Matar Ka Nimona Recipe
Matar Ka Nimona is a traditional curry made in the homes of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. This spicy and soupy curry is made with green peas and a few spices, and it pairs perfectly with steamed rice or paratha. Make this Nimona recipe using my easy steps.
If you enjoy green pea recipes, try these next: Banarasi Chura Matar, Chaunka Matar, Anda Matar, Methi Matar Malai, and Matar Paneer.
A Quick Look At This Nimona Recipe
- Cuisine: UP, Bihari
- Course: Main Course
- Diet: Gluten-Free, can be easily made vegan
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Servings: 4
- Best Served With: Steamed rice, poori, roti, or plain tawa paratha
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Why You’ll Love This Family Favorite Recipe!
Authentic Awadhi Flavors – This traditional dish from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar brings the rustic, earthy taste of fresh green peas cooked with aromatic spices.
Comforting & Wholesome – With its soupy texture and nourishing ingredients, it makes a warm, hearty meal for chilly days.
Simple Pantry Ingredients – Uses everyday spices and peas, yet delivers a unique and satisfying flavor.
Table of Contents
About Matar Ka Nimona
If you are from UP or Bihar, it’s highly unlikely that you haven’t tasted Matar Nimona. When the winter season started and fresh, tender green peas appeared in the sabzi mandi (vegetable market), my mom would make matar ka nimona and poori for lunch at least twice a week.
Just like Gajar ka Halwa, Carrot Milk, Tahri, or Sarson ka Saag, this Nimona was also a family favorite.
A common fare in many western UP and Bihar households, Nimona is a spicy, soupy curry made with fresh green peas.
It is made especially in winter when tender peas are in season and is best enjoyed with steamed rice, plain paratha, poori, or roti.
I love this pasty green peas curry so much that I never wait for winter to arrive. I make it all year round using frozen peas, and it tastes pretty delicious, although nothing compares to the taste of the one made using fresh peas.
You will find that this gluten-free green peas curry recipe is made in most houses in North India. However, each house may prepare it slightly differently. As a result, there may be some differences in taste as well.
Some people pulse the peas in a blender to a fine paste and use the paste to make the nimona, while some, like me, coarsely blend them, as I like that little bite. Try my style of making this delicious winter pea curry, and please leave a comment with your feedback.
Ingredients
Ghee – Nimona tastes the best when made using ghee.
If you follow a vegan or dairy-free diet, you can replace ghee with any cooking oil of your choice. Mustard oil is a great option.
Spices – You will need some basic spices, such as cumin seeds, bay leaves (tejpatta), and garam masala powder to make the matar ka nimona recipe.
Green Peas – This dish is typically prepared in winter when fresh, tender peas are in season. However, you can make it using frozen peas year-round.
If you live in the US, you can find fresh green peas at your local farmer’s market during May and June. Just ensure that the peas are tender and sweet. If they are aged, your Nimona will not taste good at all.
Others – You will also need onions, fresh ginger, garlic cloves, tomatoes, green chillies, potatoes, salt, cilantro (fresh coriander leaves), and freshly squeezed lime juice.
I like to keep my matar nimona recipe simple, but you can add a little coriander powder, roasted cumin powder, and turmeric powder to make it slightly more robust.
How To Make Nimona
Preparation
The star ingredient of this popular recipe is fresh green peas. Start by shelling approximately 2 lb (1 kg) of green pea pods. From 2 lb pea pods, you will get approximately 2 cups of peas.
Shelling fresh peas used to be a family event in my home. Everyone would sit on the verandah floor with kilos of fresh matar. Cups of tea were served, and within minutes, a large bowl full of peas was shelled. Now that time is gone. It’s just Mohit and me, and we buy fresh peas just enough for our consumption. In fact, we have moved on to using frozen peas most of the time. I find them pretty delicious.
Chop your onions, tomatoes, and garlic, and grate the ginger. I use a knife for chopping, but you can also use an electric chopper to chop the veggies.
Gather the remaining ingredients.
Cook The Peas
Step 1: Add 1 tablespoon ghee to a medium pan and heat over medium heat.
Step 2: Once the ghee is melted and hot, add 2 cups of peas to the pan and saute for 3-4 seconds.
Step 3: Then reduce the heat to low.
Step 4: Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the peas are tender and soft. Stir the mixture occasionally while cooking to ensure even cooking.
Step 5: Then remove the pan from the heat.
Crush The Peas
Step 6: Transfer the cooked peas to a blender and pulse until a slightly coarse paste forms. Do not add any water when blending.
Fry The Potatoes
Step 7: Heat the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of ghee in the same pan over medium-high heat.
Step 8: Once the ghee is hot, add 1 cup of peeled and cubed potatoes (½ inch cubes) and fry until they turn golden brown in color. Stir the potatoes frequently while frying to ensure they fry evenly on all sides.
Step 9: Transfer the fried potatoes to a plate and keep them aside.
Make The Nimona
Step 10: Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and 2 whole bay leaves to the remaining ghee in the same pan and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds.
Step 11: Then add the following ingredients to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are lightly browned.
- 1 cup of chopped onions
- 1 teaspoon of grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic
Step 12: Then add 1 cup of pureed tomatoes and 2 teaspoons of chopped green chilies, and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Step 13: Add the ground peas, fried potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 cups of water, and mix well.
Step 14: Reduce the heat to low.
Step 15: Cover the pan with a lid and cook the nimona on low heat for 10-12 minutes, or until a thin layer of ghee floats on top. Stir a few times in between.
Step 16: Finally, add the following ingredients to the curry and mix well.
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Step 17: If you feel the nimona has thickened after cooking, then add some water to adjust the consistency and bring it to a boil. I like it a little soupy.
Taste the curry to check for salt and add more if needed.
Step 18: Garnish the nimona with chopped cilantro and serve the curry hot. Do not forget to add a dollop of ghee on top before serving.
Pro Tips By Neha
If you peel the potatoes and leave them on the counter, they tend to turn black due to oxidation. My tip to prevent them from turning black is to soak the pieces in water until you are ready to use them.
Do not blend the cooked peas too much; otherwise, the peas will form a paste, and the texture of the nimona will not be perfect.
Some of my friends who live in other villages in UP told me that they add green coriander seeds to their traditional matar nimona recipe. They ground the green seeds into a paste and added them to the curry, along with crushed peas. You can also add some green garlic or hara pyaz while making the paste.
Many people do not add tomatoes to their matar nimona recipes, but I prefer to use tomatoes because of the tangy flavor they bring to the curry. You can choose to use them or skip them.
You can add hing to the tempering too. It will make it tastier and make it easily digestible.
My mother used to add urad dal badi (dried lentil dumplings) to the nimona sometimes. She used to crush and fry the dal wadi in some oil before adding them along with the potatoes.
It just occurred to me that adding a vegetable stock cube to the Nimona recipe will up the taste quotient even more. I will try it next time. You must try it too.
To make a variation, use green chana (hara chana, also known as green gram) instead of peas.
Serving Suggestions
We grew up eating piping hot nimona poured over a mound of white rice or poori. Mom would drizzle ghee generously over it before passing us our plates. Her Aam ka Achar, which was always kept on the dining table in a ceramic jar (barni), also complemented this combination well.
The next morning, she would serve the leftover nimona with plain tawa paratha. You can also serve it with cooked quinoa, couscous, or roti, among other options.
Serve some lemon wedges along with it.
Storage Suggestions
This nimona curry can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Reheat it well before serving. If the curry has thickened after refrigeration, then add some hot water and heat well.
You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw, reheat, and serve.
Other Indian Curry Recipes We Recommend
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Matar Ka Nimona Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 and ½ tablespoons ghee (divided, use any cooking oil to make it vegan)
- 2 cups fresh green peas (you can use frozen peas in case fresh ones are not available)
- 1 cup peeled and cubed potatoes (½ inch cubes)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 whole bay leaves (tejpatta)
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 1 cup pureed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons chopped green chilies
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves) (plus for garnishing)
Instructions
Cook The Peas
- Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a pan over medium heat.
- Add peas to the pan and saute for 3-4 seconds.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 8-10 minutes until the peas are tender.
- Remove the pan from the heat.
Crush The Peas
- Transfer the cooked peas to a blender and pulse until a slightly coarse paste is made. Do not add any water when blending.
Fry The Potatoes
- Heat the remaining ghee in the same pan over medium-high heat.
- Add potatoes and fry until they turn golden brown. Stir frequently to ensure the potatoes fry evenly on all sides.
- Transfer the fried potatoes to a plate and keep them aside.
Make The Nimona
- Add cumin seeds and bay leaves to the remaining ghee in the pan and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds.
- Add onions, ginger, and garlic, and fry for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are lightly browned.
- Now add tomatoes and green chilies and cook for 3-4 minutes until tomatoes are mushy.
- Add the pea paste, fried potatoes, and salt along with 2 cups of water and mix well.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook the nimona on low heat for 10-12 minutes, or until a thin layer of ghee floats on top of the curry. Stir a few times in between.
- Finally, add garam masala powder, lime juice, and cilantro and mix well.
- Add more water to adjust the consistency of the nimona and bring it to a boil.
- Check for salt and add more if needed.
- Garnish the nimona with more cilantro and serve hot. Add a dollop of ghee on top before serving.
This is one of the best matar ka nimona recipes. Do try it!