Aloo matar gajar is a very simple vegan and gluten-free recipe from India. Made with potatoes, green peas, carrots, and a few other basic ingredients, this dish is very easy to make and tastes delicious.
Unlike what's sold in most of the Indian restaurants, the home cooked Indian dishes are very simple, nutritious, and not greasy. Yet, they are very flavorful and delicious.
Today I am sharing the recipe of one such dish called Aloo matar gajar, which is a very popular dish, especially eaten during winters.
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What is aloo matar gajar?
Aloo matar gajar is an Indian dish that's made with Aloo (potatoes), Matar (green peas), and Gajar (carrots).
You can enjoy it at any time of the year but this dish is very frequently cooked during winters in most Indian kitchens. The reason is that you get freshly harvested carrots and green peas during winters in India so they taste the best during that time.
Though every vegetable is available in every season these days, the taste of seasonal vegetables is always the best. They also give the highest health benefits if eaten during their actual season.
What goes in it?
To make this dish you will need the following ingredients:
- Carrot
- Potato- any variety is fine
- Green peas
- Onion-preferably red onion
- Tomato- any variety can be used
- Lime- lemon can be used too
- Cilantro-if you don't like the taste of cilantro skip it.
- Green chili peppers
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Cooking oil- Use mustard oil or any other cooking oil of your choice
- Spices/ seasoning- turmeric, cumin seeds, salt, coriander powder, kasoori methi, ground black pepper, red chili powder.
- Water- It will be used only if necessary.
Can tomatoes be skipped?
A few of my readers can't eat tomatoes due to some health reasons.
Some of them shared messages with me sharing that they like my blog because I don't use tomatoes in a lot of my recipes. Even I noticed this only after reading their messages.
So, I am sharing this point, especially for them.
Yes, you can easily make this dish without tomatoes. Just skip it in the recipe, the dish will still taste great. In fact, I have seen most of the people making this dish without tomato.
Can it be made with frozen vegetables?
Yes, you can make it with frozen peas and carrots. But if you can find fresh vegetables use them. It will taste far better.
Serving suggestions
You can serve it with any Indian bread like roti or paratha. It's can also served as a dish with some rice and any dal like this moong dal or chana dal.
This dish can also be enjoyed in any meal of the day. For breakfast, it's generally served with crisp parathas (Indian pan-fried flatbread).
It can also be stuffed inside sandwiches and wraps.
Recipe tips & tricks
- Cut equal-sized pieces of vegetables.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pan to make this dish and avoid adding water. Or, add as little as possible. Vegetables cooked in their own moisture taste the best.
- Don't overcook the vegetables otherwise they will turn mushy and won't taste good.
- Always add a little water with powdered spices as they get burned very easily.
- You can also make a similar dish by adding more vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, or French beans.
Step by step photo instructions
More easy Indian style vegetable recipes
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Recipe
Aloo Matar Gajar
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped carrot
- 1 cup chopped potato
- 1 cup green peas fresh/ frozen
- 1 medium-sized red onion finely chopped
- 1 medium-sized tomato finely chopped
- 1 inch piece of ginger grated
- 3 garlic cloves grated
- 2 green chili peppers finely chopped- adjust to taste
- ¼ cup finely chopped coriander leaves
- 1 tablespoon lime juice adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ tablespoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- Ground black pepper adjust to taste
- Salt as per taste
- ½ tablespoon mustard oil/ any cooking oil of your choice
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and allow to splutter.
- Add grated garlic and onion. Cook until the onion starts turning brown.
- Add turmeric powder, black pepper, coriander powder, and red chili powder. Also, add about a teaspoon of water so that the spices don't get burned.
- Next, add chopped tomato, green chili, and salt. Cook until the tomatoes are nicely cooked and turn mushy.
- Add grated ginger, carrots, potato, and green peas. Mix and cover the pan. Cook covered for around 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid, stir, and if the vegetables are sticking to the bottom add around 2-3 tablespoons of water. Cover the pan again and cook until the vegetables are nicely cooked.
- Add kasoori methi, mix and cook for about a minute and then switch off the stove.
- Finally, add lime juice and fresh coriander leaves. Mix. Serve hot with roti, paratha, or rice.
Notes
- Add equal size cubes of carrots and potatoes.
- Try cooking this dish without water. It tastes the best if the vegetables get cooked in their own moisture. If the vegetables start sticking to the bottom add only 1-2 tablespoons of water at a time, cover, and then cook.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pan to make this recipe.
- Don't overcook the vegetables otherwise it will turn mushy.
- If using mustard oil for cooking make sure to heat it to the smoking point and then switch off the stove. Allow the oil to reach a normal temperature before adding cumin seeds.
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