Pattani, matar in Hindi, is the garden pea, a cool-season climber grown in North Indian winters and in the hills. It was one of the first crops of the Fertile Crescent, and Gregor Mendel worked out the basic laws of heredity by crossing pea plants in the 1850s and 1860s. Botanists have moved it from Pisum sativum to Lathyrus oleraceus. Its relative kesari dal, Lathyrus sativus, is a different and risky pulse.
- Botanical name
- Lathyrus oleraceus Lam.
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Tamil
- Pattani
- Hindi
- Matar
- Sanskrit
- Kalāya
- Parts used
- Green seed, Young pod, Dried seed after cooking
- Habit
- Garden pea, now filed under Lathyrus
- Last updated
- 2026-10-27
How to recognise Pattani
It is a climbing or bushy annual with smooth, blue-green stems and leaves.
Each leaf has one to three pairs of oval leaflets and ends in branched tendrils.
Large, leafy stipules at the base of each leaf, often bigger than the leaflets, are a key feature.
The flowers are white or purple pea-flowers, and the pods hold round seeds.
Kesari dal plants have narrow, grass-like leaflets and wedge-shaped seeds.
Traditional use of Pattani
Kitchen
Green peas go into matar paneer, aloo matar, pulao and kachori in North Indian winters.
North Indian food practice
Kitchen
Dried white peas are cooked into ragda for ragda pattice and chaat, and dried green peas into usal.
Western Indian food practice
Farming
Peas are sown after the monsoon and picked green from December to February on the plains.
North Indian farm practice
Modern notes on Pattani
Mendel’s pea experiments showed that traits pass in fixed ratios, the foundation of genetics.
Peas are rich in protein, fibre and folate, and pea protein is now used in plant-based foods.
Most peas sold out of season in India are frozen soon after picking.
Botanists moved the pea into Lathyrus after DNA studies showed it nests within that genus.
Pattani safety
Peas are a safe food. Do not substitute kesari dal for peas or other dal as a staple, because eaten in large amounts it can cause lathyrism, a permanent paralysis.
Ecology and sourcing
Its wild ancestors grow in the Mediterranean and West Asia.
It fixes nitrogen with root bacteria.
It is mostly self-pollinating, which is why Mendel could control his crosses.
Related plants
Also in Fabaceae
Questions about Pattani
Why is pea now called Lathyrus?
DNA studies placed it within that genus.
Is Pattani the same as kesari dal?
No. Kesari dal is Lathyrus sativus, a different species.
When are fresh peas in season?
December to February on the North Indian plains.
What is ragda made from?
Dried white peas.
Who used peas in genetics?
Gregor Mendel, in the 1850s and 1860s.
Sources
- Lathyrus oleraceus Lam. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q109902416 (Lathyrus oleraceus)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.