Photo: Gannu03 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Westbengal · Breakfast

Ghugni

Traditional 8. Ghugni recipe

🧺 Ingredients

• 1.5 cups dried yellow peas (motor), soaked overnight
• 3 tbsp mustard oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida
• 2-3 dry red chillies, crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1-inch cinnamon stick
• 5-6 cloves
• 2 green cardamom pods
• 200g onions, finely chopped
• 100g potatoes, diced small
• 100g tomatoes, crushed
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp black pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1.5 cups water
• Salt to taste

👩‍🍳 How to make Ghugni

1. Soak and boil peas (Overnight + 25 mins): Soak dried peas overnight in water. Next morning, rinse, boil in fresh water for 25 mins until tender but grains remain whole—not mushy. Test by pressing between fingers; should crumble but not turn to paste. Drain.
2. Heat mustard oil (2 mins, high): Oil should shimmer with wisps of smoke (350°F). This creates authentic Bengal character.
3. Temper spices (1 min, high): Add cumin seeds (crackle in 3 secs), bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods. Each should release aroma—cinnamon smells warm, cardamom floral, cloves sharp.
4. Add red chillies (15 secs, high): Add crushed dried red chillies, they toast slightly.
5. Fry potatoes (4 mins, medium-high): Add diced potatoes, stir constantly. Potatoes should turn light golden at edges—3-4 mins. This precooking prevents hard chunks in final dish.
6. Add ginger-garlic (1 min, medium): Stir in paste, cook until raw smell disappears.
7. Add tomatoes (2 mins, medium): Stir in crushed tomatoes, they should break down into oil.
8. Add spice powders (1 min, medium): Dust turmeric, coriander powder, chilli powder. Stir 60 secs—raw spice smell converts to toasted aroma.
9. Add cooked peas (1 min, medium): Stir in boiled yellow peas. Coat with oil and spices.
10. Add water and sugar (1 min, high): Pour water, add sugar. Bring to boil.
11. Simmer (10 mins, low): Reduce heat, cover partially, simmer 8-10 mins. Gravy should reduce to 1 cup, slightly thick, coat spoon. Oil should separate slightly around edges.
12. Season (2 mins, low): Add black pepper and garam masala, simmer 1-2 mins uncovered.
13. Finish (1 min, low): Check salt, adjust spice. Peas should be tender, gravy fragrant.

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