A famous Indian snack is the sookhe matar ki ghugni or sookhe matar ke chhole prepared from boiled white dried peas cooked with spices. Cooked in very little oil this dish makes up a healthy and tasty snack. Given below is the step by step process of making this delicious dish:
Preparation Time: 6 hours for soaking the white dry peas (safed sookha matar) in plain water + 10 minutes for ingredients preparation
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Recipe Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- White Dry Peas (safed sookha matar) - 1/2 cup; it should become 1cup after soaking in plain water for 6 hours
- Onion (pyaz) - 1 finely chopped
- Tomato (tamatar) - 1 finely chopped
- Green Chilli (hari mirch) - 2 finely chopped
- Ginger (adrak) - 1 inch finely chopped
- Gren Coriander Leaves (hara dhaniya patti) - for garnishing as per requirement
- Asafoetida (hing) - 1 pinch
- Turmeric Powder (haldi powder) - 1 tea spoon
- Red Chilli Powder (lal mirch powder) - 1/2 tea spoon
- Cumin Seeds (jeera powder) - 1/2 tea spoon
- Black Pepper Powder (Kali mirch powder) - 1/2 tea spoon
- Coriander Powder (dhaniya powder) - 1 tea spoon
- Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tea spoon
- Salt as per taste (namak swaad anusar)
- Mustard Oil (sarson ka tel) - 1 table spoon (or as per requirement)
- Water (pani) - as per requirment
Procedure:
- Wash and then soak 1/2 big cup of white dry peas (safed sookha matar) in plain water for 6 hours. After 6 hours they will become soft and swell to make 1 big cup of soaked white dry peas (safed sookha matar).
- Then transfer the soaked white dry peas (safed sookha matar) to a pressure cooker and add some water. Now pressure cook the soaked white dry peas (safed sookha matar) for 1 whistle on high flame and then lower the flame to cook the peas for 5 more minutes. Then turn off the flame and allow the pressure cooker to cool down.
- Now transfer the partially cooked (80% cooked) peas to colander (sieve) to strain off the extra water.
- Heat 1 table spoon mustard oil (sarson ka tel) in kadhai and add 1 pinch asafoetida (hing). Saute for 1-2 seconds and then add chopped garlic petals (lehsun ki kali), green chilli (hari mirch) and ginger (adrak). Saute the three ingredients till they light red in color.
- Then add the finely chopped onion (pyaz) to it. Saute the onion till it turns light red in color.
- Now add the powdered spices (haldi powdr, dhaniya powder, lal mirch powder, jeera powder, kali mirch powder) except garam masala powder to the kadhai. Stir to mix and cook the spices well. Lower the flame to the cook the spices.
- Then add the finely chopped tomato (tamatar) and salt to taste (namak swaad anusar) to the kadhai and mix all the ingredients. The salt and spices will help the tomato to cook easily. When the tomato (tamatar) becomes soft then mash it with the back side of the ladle to form a uniform masala paste.
- Now add the boiled white dry peas (safed sookha matar) to the kadhai and mix well with the masala.
- Add 1 big cup water and 1/2 tsp garam masala powder to the kadhai. Mix all the ingredients and then transfer them to a pressure cooker. Cover the cooker with its lid and bressure cook for 1 whistle over high flame. Lower the flame after 1 whistle and cook for 5 more minutes. Then turn off the flame and allow the cooker to cool down.
- Now trasnfer the cooked safed matar ki ghugni to a serving bowl. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and the ghugni is ready to be served.
(Tips: Soak the white dry peas (safed sookha matar) well in plain water and then pressure cook it. Strain off the excess water from the pressure cooked white dry peas (safed sookha matar) and use fresh water later for the gravy)