Lilva Tuver and Potato Curry

Pigeon Peas are also called Gunga peas or Lilva tuver  and come in various forms. When they are fresh and green, they can be peeled like fresh peas. You can get fresh, frozen or tinned varieties of pigeon peas in most Asian supermarkets. My recipe for tinned lilva tuver is here.

This week I was lucky enough to get some frozen lilva tuver from the local supermarket.  I used them to make this curry as well as Kachoris.  The Lilva tuver look like peas but have a much better taste.  Even my niece who is not keen on peas loved this curry.

Ingredients for 2 servings

  • 2 cups of frozen pigeon peas
  • 1 medium potato
  • ½ a can of passata (you can used tinned or fresh tomatoes)
  • 2 tbls sunflower oil
  • 1 tsp dry cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp chilly powder
  • 1 tsp crushed garlic
  • ½ teaspoon of garam masala
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp jaggery or brown sugar (optional)
  • 1 small bunch of coriander and some curry leaves

Method:

1.  Defrost the Lilva tuver using some hot water.

2.  Dice the potatoes and wash them in cold water.

3.  Heat the cooking oil and add the cumin seeds. The  cumin needs to cook until they go dark.

4.  Remove the water from the potatoes and lilva tuver and add these to the oil.

5.  Add the garlic, all the spices, jaggery  and curry leaves  to the mixture and stir.

6.  Add one cup of warm water and allow everything to cook until the potatoes are soft.

7. Add the passata and lemon juice to the mixture and cook for a further 10 minutes on a medium heat

8.  Garnish this with fresh coriander and serve with any Indian bread such as chappatis or parathas.

My Tip: You can substitute Lilva tuver with frozen green peas.

Other Lilva recipes are as follows:

If  you have a hunger for Authentic Vegetarian Food then subscribe to my blog and receive delectable recipes and new Innovative foodie updates! Hungry for more Vegetarian Tips? LIKE us on facebook,  Follow us on Twitter,  Pinterest and Instagram.  All the recipes are with step by step instructions and photographs and all of them have been tried, tested, easy to cook and delicious.

If you are interested in one to one or group cookery lessons, or any corporate team building events  – email me on givemesomespice@gmail.com for more information.  

Mina Joshi

I am a busy working mum who aims to make quick and healthy authentic vegetarian and vegan dishes for my family. I am also a face to face and online cookery teacher, recipe developer, restaurant and product reviewer. I share all recipes with step by step instructions.

Disqus Comments Loading...

Recent Posts

Gujarati Theplas with Paneer, Methi and Sesame Seeds

These Gujarati-inspired theplas are made with a combination of wheat flour, chickpea flour and bajra flour (pearl millet flour). I…

21 October 2026

My Traditional Chappati Dabba – Keeping Theplas and Rotis Soft

Some things in an Indian kitchen may look simple, but they are incredibly useful. One of my favourites is my…

19 October 2026

Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa and Paneer

These stuffed peppers are a delicious way to combine ready-cooked red and white quinoa with grated paneer, spring onions and…

16 October 2026

Gujarati Tofu Shaak Recipe | Vegan Indian Curry

A simple, flavourful Gujarati-style shaak made with tofu, everyday spices and a little khatta-mitha (sweet and sour) balance. Tofu is…

12 October 2026

Easy Spring Onion & Cherry Tomato Salsa (Kathiawadi Dungri tameta ni kachumber)

Indian meals often include pickles, salads and chutneys because they bring different tastes, textures and freshness to the meal. They…

10 October 2026

Simple Ways to Make Homemade Meals More Flavourful

Why Flavour Matters in Everyday Cooking Homemade meals do not need to be complicated to taste delicious. Sometimes, the smallest…

29 May 2026