Lip smacking memory...

One of the memories which is fresh in my brain as a nail-in-fresh-tree is off my Father describing a peas curry that he had at Bhavanisagar. The way he explained it made me drool all over my books. "Yellow peas with bursting flavors over slightly soggy toast. It will be bit watery but full of flavor....." Then one day he ended it with a stern finger pointing at me, "Don't you try to recreate it at home. You never had it and you will never get it right." Umm ok. To be honest, my brain was thinking to do exactly that when he gave me the warning.

Anyways, I didn't know how it looked or tasted and I dumped the idea of recreating a dish from my father's memory. Oh well.

Then we moved to Karaikudi one fine year and came along the Cycle Thatha. This Thatha will peddle by our house every evening around 5pm ringing his bicycle bell. He never chanted/cried out what he was selling but the lovely smell emanating from his vessels were good enough to get our attention. Mom ventured out to buy one day and voila, it was the very dish Appa had described. For Rs.5, Thatha would ladle out a good portion into a dried leaf katori. We still didn't know its name and we merely named it Peas Chaat. I know, blasphemy!!!

True to Appa's memory, this was oh-so-flavourful. It had slices of fresh coconut, cubed onions, slivers of green chillies and of course boiled yellow peas. Every mouthful left you wanting for more and we will patiently wait for the Thatha to come along next day. Some days he wouldn't show up. When asked he would say "It got sold out, Amma."

There had been days when Amma wouldn't be home and 5 rupees would 'disappear' from her kitchen piggy bank. If you are reading this, Amma, naan illa.... Oh boy, I am going to pay heavily for this next time I go home.

Eventually, we left Karaikudi too. I moved to Chennai for college, my family to our native. And I forgot the Peas Chaat. Till about last year, when Preeoccupied out of blue posted a picture of the exact dish. Guess who was the jumping jack for the rest of the day. But things were err different around that time and I never got around to cook it.

Day before yesterday, I left some green peas to soak for next day's lunch. I woke up yesterday wondering what to make and I knew what exactly to make. Ta-da!!!! Ghugni!!

Recipe: (Adapted from Preeoccupied)

Ingredients: 

1 cup Green peas, soaked overnight 

1 medium size potatoes cut in cubes 

2-3 tablespoon fresh coconut chopped into small pieces 

1 tablespoon ginger paste 

Few green chilies slit lengthwise 

1 teaspoon mustard oil 

1 teaspoon vegetable oil 

1 teaspoon turmeric powder 

1 teaspoon red chili powder 

Pinch of baking soda 

Sugar 

Salt 

For the garnish:  

1 small onion chopped  

Preparation:

Boil the peas with turmeric powder, chili powder, slit green chilies, ginger paste, chopped coconut, mustard oil, Vegetable oil, baking soda, salt and sugar in a cooker. Mid-way add the diced potatoes. Let it cook for 2 whistles. At this stage, the peas will be mushy. Adjust the seasoning as per taste.

Garnish the ghugni with chopped onions. Eat it while it is warm.

Notes:

• Original recipe calls for a tablespoon of Mustard oil. I did jugaad on that as I hate the taste of mustard. 
• I used Green peas as I didn't have any yellow peas in the pantry.
• I let the Ghugni thicken up and had it with rice for lunch. Later in the evening, I diluted it and had it with, yes!, slightly soggy toast. 

Sigh. Now have to go home and cook this for Appa.