GHUGNI (Simple)

Ingredients

• 470 g Whole grams (dried whole chickpeas) (Approximately 1/2 seer. Dried whole chickpeas are the closest modern equivalent to 'entire grams'. Soak for 6 hours before cooking.)
• 470 g Potato (Approximately 1/2 seer. Peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces.)
• 120 g Ghee (Approximately 1 powa (about 4 oz / 120 g). Split into two equal portions of roughly 60 g each for use at different stages. The second tempering stage must use ghee, not oil.)
• 30 g Poppy seeds (Approximately 1/4 powa. To be dry-roasted and ground.)
• 3 g Garam masala (Approximately 1/2 tola. To be dry-roasted and ground together with the pepper, cumin, coriander, and turmeric.)
• 6 g Black pepper (whole) (Approximately 1 tola. To be dry-roasted and ground.)
• 6 g Cumin seeds (Approximately 1 tola. To be dry-roasted and ground.)
• 6 g Coriander seeds (Approximately 1 tola. To be dry-roasted and ground.)
• 1.5 g Ground turmeric (Approximately 1/4 tola. Mixed into the dry-roasted and ground spices after grinding.)
• 4 whole Dried red chillies (The original says 'some red chillies'. Use 3–5 to taste. Added to the final ghee tempering.)
• 1 whole Ripe coconut (Use the kernel (white flesh) of one ripe coconut, cut into small pieces. The outer shell and husk are discarded.)
• 58 g Fresh ginger (Approximately 1 chhatak (about 2 oz / 58 g). Cut into very small pieces and added at the very end.)
• 6 g Salt (Approximately 1 tola. Added during the main cooking stage.)
• 1 pinch Aniseed (A small pinch. Used in the final ghee tempering.)
• 1 handful Almonds (Optional. Cut into pieces and browned in the final ghee tempering.)
• 1 handful Pistachios (Optional. Cut into pieces and browned in the final ghee tempering.)
• 1 as needed Water (Used for soaking the grams (enough to submerge), for boiling the grams, and a small splash added during the main cooking stage.)
• 60 g Oil (Optional alternative to the first portion of ghee only (approximately 60 g / half a powa). The second tempering stage must use ghee, not oil.)

Instructions

1. 1Place the whole dried grams (chickpeas) in a large bowl and cover completely with cold water. The water level should be at least 5 cm (2 inches) above the grams, as they will swell significantly. Leave them to soak for about 6 hours, or overnight. This softens them and reduces cooking time. After soaking, drain and rinse them.
2. 2Transfer the soaked and drained grams to a large pot. Cover with fresh water (enough to sit about 5 cm / 2 inches above the grams). Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a medium simmer. Cook for 30–45 minutes, or until the grams are completely soft when pressed between your fingers. Beginner's tip: you can use a pressure cooker — cook on high pressure for 15–20 minutes to speed this up. Once cooked, skim off and discard any loose husks (skins) that float to the surface. Drain the grams through a colander and set aside.
3. 3Place a dry (no oil or ghee) heavy-bottomed pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the garam masala, whole black pepper, cumin seeds, and coriander seeds. Toast them, stirring constantly, for 3–5 minutes until they become fragrant and a shade darker. Be careful not to burn them — reduce the heat if the pan gets too hot. Remove from heat and let them cool for 2–3 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder or use a mortar and pestle to grind them into a fine powder. Add the ground turmeric and mix everything together well. Set this spice powder aside.
4. 4In the same dry pan (wiped clean), add the poppy seeds over medium heat. Toast them, stirring constantly, for 2–3 minutes until they turn very lightly golden and start to smell nutty. Do not let them brown too much. Remove from heat and cool for 2 minutes. Grind the toasted poppy seeds into a powder using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Combine this poppy seed powder with the spice powder prepared in Step 3. Mix well and set aside.
5. 5Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces (about 2–3 cm cubes). Crack open the ripe coconut, discard the shell, and cut the white kernel (flesh) into small bite-sized pieces. In a large, wide pot or deep skillet, heat the first half of the ghee (approximately 60 g) — or use oil as an alternative — over medium-high heat. Once the fat is hot and shimmering, add the potato pieces. Fry, stirring occasionally, until they are golden brown on the outside, about 6–8 minutes. Add the coconut kernel pieces and continue frying until the coconut is lightly browned too, about 3–4 more minutes.
6. 6Add the boiled and drained grams from Step 2 into the pot with the browned potatoes and coconut. Stir everything together well. Cook, stirring regularly, for 5 minutes over medium heat so the grams absorb some of the fat and everything is well combined.
7. 7Add the combined spice and poppy seed powder (from Steps 3 and 4) to the pot. Stir everything thoroughly to coat the grams, potatoes, and coconut pieces evenly with the spices. Continue stirring and cooking over medium heat for 5 more minutes so the raw spice smell cooks off.
8. 8Add a small splash of water — about 60–80 ml (a quarter cup) — to the pot along with the salt. Stir well. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the water has fully evaporated and the mixture is dry but tender and soft throughout. This should take about 5–8 minutes. Beginner's tip: press a gram against the side of the pot with your spoon — it should crush easily with no hard centre. Remove the pot from the heat once the water has dried up.
9. 9In a separate small pan, heat the second half of the ghee (approximately 60 g) over medium heat. Important: use ghee here, not oil — the original recipe specifies this. Once the ghee is melted and hot, add the pinch of aniseed and the dried red chillies. Let them sizzle in the ghee for about 1 minute until the chillies darken slightly and the aniseed is fragrant. Keep a close eye to prevent burning.
10. 10If using almonds and/or pistachios, add the pieces to the pan of spiced ghee from Step 9. Stir and fry them over medium heat for about 2–3 minutes until lightly golden. Beginner's tip: cut the nuts into halves or rough pieces so they brown evenly and are easier to eat in the dish.
11. 11Pour the entire contents of the small pan — the ghee, aniseed, red chillies, and browned nuts — into the large pot containing the main gram mixture from Step 8. Alternatively, add the gram mixture into the small pan if it is large enough. Stir everything together thoroughly over low heat for 1–2 minutes so the fragrant ghee tempering coats the whole dish.
12. 12Peel the fresh ginger and cut it into very small, fine pieces (or a very coarse mince — the recipe specifies 'very small pieces' rather than grating). Stir the ginger pieces into the hot dish just before removing from the heat. The residual heat will gently warm the ginger without fully cooking it, preserving a bright, fresh flavour. Remove from heat immediately and serve while still warm.