Matar Ghugni or Matar Chole is an evening snack, very popular in Eastern India states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, and Northeast Indian states of Assam and Tripura, and some parts of the nation of Bangladesh.
Dried yellow peas/ matar or dried white matar are cooked with gravy in the traditional eastern Indian style. It is then served with puffed rice (kurmura) and at times with hot onion pakoda or bhajiya. It is also served with poori or Kulche. Some versions include meat, such as goat or even lamb or chicken. It is a common and affordable food in Kolkata. “Mangsher ghugni” is one of the trademark street food of Kolkata.
Yellow Peas are “field peas”, which are meant to be used dried rather than eaten fresh. The skin of the peas is a light yellow. Inside, the peas are a darker yellow, though the color fades when cooked. They are slightly larger than green peas. … Yellow Peas are popular in Nordic countries for soups.
In addition to being a nutritionally dense food, all pulses, including yellow split peas can help keep you healthy. They may help to reduce the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Eating more yellow split peas may even help you maintain a healthier weight.
Belonging to the legume family, this plant is found throughout the world, with the world’s top producers being Russia, China, India, Canada, and the United States.
Matar chole/ Matar Gugni is a spicy, savory and tangy gravy curry made from soaked and pressure cooked white matar or peas in the tomato and onion gravy. The popular and delicious chole recipe is common across most of the cities in India and there are various ways of preparing chole recipe. It is also used as ragada for preparing ragada chaat recipes.
This recipe that I am sharing is very close to my heart. I have been seeing this recipe since my childhood at home and the shop in my native village…
Matar gugni with murhi and bhajiya is my favorite snacks. You can easily find this at the street vendor shops in eastern Indian. Still, I can feel the aroma and taste of these snacks which I had at Banmankhi railway station at Purnea, Bihar in my childhood.
Try this combination… I am sure you will fall in love with it!!!
Prep time: 8 hrs
Cooking time: 20 mins
Level: intermediate
Serving: 4
Vegetarian
Ingredients
- Yellow matar/ white matar – 2 cup
- Salt – to taste
- Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
- Bay leaf – 2 nos
- Whole red chilies – 3 nos
- Garlic cloves – 4-5 pis
- Asafoetida powder – a pinch
- Mustard oil – 3 tablespoon
- Onions (sliced) – 1-1/2 cup
- Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon
- Kashmiri red chili powder – 2 tablespoon
- Coriander powder – 2 tablespoon
- Cumin powder – 1 tablespoon
- Cinnamon sticks – 2 no
- Green chilli (slit lengthwise) – 3-4 nos
- Ginger – garlic paste – 1 tablespoon
- Garam masala – 1 teaspoon
- Tomato (sliced) – 1 cup
- Coriander leaves (chopped) – 1 teaspoon
- Pomegranate seeds (optional) – 1/2 teaspoon
- lemon juice – 1/2 teaspoon
Method
- Wash 2-3 times yellow matar in running water and soak overnight in a large bowl with enough water.
- Drain the matar and wash once under the running water.
- Put in the pressure cooker with enough water. Add a pinch of salt, garlic cloves, bay leaf, and green chili slit.
- Pressure cook the matar in the cooker for 2-3 whistle, until it turns soft and can be mashed easily with the spoon.
- Heat the mustard oil in a deep pan on moderate heat, add cumin seeds, and crackle it.
- Add a pinch of asafoetida powder.
- Add dry red chilly, cinnamon and saute for half a minute.
- Add sliced onion and cook till it turns golden brown or translucent.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and bhuno for a while.
- Add turmeric powder, Kashmiri chilly powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder and bhuno till the masala starts leaving the edges of the pan.
- Sprinkle some water if required to prevent the masala from burning.
- Add tomato slice and cook it properly.
- Add cooked matar along with its water and stir continuously.
- Cover and cook the matar on the medium-low flame till you get a perfect consistency.
- Adjust seasoning.
- Finish with garam masala and a dash of lemon juice.
- Transfer the matar chole in a serving bowl, garnish with chopped coriander leaves, pomegranate seeds, and julienne ginger.
- Serve hot with kurmure / Poori / Steamed Rice
Serving tips
Best enjoy this recipe with kurmure and onion bhajiya. A bowl of gugni serves with kurmure, topped with chopped onion and green chilly and mix properly.