Matar Pao|Black Vatana Chaat
Dried black peas curry and Pao chaat
Ingredients
  • 1 cup dried Black peas
  • Salt as per taste
  • 1 tbsp black pepper powder
  • ⅛th tsp cooking soda (Pakode waali soda)
For Chaat
  • 5 Pao
  • 2 boiled potatoes
  • 1 large onion
  • Chaat masala (optional) to garnish
  • Mint coriander chutney (5-6 tbsp or as much preferred)
  • Sweet Tamarind chutney (3-4 tbsp or as much preferred)
  • Farsan (Papdi/Dalmoth/Nylon sev) to garnish
  • Coriander leaves to garnish
Method
  1. Pick, wash and soak dried black peas in enough water for 12 to 24 hours. Change water once if soaking for more than 12 hours.
  2. Rinse well with water before cooking.
  3. In a pressure cooker add soaked peas, 3 cups of water, salt and cooking soda. Close the cooker with the lid.
  4. Cook on high heat till 1 whistle . Cook under pressure, on lowest heat for around 30 minutes.
  5. Turn off the flame.
  6. When the pressure subsides, open the lid of the cooker and check if the peas are cooked well. Pinch few peas in between your fingers and thumb and if easily mashed, the peas are ready to eat. Else, add some water, if needed and cook further.
  7. Using back of the ladle, mash some peas so as to thicken the gravy.
  8. The gravy should not be too watery. If the gravy is very loose, heat it further and if there is barely any gravy then add some hot water.
  9. Add black pepper powder. You can add some garam masala at this stage.
  10. For assembling the chaat, take a serving platter and place pao cut into bite sized pieces.
  11. Pour piping hot vatana/matar curry over it. Add boiled potatoes cut in cubes/pieces and chopped onions.
  12. Pour some mint coriander chutney, sweet tamarind chutney ( Cheat version:I took half a cup of tamarind water and added 3 tbsp of jaggery and microwaved it for 3 minutes. Added some salt, kala namak, chaat masala, chilli powder and hing to it).
  13. You can garnish with some chaat masala and pepper (I didn't use any). For the recipe of home made chaat masala, check this video of mine.
  14. Top the chaat with some farsan of your choice. Papdi, Nylon sev and dal moth are the popular choices.
  15. Garnish with coriander leaves and consume immediately.
Recipe by Sindhi Rasoi |Sindhi Recipes at https://test.sindhirasoi.com/2022/01/matar-paoblack-vatana-chaat/