Bara with ghuguni

If you talk of an oriya snack and don't mention this it will be a shame. Bara or Vadas are very popular in Orissa and people usually have it with Aloo dum or ghuguni. Ofcourse vendors sell both separately too. Ghuguni is nothing but a nice spicy dried peas curry. While either the bara or the ghughuni can serve as a snack by itself, the combination is what people in Orissa love.

In school we had a small shop whose owner made yummy ghuguni. His was the best ghuguni ever - he served it with a dash of onions and imli pani. Wonder what his secret was... He served for 15 min during snack time and then for 1 hr during lunch - but he sure had a monopoly! There would be at least 50 hands stretched out asking for either candy or chips or ghuguni during each break.

This combination of Vada and ghuguni was made by my Mom on one of the Sunday's evening snack! No wonder there was no time to take any decent pictures. Everyone was busy gobbling the baras down...


Ghuguni's ingredients

Dried Peas -1 cup
1/2 tea spoon of whole Jeera
2 green chillies - chopped (optional)
1 large onion - thinly chopped
1 large tomato - diced
1 tea spoon ginger-garlic paste
1/2 tea spoon of turmeric powder
1 tea spoon dhaniya powder
1/2 tea spoon of chili powder
1 tea spoon garam masala
Salt to taste
1 table Spoon oil
1 tea spoon tamarind paste (skip if you don't like it sour)

Ghuguni How to

Soak the dry yellow peas in water for 6-7 hours.
Heat oil in a large pan, add some whole Jeera, when it splutters add some chopped green chillies and the chopped onions.
Once the Onion turns golden brown, add the ginger-garlic paste.
Fry till the oil separates from the frying pan.
Add turmeric powder, salt, chili powder, chopped tomato and dhaniya powder.
Cook for few more minutes till tomatoes are done.
Then add the boiled peas and 1/2 cup of water and garam masala.
Cover and cook for 5-10 mins more.
Once it is done, remove from the fire and add the tamarind paste and mix thoroughly.

Bara Ingredients

1 cup Urad dal
1 medium sized onion chopped finely
2-3 green chilies chopped finely
1/2 tea spoon of whole jeera
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Bara How to

Soak the Urad Dal in double the quantity water for 4-5 hours.
Drain it and grind it in a grinder with ginger and jeera and chillies, using very little water to get a semi-smooth consistency.
Mix the chopped chopped onion, green chillies and salt and leave it to ferment for 8-10 hrs.

Heat oil in a small pan.
Make small balls of dough in hand, flatten it little bit and make a small hole in the center.
Fry it in oil till golden brown.

Eat the bara with ghuguni or with ketchup and with a hot cup of tea! Bliss!