Ghugni/ Yellow Peas Snacks

Ghugni is a delicious eastern Indian evening snacks or you can say one of the most loved street food. Very popular in Bengal, Bihar, Assam and Orissa. It is made with yellow peas or white peas. It is a thick to dry gravy type of dish. Today I am sharing Bengali style ghugni recipe with you all which I am sure you all will love.

Preparation time  8 to 9 hours
Cooking time  30 minutes
Serves  3 to 4 
 
Ingredienst
250 grm  yellow peas / white peas ( soaked overnight)
2 tomatoes chopped
2 green chilly chopped
1 tsp ginger paste
1/2 tsp garlic paste 
¼ cup chooped coconut
½  tsp red chilly powder or  to taste
1 tsp  cumin powder
1 ½  tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp whole jeera/ cumin 
¼ tsp whole fenugreek/ meethi 
½  tsp kasoori methi / dried fenugreek leaves
1 whole  tej patta/ bay leaves
1 whole  red chilly broken into halves
3 tbsp  oil
¼ tsp of ghee/ clarified butter
1tsp sugar
salt to taste
1 tbsp Bhaja Masala

For garnish
1 onion chopped
1 green chily chopped
few flakes of coconut
finely chopped coriander
Tetul jal ( thick tamarind water mixed with salt, sugar and a bit of bhaja masala)

For Bhaja Masala ( dry roasted spice powder)
2 tsp whole cumin coriander
2  whole red chilly 
1 whole bay leaves
5 cardamom
1 inch cinnamon 
5 clove

Methods of Cooking 

Soak peas overnight. Now take all the spices for Bhaja Masala and dry roast them well until you get the flavors. Let it cool then put all in the grinder and grind to make a smooth powder. This is the magic masala which add unique Bengali flavor and taste to the ghugni. You can store this masala for further use. This masala is also used in many Bengali mixed vegetable dishes. Now pressure cook the peas with water for 2 to 3 whistle or until they are soft but firm in shape. So take care or else if the peas melt you will miss the recipe. Keep aside. Heat oil in pan. Add whole jeera, methi, kasoori meethi, bay leaves and whole red chilly broken into halves. As they start to splutter add the coconut flakes. Fry them tiil light brown. Add ginger garlic paste, red chilly powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder. Stir for few second. If you think that the spice may burn sprinkle very little water and stir. Then add tomatoes, chopped green chilly, salt and sugar. Stir well until oil comes out from the masala. Now add the boiled yellow peas. Stir it for 6 to 8 minutes so that masala get well mixed with peas. Sprinkle little hot water while stirring the mixture gets too dry. Now add left over hot water which is resting in your cooker that you used to boil the peas at about 2 to 3 cups .You can add more hot water if needed. Cook in high flame. When it starts to boil then add ghee but this ghee is added just to enhance the taste and not for flavor so do’t add too much. Put off the flame now sprinkle generously bhaja masala. Cover and give 10 minutes standing time. Garnish with chopped onion, fresh coriander, coconut flakes after that sprinkle tetul jal (thick tamarind water). I try to bring out Kolkata’s best street flavor and taste in this ghugni. Tried and tested in my kitchen number of times to make it street perfect. It’s time now for you to try and let me know that I am successful or not.

Happy Cooking!