Soak dried green peas in sufficient water to sink them for at least 5-6 hours or leave it overnight.. Pressure cook the dried peas for 5-6 whistles, until soft and mushy. Check the softness by pressing between the two fingers, it should be quickly mashed up.Open the lid after pressure has reduced.
Peel the potato skin and cut them into wedges . Heat oil in a non stick pan and fry them until golden in color. Season with salt after draining them onto a kitchen towel , if you like.
In the remaining oil, add the tempering ingredients and wait for cumin seeds to crackle. At this stage add sliced onions with a pinch of salt, fry them on medium flame until light brown in colour.
Add ginger and garlic puree and saute for a few seconds until the rawness disappears.
Add chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, cumin powder and the required salt. Cook on medium flame until they are all blended well and oil begins to separate. Pop in cooked green peas and fried potatoes and give it a good stir , until the gravy , green peas and potatoes are all mixed well.
Add ¾ - 1 Cup of water and mix well. Continue to stir, in order to avoid burning at the bottom of the pan. Allow the mixture to cook for approximately 10 minutes in total. In between this, add sugar, black pepper and garam masala and mix well.
Garnish with chopped green chilies and chopped onion, followed by a generous drizzle of lemon juice on top while serving. Enjoy it hot. I served my Ghugni with Roti’s/ Phulka’s and some Pulao Rice. You may enjoy it just on its own.
Notes
You may use Red Chilli powder , if you like to make it more spicy. I somehow enjoyed adding green chillies at the end , as the kids could enjoy the curry.
To enjoy on Bengali style Ghugni on its own, you may add some Tamarind Chutney and green chutney, sprinkle some chat masala and serve.