I am embarrassed to say that it took me 8 years in this country to make this delicious Bengali snack. With a friend leading the way I took the plunge, bought the spice box, and made it. Super easy. You soak the dried peas (মটর) for a few hours, then cook them till soft. I used my pressure cooker. You add some cooked chopped potatoes and cut onions to the mixture. You spice it up with the box spices (salt, cumin, red pepper, tumeric). You serve it with cilantro, yogurt, chopped chilis, and simple tamarind-sugar sauce. We bought the little shells in a local store but any sort of chips or none at all would work too. I liked mine with a side of coleslaw, and I think it would taste great on top of a salad.
Must say that as soon as I saw your first photo, I was jealous. This is my all time favorite Bengali food, and I’m embarrassed to say I still have some spice boxes in my cupboard from 4 years ago, waiting to be made. Do you have any more specific directions you could share with me?