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Vegetarian, South and Southeast Asian

Ghugni and puris

Ghugni and puris is a vegetarian Bengali dish for 4 people, ready in 1 hour, medium difficulty, for about €1.40 per person. It's a chickpea and potato curry simmered with spices and coconut, served with puris, small fried breads that puff up as they cook. The key to success is a sauce that coats the chickpeas and puris fried just long enough to stay soft once off the heat.

Tonight it's ghugni, the Bengali chickpea curry simmered with spices and coconut, with golden puris on the side.

Ghugni and puris
Total time
1 h
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€1.40
Calories per person
680 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall

Ghugni is a chickpea curry simmered gently with onion, tomato, and ginger, seasoned with turmeric and garam masala, then rounded out with grated coconut. The sauce should coat the chickpeas without drowning them, with potato chunks that stay firm and give the dish some bite. Puris are small flatbreads fried for seconds that puff up like little pillows, crisp outside and soft inside as long as you eat them hot.

This is a dish for a Sunday or an evening when you have some time ahead of you, not really a rushed weeknight meal. The puris need frying and a bit of attention, but the result makes an impression at the table, especially for guests curious about Indian cooking or anyone who loves a fragrant curry that breaks from the usual routine.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Canned chickpeasoften in the pantry 480 g
  • Grated coconut 3 tbsp
  • Garam masalaoften in the pantry 2 tsp
  • Turmericoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Wheat flouroften in the pantry 250 g
  • Oiloften in the pantry 20 cl
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Potatoes 2
  • Onion 2
  • Tomatoes 2
  • Fresh ginger 1 tbsp

Allergens Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Knead the flour with salt, a spoonful of oil, and warm water, then let the dough rest covered. 20 min

    The longer it rests, the more the puris puff up.

  2. Cook the peeled, diced potatoes in salted water. 12 min

    They should stay firm.

  3. Sauté the sliced onion and ginger in a little oil, then add the tomatoes, turmeric, and garam masala. 10 min

    Let the onion color well, it builds the base of the sauce.

  4. Add the chickpeas and potatoes, a glass of water, and the coconut, then let it simmer. 12 min

    If you don't have dried yellow peas soaked overnight, canned chickpeas save time.

  5. Roll the dough into small discs and fry them in hot oil until they puff, 20 seconds on each side. 8 min

    Don't fry them too long, they harden as they cool.

Our tips to get it right

  • Drain canned chickpeas well before adding them, otherwise the sauce turns too watery and takes longer to thicken.
  • Keep the frying oil at a steady medium heat for the puris, too hot and they brown before puffing, too cold and they soak up oil and turn heavy.
  • Cut the potatoes into even, small dice so they cook at the same rate without falling apart in the sauce.

The variations

  • Swap the chickpeas for dried yellow split peas soaked overnight for a more traditional ghugni, but allow for a longer cooking time.
  • For a quicker version, serve the curry with store-bought flatbread or rice instead of homemade puris.
  • Stir in a bit of chopped green chili for a spicier curry, adjusted to how much heat your family likes.

What to serve it with

  • Mango or cilantro chutney
  • Sliced red onion and lime
  • Spiced chai tea

Storage

Ghugni keeps 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container and reheats gently in a saucepan with a splash of water. It freezes well for up to 2 months. Puris are best eaten the same day, they lose their softness once cold or reheated.

Questions about this dish

Can you make ghugni ahead of time?

Yes, the chickpea curry actually tastes better made a day ahead and reheated gently. Fry the puris at the last minute though, they need to come straight out of the oil to stay puffed.

Can you use dried chickpeas instead of canned?

Yes, soak them overnight then cook for about 45 minutes before following the recipe. Canned chickpeas stay the faster option for a weeknight meal.

Why don't my puris puff up?

This usually happens when the dough hasn't rested long enough or the oil isn't hot enough. Let the dough rest covered for at least 20 minutes and check that the oil is shimmering before frying.

Can you freeze ghugni?

Yes, the curry freezes well for up to 2 months in an airtight container. Thaw it in the fridge, then reheat in a saucepan with a little water if the sauce has thickened.

How long does it take to make a ghugni with puris?

Count 1 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a ghugni with puris?

About 680 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a ghugni with puris cost?

About €1.40 per serving, or €5.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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