Mangser Ghugni

I seldom used to eat street food in my childhood. My dad was always worried that I’d catch one of the tropical stomach bugs and fall ill. So when I finally moved into college, I used my new found independence and access to try out the famous Kolkata street  foods. One of them was mangser ghugni at the corner of College Square, Kolkata. The specialty about this place was that they use small pieces of meat instead of heavily ground minced meat. However, the kind of meat they used remains doubtful :)

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried yellow peas washed and soaked in water for 4-5 hours
• 1 large potato cut into small dices
• 250 gms. bone on mutton
• 1 cup + 2tbsp.finely chopped onion
• 1 large red tomato finely chopped
• 2 green chilies finely chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp. ginger paste
• 1 tbsp. garlic paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp. Bengali garam masala powder
• 1 tsp. sugar
• Salt to taste
• Oil
• 1 tsp. bhaja masala (Dry roast and coarsely grind 1tsp. whole cumin seeds, 1tsp. whole coriander seeds and 2 dry red chilies)

Procedure

In a pressure cooker take the mutton pieces and cook them with little salt and water on medium heat. It will take about 10 minutes. Let the pressure release on its own. open the lid and remove the mutton pieces with a slotted spoon. Reserve the mutton stock for later use.

When the meat pieces are cold enough to handle cut them into bite sized pieces and discard the bones.

Cook the pre soaked peas with salt, 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder and bay leaves on medium heat in a pressure cooker. Wait for 2 whistles, then turn off the heat. Wait for the pressure to settle down on its own, and then open the lid. The peas should be cooked but not mushy.

Heat oil in a pan and fry the potato cubes till they turn golden yellow. Remove and drain them on an absorbent paper.

In the same oil add 1 cup of chopped onions and fry on medium heat till they turn light brown. Add chopped tomato and cook till they are mushy. Add all wet spices and dry spice powders. Sauté on low heat till oil oozes out of the side.

Add mutton pieces to it and fry along with spices. Keep frying for few more minutes. Now add fried potato dices and boiled peas to it.

Season with salt and sugar along with the mutton stock. Stir it well and let it simmer for five more minutes. This dish would be of medium consistency. Turn off the heat and keep it covered.

Garnish with chopped onion, cilantro, green chilies and bhaja masla.