One of the iconic street food dishes from Delhi, the capital city of India, this Matar Kulche recipe will surely win your heart. Absolutely delicious, spicy and brings back the memories of enjoying it from a street-side vendor. The dried peas or matar, as we call it in Hindi, are soaked for a couple of hours before cooking them till soft and mushy. Next, all you have to do is mix all the spices and chopped veggies to get the perfect Delhi street style matar kulcha recipe.
Here, to make my life easier I have used my Nutricook Smart Pot Eko to make the matar kulcha, Delhi street style to go with some store-bought kulchas. You can use your Instant Pot or the conventional stovetop Pressure Cooker. This Delhi matar kulcha recipe is no oil recipe, with no tadka and no frying. Not even a single drop of oil, ghee or butter is used!
What’s so special about this Delhi Matar Kulcha recipe?
If you have been to northern India, you will see street hawkers moving around with a large brass handi and a small stove with a skillet on it. Along with this, there would be an assorted collection of spices and chopped veggies. That big handi or pot usually contains pre-cooked dried peas or matar, which has been mashed down a bit.
Before serving, the hawker would mix a ladleful of boiled peas with spices, sauces and some chopped onion, tomatoes, chillies and fresh coriander leaves. Then he would give everything a vigorous mix so that everything comes together nicely. Meanwhile, he would roast a couple of kulchas or tangy Indian bread to go with the matar.
If you are looking for the best matar kulcha in Delhi, then look for the hawkers at the markets or near bus stands. One can also see them moving around with a mobile setup of this.
Now there are many ways of making this Delhi matar kulcha recipe or matra chaat. Every street vendor or hawker has its own recipe. Likewise, every family has its own way of making Delhi street style chole kulche recipe at home. I prefer this recipe where all I have to do is pressure cook the dried peas and then mix with the rest of the ingredients. That’s it. No frying, no cooking. It is simple, healthy and super delicious. So let’s get started.
How to make Matar Kulcha Delhi-style – Ingredients list
- Dried yellow Peas or Safed Matar
- Onion
- Tomato
- Green Chillies
- Coriander Leaves
- Salt
- Red Chilli Powder
- Cumin Powder
- Roasted Cumin Powder
- Coriander Powder
- Amchur or Dry Mango Powder
- Chat Masala Powder
- Tamarind Pulp or Imli Sauce
- Apple Cider Vinegar or White Vinegar – optional
- Lemon Juice
Step-by-step instructions on how to make Matar Kulcha Chaat in the Instant Pot or Nutricook Smart Pot Eko
- We start with dried yellow peas or safed matar. We will soak them for at least 4-5 hours so that they get ready for cooking. Next, discard the soaking liquid and wash the peas well
- If you are using Stove top Pressure Cooker, then pressure cook them with some salt and water till they get soft and mushy. Once done, reduce the liquid by boiling till you get juicy consistency instead of runny. If they are too dry, add some liquid and give it a mix. Turn off the heat and take it out in a bowl
- If you are using Instant Pot or Nutripot Smart Pot Eko, then plug it in and switch it on. Pour the soaked yellow peas with some salt and water in the cooking pot. Check that the peas should be well submerged in the water. Place the lid of the Smart Pot or Instant Pot back. Switch the pressure release valve to SEALING Mode
- Select the Dal/Bean MODE and set the timer at 30 mins. Select the START button. Once done, let the pressure relaease on its own. So that would take another 20-25 minutes
- Once the Pressure valve is down, open the lid and check if the peas are cooked. Mash them a bit using the back of the spoon. Add water if necessary. If you think there’s too much water left, boil it down. For this, use the SAUTE Mode
- Now, one by one add all the ingredients. You can always adjust each quantity as per your taste. Give it a vigorous mix and then serve with some butter-fried kulchas
How to serve Matra Chaat or Matar Kulcha?
As the name suggests, this matar chaat gets served with slightly tangy and pillowy soft kulchas. You can make them at home, or buy them from your nearest grocery store. Simply roast them on a skillet with a knob of butter and you are good to go. If you are having a hard time finding kulchas, then you can always serve this matar chat with slices of bread.
Or, this tangy and delicious matra chaat is good on its own as well. Simply add some more chopped tomatoes and onions and there you have it, a delicious bowl of goodness. Oh! And don’t forget the splash of lemon juice. That’s simply non-negotiable.
Looking for more such Instant Pot Recipes? Here’s few from my Blog
- Instant Pot Rajma Recipe
- Jackfruit Curry Recipe | Instant Pot Niramish Echorer Dalna
- Instant Pot Caramel Bread Pudding Recipe
Have you tried this recipe? I would love to hear about it.
Tag me on Instagram @priyankabhattacharya.sa or Facebook @hashdiaries and I will share it further.
One of the iconic street food dishes from Delhi, the capital city of India, this Matar Kulche recipe will surely win your heart. Absolutely delicious, spicy and brings back the memories of enjoying it from a street-side vendor. The dried peas or matar, as we call it in Hindi, are soaked for a couple of hours before cooking them till soft and mushy. Next, all you have to do is mix all the spices and chopped veggies to get the perfect Delhi street style matar kulcha recipe.
- 2 cup Dried yellow Peas or Safed Matar
- 1 Onion Small, Finely Chopped
- 1 Tomato Medium, Finely Chopped
- 1 Green Chillies Finely Chopped
- ¼ cup Coriander Leaves Finely Chopped
- Salt to Taste
- ½ tsp Red Chilli Powder
- ¼ tsp Cumin Powder
- ½ tsp Roasted Cumin Powder
- ½ tsp Coriander Powder
- 1 tsp Amchur or Dry Mango Powder
- 1 tsp Chat Masala Powder
- 2 tbsp Tamarind Pulp or Imli Sauce
- ½ tsp Apple Cider Vinegar or White Vinegar Optional
- ½ Lemon
-
We start with dried yellow peas or safed matar. We will soak them for at least 4-5 hours so that they get ready for cooking. Next, discard the soaking liquid and wash the peas well
-
If you are using Stove top Pressure Cooker, then pressure cook them with some salt and water till they get soft and mushy. Once done, reduce the liquid by boiling till you get juicy consistency instead of runny. If they are too dry, add some liquid and give it a mix. Turn off the heat and take it out in a bowl
-
If you are using Instant Pot or Nutripot Smart Pot Eko, then plug it in and switch it on. Pour the soaked yellow peas with some salt and water in the cooking pot. Check that the peas should be well submerged in the water. Place the lid of the Smart Pot or Instant Pot back. Switch the pressure release valve to SEALING Mode
-
Select the Dal/Bean MODE and set the timer at 30 mins. Select theOnce the p START button. Once done, let the pressure relaease on its own. So that would take another 20-25 minutes
-
Once the Pressure valve is down, open the lid and check if the peas are cooked. Mash them a bit using the back of the spoon. Add water if necessary. If you think there’s too much water left, boil it down. For this, use the SAUTE Mode
-
Now, one by one add all the ingredients. You can always adjust each quantity as per your taste. Give it a vigorous mix and then serve with some butter-fried kulchas
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