the matar are soaked.
- Place the lid and seal it and PRESSURE COOK for 15 mins.
- After that let the pressure come down naturally.
- Check the peas till you assemble the chaat ingredients.
To serve with Kulcha
- To serve it with Kulcha, prepare the tempering.
- Heat oil and add cumin seeds.
- Add roasted cumin powder, red chili powder, garam masala and amchur powder(optional) and saute for few seconds.
- Take care not to burn the spices. Keep the flame to low.
- Then add boiled matar along with all the water or little . Add gravy as per the consistency you prefer.
- Add other toppings like chopped onion, tomato, chutneys, green chillies as per your liking.
Video
So, make this U.P style Matra chaat or Matar ki Chaat, you are going to love this simple but so delicious recipe. IT is perfect to serve for your get togethers or enjoy as an evening time snack with tea.
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dpranita583
Beautiful recipe with nice images
FoodTrails
Thanks!!:)