Ghugni (ঘুগনি)

A warming Bengali dried-pea curry tempered with whole spices, finished with chopped onion, green chilli, and a squeeze of lime — equally at home at Sunday breakfast or as Calcutta-street teatime fare.

Cuisine: Bengali (West Bengal) · Style: Hearty · Protein: Lentils · Total time: 30 minutes · Difficulty: easy · Servings: 4 · Spice: 2/5

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried yellow peas, soaked overnight
• 1 tbsp mustard oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 dried red chilli
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 large onion, finely chopped (plus extra for garnish)
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tomato, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 tsp cumin-coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp roasted bhaja masala
• 1 tsp tamarind pulp
• Salt to taste
• Lime wedges, chopped coriander, green chilli to serve

Steps

1. Pressure-cook the soaked yellow peas with salt and turmeric until tender but not mushy (about 4-5 whistles).
2. Heat mustard oil and temper bay leaf, dried chilli, and cumin seeds.
3. Add chopped onion and saute until golden.
4. Stir in ginger paste, tomato, Kashmiri chilli, and cumin-coriander powder. Cook until oil separates.
5. Add the cooked peas with their water, tamarind, and adjust salt.
6. Simmer for 10 minutes until the curry thickens slightly.
7. Sprinkle bhaja masala, top with raw onion, coriander, green chilli, and serve with lime wedges.

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