Soak peas overnight or for 8 hours. Chop 1 onion finely; make paste of ginger, garlic and rest of the onion. Peel and cut the potatoes in half, cut the tomato and keep aside.

Heat mustard oil in pressure cooker; add tejpatta/bay leaf, then sugar, then green cardamom and then green chili with slit in center. Add chopped onions and sauté on medium flame. Meanwhile wash the soaked peas thoroughly and add to the cooker once the onions have caramelized.

Continue stirring on medium to low flame till peas and onions look slightly brown and oil has separated. Add potatoes and continue stirring for 3-4 minutes. Add the ginger garlic onion paste and continue stirring for 2-3 minutes on medium to low flame

Add tomato, stir for 2 minutes, add turmeric, coriander powder, red chili powder and mix it thoroughly. At this stage add 1 tsp water to the cooker. Stir continuously so as to allow the water to provide enough moisture for the peas and the masala to get incorporated and fried

Repeat this 2 times within 5 minutes and then add salt, jeera powder and continue stirring with slight addition of water till tomatoes are completely mashed and the dry powder and paste look completely incorporated

Add 2 ½ cup water, stir and then add garam masala and ½ tsp mustard oil on the top, do not mix. Scatter some coriander leaves and close the lid. 4-5 whistles and then on low flame for 3 -4 minutes. It’s done

Garnish with chopped onions, ginger strips and coriander leaves. In a Bengali house it is usually savored with Muri / puffed rice. Here I have served it with coriander leaves chutney which has coriander leaves, garlic, green chili and tomato.