Ghugni (+Video)

What is Ghugni?

Ghugni is Kolkata’s special dried white peas dish mainly served as a tea time snack or main course side dish with poor or luchi. If you ever been to Kolkata you may hear the roaring sounds of Ghugni wala the street vendor selling this delicious snack. There is a similar version popular here in Delhi, North India called matar served with kulcha. For making ghugni the dried white or green chickpea are soaked in enough water overnight and boiled the next day to use further.

It is also very popular in Orissa and Bihar. A perfect Bengali Style Ghugni has a consistency similar to stew i.e. not too watery but slurpy with peas as a whole instead of being mushy.

Ingredients Needed For Ghugni

• White peas: Dried white or yellow peas makes the most delicious ghugni. Normally, soaked peas take less time to cook, so make sure to soak them overnight or at least 7-8 hours prior to cooking.
• Onion: White or red onions add very nice sweet and delicious flavors to the ghugni.
• Ginger garlic paste: For some amazing flavors and it also helps indigestion.
• Tomatoes: To balance the sweetness of peas and onions.
• Potato: Adding potato is entirely optional but it sure does adds some texture to the dish.
• Whole Spices: Dry red chili, bay leaves, cinnamon stick
• Mustard oil: Bengali dishes are known to be cooked in mustard oil for that extra pungent flavors.
• Panch Phoran: The famous Bengali five-spice mix with a combination of fennel, cumin, mustard, fenugreek, and nigella seeds.
• Spices: Cumin seeds powder, coriander powder, red chili powder,  turmeric powder, and salt.

To serve

• Coriander leaves
• Onion
• Ginger juliennes
• Lemon juice

How to make Ghugni?

Step 1. Cook White Peas– Soak dry peas in enough water for 10 hours or overnight. Boil the soaked peas in a saucepan with a pinch of salt for at least 30-35 minutes or until soft.

Step 2 Make Tempering– Heat mustard oil in a pan or wok, add potatoes. Fry the potatoes for 7-8 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oil and keep them aside.

Into the same pan add panch phoran and let them splutter. Now add dry red chili, bay leaves, cinnamon, and sauté.

Add onions and ginger-garlic paste and cook until onions are soft. Now add tomato puree and the spices powder along with salt. Cook until tomatoes are cooked properly and oil separates from them. Add the fried potatoes in it and mix well.

Add cooked dry peas along with any water left with it and cook for 10-12 minutes till you get a perfect consistency.

Serving Suggestions

Garnish with coriander leaves, onions, ginger juliennes. Enjoy ghugni as a snack or Serve hot with rice or poor or luchi.

Pro Tips

• Make sure to soak the white peas to ensure proper cooking.
• For better results use mustard oil to cook.
• Adjust the spices as per your taste.
• You may skip adding potatoes.

Like Ghugni, try these reicpes…

• Amritsari Chole
• Chole Bhature
• Under 30 minutes Chana Masala and Naan Recipe (+ Video)
• Dahi Aloo Chana Chaat
• Punjab Chana Pindi

Looking for more such recipes to get some ideas for your lunch or dinner? Do not miss my Instant Wheat Dosa and Lucknowi Kebab and the best one’s Millets Vada.

*If you ever try this recipe don’t forget to share your photos with me on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter or tag me on Instagram @cookingwithsapana using the hashtag #cookingwithsapana and stay connected* I would love to see your creations from my space!!

This post was originally posted in 2013, since then I have updated the pictures and content for better engagement.

Always let me know how this recipe turned out in the comments below. I will be so excited to hear how you served your Ghugni and please do share your tips and tricks with me.

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Best Regards,
Sapana Behl