Ghuguni - Dry Peas Curry

When homesick there's nothing better than indulging in the very typical home food and that's what I did few days back.
Ghuguni, translated to spiced dry peas curry, holds such prominent position in Oriya cuisine that it was my choice of cure for homesickness. This humble dish is the ubiquitous side dish for most of Oriya breakfast and supper  platters, whether it's with pitha ( Oriya name for Dosa ), Dahi Vada ( Oriyas have a completely different species of this south Indian delicacy ) and the universal puris not to forget Ghuguni also has its place along with Rice and Chappatis as well.
Well I cured my homesickness with this humble dish and it made my day reminding me of the sultry Bhubaneswar summer when mom used to prepare Ghuguni with Pitha.
Ingredients : 
250 gms dry yellow/green peas
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 medium sized tomatoes
1 inch ginger chopped
4 pods of garlic chopped
1 tbs cumin powder
1 tbs coriander powder
1/2 tbs turmeric powder
1/2 tbs chilli powder
salt to taste
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
10-12 Curry leaves
Refined oil
Preparation :
Wash and soak the dry yellow/green peas overnight.
Pressure cook the peas in the water it was soaked in for 15 minutes or till done. Let it cool.
Heat oil in a kadai on medium high flame. Add the mustard seeds and let it crackle out. Reduce the flame to low.
Add curry leaves, chopped ginger and garlic and stir till the ginger garlic gives out a slighty burnt aroma.
Add the chopped onions and stir and cook till it's translucent follwed by the chopped tomatoes and all the spice powders. Mix well and cover the kadai to let the tomato lose its water and marry with the spices.
After 5 min stir it again and mash the tomatoes so as to give the mix a paste like consistency. Let it cook for another 5-10 min.
Add the bolied peas and mix well. Simmer for 10 min.
Ghuguni is ready!!!

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