A yummy snack made with dried yellow peas – a favourite street food from Kolkata! Can also be paired with parathas and luchis for a hearty breakfast
Ghugni or dried yellow peas curry, is a very popular street food from Kolkata. Also, it is a staple breakfast recipe in Bengali homes. If you love a tangy, spicy snack then this one is just for you. You can have this ghugni, just as is, with some chopped onions and tamarind chutney sprinkled over. Or you could pair it up with some gorom luchi (fried flatbreads). Dried yellow peas are called motor (pronounced as mow-tor) dal in Bengali. And since a spicy, tangy curry is known as ghugni, this recipe is also known as motor daler ghugni.
In the city of joy, you will spot numerous street vendors, with their small carts selling yummy ghugni (dried yellow peas curry). And you will also see a good crowd gathered around it, demanding this hot and spicy evening snack. Besides, there is a non-vegetarian version of this delectable recipe , called mangsher (mutton) ghugni.
Also check,
Kolkata style egg chicken roll
Kumror chokka (Bengali sweet pumpkin curry)
Easy recipe
The dried yellow peas that you will need for this recipe, should be available at any Indian store. All other ingredients, are your regular Indian spices. Although, the cooking time is under 30 minutes, you will need to soak the dal overnight. This is so that, it plumps up and is easily cooked thereafter. This is a mandatory step, so do not skip it. If you intend to make the ghugni for lunch, then soak them the previous night. And if you wish to make it for dinner, then you could soak the peas in the morning.
A very important component of making a delicious ghugni (dried yellow peas curry), is the bhaja moshla. It, literally means, “fried spice.” No, ghugni, tastes complete without the addition of the bhaja moshla. I have enumerated in my recipe notes, below, how you can make this spice powder at home. Also, this is a very handy spice that you can use to flavour various snacks. However, I would suggest that, you make small batches of this masala, so that the freshness remains until the last sprinkle. Moreover, you will need only 15 minutes, tops, to make this, so it isn’t a hassle at all.
Additionally, there are two ways to make this. The first is without onion and garlic – known as niramish ghugni – and the second with these vegetables – aamaish. While both taste great, my recipe is that of the latter. Also, a lot of recipes suggest adding fried coconut slices also, I haven’t done so. But if you wish you could add them as a garnish.
What to pair the ghugni with?
Like I mentioned earlier, you can have the ghugni (dried yellow peas curry) as is, or with breads. A very common, dreamy and lavish Bengali breakfast would have luchi, ghugni and sweets. For a simpler dinner or lunch, you could team this up with some parathas. And if you wish to have it as a snack, you could also have it with some muri (puffed rice), generously drizzled with mustard oil.
Do make it and enjoy a lovely treat with your family and friends. Also, drop me a line to let me know, how you devoured your ghugni. You can share your food pictures with me on Instagram and Pinterest, as well.
Eat hearty!
Ghugni - Bengali style dried yellow peas curry
Equipment
- Pressure cooker
- Shallow cooking pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup motor dal (dried yellow peas)
- 1 medium potato cut in 1 centimeter cubes
- ½ cup onion finely chopped
- ½ cup tomato finely chopped
- 2 fresh green chilis finely chopped
- 1 tbsp tamarind pulp
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tbsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tbsp cumin seed powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 green cardamom
- 2 cloves
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp mustard oil
- 2 cups water to cook the dal
- 2-3 tsp bhaja moshala* for garnishing
- 1 tbsp sugar
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Soak the motor dal overnight or for 8 hours, so that it plumps up
- Transfer this to a pressure cooker, add a tsp of salt and the turmeric. Cook until the dal/peas soften
- Heat the oil until it smokes, then lower the flame and add the whole spices. Once they become fragrant add the sliced onions
- When onions turn light brown, add the chilis along with the ginger and garlic pastes. Fry until their raw smell goes off
- Add the potatoes and stir fry for 5-6 minutes. Next add all the spice powders and sugar along with the salt and 3-4 tbsp of water
- Cook for 2-3 minutes and then add the tomatoes and wait until they soften
- Next pour in the cooked motor dal (dried yellow peas), tamarind paste and give it a good mix. Then add ¾ cups of water and simmer on medium heat for another 10-15 minutes. Check for salt, adjust if needed
- Turn the flame off and add the bhaja moshla. Let it sit covered for 5-7 minutes
- Serve your ghugni (dried yellow peas curry), hot with some chopped chilis, onions and coriander leaves, along with piping hot chai
- Extra tip: You can also serve the ghugni with some muri (puffed rice) and/or parathas/pooris (fried flatbreads)
Notes
- *Bhaja moshala is a very fragrant Bengali spice powder, that is widely used in Bengali cuisine. To make this, dry roast 1 tablespoon cumin seeds and 5-6 dried red chilis, until fragrant. Cool this down and grind it to a fine powder
- Make small batches of this fragrant spice powder so as to keep the fresh fragrant intact
- Use this to garnish snacks like - dahi vadas, ghugni, samosa stuffing etc.
- 1 cup = 250 millilitres
- tbsp - tablespoon
- tsp - teaspoon
