Mushy Peas Chaat (Spicy Indian Street Food)
Matar Chaat
Cooked green/brown peas are often eaten in India as a street food called Chaat. It is known as Matar or Matra Chaat. Chaat street foods were traditionally served on plates/small bowls made of dry leaves, held together with thin sticks. I remember making them as a child!
These days, chaats are served in disposable paper plates or plates made by compressing leaves into plate and bowl shapes.
You can make this dish with either freshly made Marrowfat Peas Chaat (Spicy Indian Street Food) or with tinned 'mushy' peas, as done here. This dish comes under a selection of A Collection of Indian Spicy Street Food (Chaat) Recipes.
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 300 gm. tin of mushy peas or 2 small cups cooked and lightly mashed dry green peas.
- For serving:
- 3 tbsp. thick, natural yoghurt, lightly beaten
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. chilli powder or 1 green chilli finely chopped
- 1/4 red onion, peeled and finely shredded (optional)
- 1/2 inch ginger, peeled and chopped or finely shredded (optional)
- 1 tbsp. chopped coriander leaves
- 1 level tsp. cumin seeds, dry roasted and coarsely ground
- 1 lime or lemon, cut into small wedges (optional)
- 2 tbsp. Tamarind (Imli) Chutney or Sauce or Ketchup. You can buy this ready made in bottle, just like ketchup.
- 2 tbsp. Green Mango Chutney
- 2 tbsp. Besan (Gram Flour) Savoury Sticks - Gathia. You can buy these ready made from Indian grocers. Or use potato crisps.
Instructions
- Open the tin and divide the peas between 2 serving plates.
- Mix yoghurt with salt, 1/2 chilli powder/green chillies and 1/2 of the roast cumin powder.
- Pour one half of the yoghurt on each serving of mushy peas.
- Sprinkle remaining chilli powder, roast cumin, coriander leaves, onions and ginger.
- Top with half of both the chutneys on each dish.
- Sprinkle 1 tbsp. Besan Sev/Bhujia, if you have any. Otherwise, crumble some potato crisps and sprinkle those.
- Serve straight away, before the Sev/Crisps/Bhujia get soggy.