GHUGNI

Ingredients

• 4 whole hard-boiled eggs (Already boiled; shells removed and cut into small pieces)
• 2 medium potatoes (Peeled and cut into small pieces)
• 1 teaspoon powdered turmeric (Divided use — some for smearing on eggs and potatoes, some added later to the peas)
• 1 teaspoon salt (Divided use — some for smearing, some added later to the peas)
• 3 tablespoons ghee (Used in two stages: first for browning eggs and potatoes, then for frying the peas)
• 3 whole red chillies (whole, dried) (A few whole dried red chillies for tempering the ghee)
• 2 cups big sized peas (Fully soaked in water overnight or for at least 8 hours until fully moistened; dried peas such as white or yellow field peas work well)
• 1 teaspoon ground red chillies (Adjust to your heat preference)
• 0.5 teaspoon pepper (Ground black pepper)
• 0.5 teaspoon cumin (Ground cumin)
• 1 cup water (Added to help the peas cook through; add more if needed)
• 0.5 teaspoon powdered garam masala (Added at the very end for fragrance)

Instructions

1. 1Peel the shells off the hard-boiled eggs and cut each egg into small pieces, roughly quarters or sixths. Set aside on a plate.
2. 2Peel the potatoes and cut them into small pieces, roughly 1–2 cm cubes. Set aside on a separate plate from the eggs.
3. 3Sprinkle a pinch of powdered turmeric and a pinch of salt over the cut egg pieces and toss gently to coat. Do the same separately for the potato pieces — sprinkle turmeric and salt over them and toss to coat. Keep the eggs and potatoes on separate plates.
4. 4Heat about half the ghee in a wide pan or kadhai over medium-high heat. When the ghee is hot and shimmering, add the potato pieces. Fry, stirring occasionally, until they are fully golden-brown all over — this takes about 8–10 minutes. Remove the potatoes and set aside. Add the egg pieces to the same pan with the remaining ghee from this portion and fry briefly, turning gently, until just lightly browned on the outside — about 2–3 minutes. Remove the eggs and set aside.
5. 5Add the remaining ghee to the same pan and heat over medium heat. When hot, add the whole dried red chillies and let them sizzle for about 30 seconds until they darken slightly and become fragrant — be careful not to burn them. Add the fully soaked peas to the pan and stir well to coat them in the spiced ghee.
6. 6Add the ground red chillies, the remaining powdered turmeric, the ground pepper, and the ground cumin to the peas in the pan. Stir everything together well so the spices coat the peas evenly. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring continuously, to toast the spices slightly.
7. 7After the spices have cooked for a minute or two, pour in the water and add the remaining salt. Stir and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow the peas to cook in the spiced water for several minutes until they begin to soften.
8. 8Once the liquid is boiling, add the browned potato pieces and the browned egg pieces back into the pan. Stir gently to combine everything without breaking the egg pieces apart too much. Let everything simmer together until the peas are fully tender and cooked through.
9. 9Sprinkle the powdered garam masala over the dish and stir gently to distribute. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has evaporated and no soup remains in the pan — the mixture should look thick and dry, coating the peas, eggs, and potatoes. Remove the pan from the heat.
10. 10Transfer the ghugni to a serving dish and serve immediately while hot. Note: as the original recipe states, there are no fixed proportions for this dish — adjust quantities of spices and salt to your own taste.