Yellow peas curry - Ghugni from the traditional Bengali kitchen

‘Ghugni’ has been a staple food for ages in Bengal. It’s a poor man’s protein diet as well as a rich man’s snack. It was once the city’s staple cheap lunch available at roadside eateries, along with a loaf of bread. Cheap on the pocket, it is still a favourite at football club canteens, tea shops and college canteens. It has lost its past glory against the competition from egg rolls and chow-miens but it still has the price edge.

It comes in variations, with added mutton or minced meat. Recently, I chanced upon a new option with goat fat. But I present here the traditional ‘Ghugni’ from Bengali kitchens that were prepared as an evening snack or a morning breakfast complimented by a Parota.

Ingredients:

To pressure cook the peas

Dried white or yellow Peas - 1 cup

Water - 2½ cups

Turmeric powder - ½ tsp

Salt - 1 tsp

Other ingredients for Ghugni

Potato – 1 medium cubed

Onion – 1 large finely chopped

Ginger – 2 inches peeled and diced

Green Chillies – 2 for paste

Garlic paste – 1 tsp

Large Tomato - 1 deseeded and diced

Green Chillies – 2 whole or half slit

Bay leaf - 1

Dry red Chillies - 2

1-inch Cinnamon stick

Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Cumin powder - ½ tsp

Coriander powder - ½ tsp

Garam Masala powder - ¼ tsp

Bhaja masala – 1 tsp

Sugar – 1 tsp

Boiled Peas stock - 2 cups

Mustard oil – 2 tbsp

Onions - 2 finely chopped (For garnishing)

Green Chilli - 1 finely chopped (For garnishing)

Bhaja masala – 1 pinch (For garnishing) Dry roast 1 bay leaf, 2 dry red chillis, 1 tsp coriander seeds, and 1 tsp cumin seeds on medium heat in a skillet. Grind them in a mixer to make a powder.

Lemon wedge – 1 for serving

Instructions:

In a large bowl take the dried peas and soak in enough water for at least 8 hours. The dried peas shall increase in size getting soaked. Drain the water and wash the soaked peas properly.

Place the soaked peas in a pressure cooker.

Add 2½ cups of water, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp turmeric powder. Stir and close the lid of the pressure cooker.

Put the pressure cooker on medium heat and steam till 3 whistles. Let the pressure cooker cool and release the pressure.

Separate the boiled peas and the stock into two different bowls.

Add the ginger pieces, green chillies to a grinder and grind it to a smooth paste with little water. Keep it aside.

Put a skillet on the heat. Add 2 tablespoons of Mustard oil and let it heat.

Once the oil is hot, add 2 dry red chillies, 1 bay leaf, 1-inch cinnamon stick, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and let them crackle.

Add the chopped onions into the skillet and stir well. Cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring in between.

Add the garlic paste, and ginger-green chilli pastes into the skillet and mix them well. Cook on low flame for 2-3 minutes until the raw smell goes off.

Add potato cubes into the skillet and mix. Cover the skillet and cook on low flame for 4-5 minutes.

Add pieces of tomato, salt, and turmeric powder into the skillet and mix them well. Cover with a lid and cook on low flame until all the vegetables are cooked.

Add ½ tsp cumin powder, ½ tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp red chilli powder and mix well. Add 2 tbsp of water and cook the masala on low flame for 1-2 minutes.

Add the boiled yellow peas, and 2 green chillies into the skillet and mix well. Cover the skillet and cook it for a couple of minutes.

Add 2 cups boiled yellow peas stock into the skillet and stir well. Cover the skillet and allow the gravy to boil.

In low flame add 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp bhaja masala, ¼ tsp garam masala powder and let the gravy simmer in low flame for 2 minutes.

Switch off the flame and put the skillet down.

Serve with some chopped onion, chopped green chillies and a pinch of roasted spices (bhaja masala) sprinkled on top.