Green peas curry (without coconut or onions) or curried peas masala with tomatoes and spices can be easily prepared in a pressure cooker using fresh or dried peas. In this recipe for Indian peas masala, I am using dried green peas (dried matar as used in hindi language), but you may replace with fresh peas by slightly adjusting the quantity of peas used. This green peas curry, prepared in the South Indian Kerala style way, is an easy, simple curry to go with chapathi, rice, poori, paratha, dosa etc. You may adjust the spices too based on your preferences for gravy. Also, if you want a creamy texture for the curry, you may add a couple of spoons of heavy cream if you wish, once you have prepared the curry.

In the picture here, green peas curry is served with Kerala style parotta (Kerala style paratha), see recipe for homemade Kerala parotta here.
I have used dried green peas to make the green peas curry using tomatoes, but you can also use fresh or frozen peas if you have that.
See my post on potato peas curry here which too is prepared without using coconut.
This is a simple green peas curry which makes a delicious, quick and easy to prepare side dish for chapathi, poori, bahtura, appam, idiyappam etc (some of these are South Indian kerala style breakfast items).
If you are using dried whole green peas like I use in this recipe, you have to soak for few hours prior to cooking, which I will explain in the recipe instructions.
If you are using fresh peas or frozen peas, you can skip the step of soaking the peas and you can easily prepare the curry using fresh or frozen peas.
Green peas is very delicious when added to curries and in North India, green peas curry is usually known as matar curry or matar masala as matar is the hindi word for green peas.
You can also try these delicious matar paneer curry without tomatoes and easy matar paneer with tomato sauce if you have paneer and green peas at home!
So here is how you can make this easy green peas curry for chapathi or poori following this simple and easy green peas curry using tomatoes.
How To Make Indian Green Peas Masala Curry With Tomatoes?
We need the following ingredients to make this easy peas tomato curry.
Ingredients to make green peas curry
Β½ cup dried green peas if using fresh peas use 1 cup instead
2 medium sized tomatoes
2 cups water
salt as needed
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 tablespoon ginger crushed
2 green chilies
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns optional
2 teaspoons sugar (optional)
Spice powders
Β½ teaspoon turmeric powder
Β½ teaspoon red chili powder
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon garam masala powder
For Seasoning
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 string curry leaves optional
Step By Step Instructions
Wash the green peas and soak in enough water for about 6 to 7 hours. After soaking, drain the water and wash the peas again and keep aside. If you are fresh peas, you can skip the soaking.
Wash the tomatoes and chop in to small sized pieces, keep this aside separate from the green peas.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add mustard seeds.
When the mustard seeds splutter, add the curry leaves and fry for a few seconds.
Add green chilies, garlic and ginger, saute for about 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the green peas to the pressure cooker and saute for another 1 minute.
Add chopped tomatoes and salt, mix well and saute for another 2 minutes.
Add the spices - turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder and stir well.
Add the sugar and water, stir well all the contents.
Close the pressure cooker with the lid and safety valve in place, and once the steam begins to come, cook in medium heat for about 6 to 7 minutes or until 2 whistles. Wait for the pressure cooker to cool down.
Once the pressure cooker is cooled enough, open the cooker and see if the peas is cooked and the gravy is enough.
Add the black peppercorns (if using), stir and you may simmer in low to medium heat for another 2 minutes if needed. If you prefer a creamy texture, you can also add ΒΌ cup of heavy cream and stir in.
Below you can get the recipe for tomato peas curry in detail.
Green Peas Masala Curry For Chapathi, Poori
Ingredients
Spice powders
- Β½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- Β½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
For Seasoning
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 string curry leaves optional
Instructions
- Wash the green peas and soak in enough water for about 6 to 7 hours. After soaking, drain the water and wash the peas again and keep aside. If you are fresh peas, you can skip the soaking.
- Wash the tomatoes and chop in to small sized pieces, keep this aside separate from the green peas.
- Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add mustard seeds.
- When the mustard seeds splutter, add the curry leaves and fry for a few seconds.
- Add green chilies, garlic and ginger, saute for about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the green peas to the pressure cooker and saute for another 1 minute.
- Add chopped tomatoes and salt, mix well and saute for another 2 minutes.
- Add the spices - turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder and stir well.
- Add the sugar and water, stir well all the contents.
- Close the pressure cooker with the lid and safety valve in place, and once the steam begins to come, cook in medium heat for about 6 to 7 minutes or until 2 whistles. Wait for the pressure cooker to cool down.
- Once the pressure cooker is cooled enough, open the cooker and see if the peas is cooked and the gravy is enough.
- Add the black peppercorns (if using), stir and you may simmer in low to medium heat for another 2 minutes if needed. If you prefer a creamy texture, you can also add ΒΌ cup of heavy cream and stir in.
Joey
A delicious recipe.
It takes me back to Chapora!
I doubled the recipe in order to freeze some.
Recipe Garden
Hi Joey, I am glad to hear it was delicious! Thank you so much for sharing your feedback π
Angeline Kumar
Fantastic yummy recipe. And healthy too, I'm going to be making this a lot.
Does it work well with tinned tomatoes in place of fresh?
Recipe Garden
Hi Angeline, I am so glad to hear you liked this recipe and going to make it a lot! I used fresh tomatoes but it should work with canned tomatoes too. Thank you so much for the feedback π