Ragda Patties Recipe (Ragda Pattice)

Ingredients

For ragda

• 1 cup (200 grams) dried white peas (vatana, white matar)
• 1½ teaspoon oil
• 1 teaspoon ginger fine chopped (¾ inch)
• 1 teaspoon garlic fine chopped (3 medium cloves)
• 1 green chilli (chopped, adjust to taste)
• ½ teaspoon salt (+ more to add later)
• ¼ to ⅓ teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder (optional)
• ½ to ¾ teaspoon garam masala
• ⅛ teaspoon hing (asafoetida)
• 2¾ to 3 cups water (to pressure cook)
• 1 tablespoon tamarind paste (or pulp, read notes)
• 1 tablespoon jaggery (read notes)

For pattice

• 500 grams potatoes
• ½ cup poha (powdered or bread crumbs, read notes)
• 1 teaspoon ginger (grated or minced)
• 1 green chilli (deseeded & fine chopped)
• 1 teaspoon chaat masala (or ½ teaspoon garam masala)
• 1 tablespoon coriander leaves (chopped)
• ½ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
• 2 tablespoons oil (to pan fry or ¼ cup for shallow frying)

To serve

• ½ to ¾ cup tamarind chutney
• ¼ cup green chutney (or coriander chutney)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons red garlic chutney
• ¼ cup onions fine chopped (1 small)
• ¼ cup tomatoes fine chopped (1 small)
• 2 tablespoons coriander leaves fine chopped
• 3 tablespoons nylon sev
• 1 teaspoon chaat masala

Steps

How to make Ragda

1. Wash the white peas thoroughly under running water and soak for at least 8 hours to overnight. Drain them later and rinse well again.
2. Heat the oil in a cooker and add the ginger, garlic and green chilies. For an Instant Pot, carry out these same steps using saute mode.
3. Sauté about 1 minute, until aromatic, then add the hing, peas, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and garam masala.
4. Give them a 1-minute sauté, pour in the water and mix thoroughly.
5. Use medium heat to pressure-cook for 6 whistles. In the Instant Pot, press the pressure cook button and choose 11 minutes on the timer.
6. Only open the lid after pressure has released completely. Check that the peas are soft cooked rather than al dente; pressure-cook longer if they are still undercooked.
7. Put 3 to 4 tbsps cooked peas in a small bowl and mash them thoroughly, then return them to the ragda to thicken it.
8. Mix in tamarind and jaggery, or 1 to 2 tbsps sweet tamarind chutney, thoroughly. Taste, and add more garam masala and salt at this point if you wish.
9. Simmer a few minutes more to thicken the ragda. Switch off while it still pours, as cooling will thicken it further.

How to make Patties

1. Boil the potatoes in a pot or pressure cooker just to fork tenderness; avoid overcooking. In the described preparation, the potatoes were boiled with the white peas in the Instant Pot for 11 minutes (see the step-by-step photos above for more details).
2. While hot or warm, peel the potatoes, crumble or mash them well, then cool fully. Add the chaat masala, ginger, green chili, salt, coriander leaves and 4 to 6 tbsps bread crumbs or poha powder.
3. Combine everything and taste, adding salt if needed. It must not be sticky; if it is, mix in more bread crumbs or poha powder.
4. Make balls from 8 portions of dough and flatten them. For extra-crisp pattice, roll them in poha powder and press it down so it adheres.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a non-stick pan and spread it over the surface. Fry the patties over a medium high flame once the oil is hot.
6. Flip when the bottoms are crisp and golden, then fry the other side to golden. Set the patties aside.

Assemble Ragda Patties

1. Wait to assemble until you are ready to eat, otherwise the patties soften.
2. Pour 2 ladles of ragda onto a serving plate, followed by 1 tablespoon sweet tamarind chutney and some green chutney. Place the patties on top.
3. Add all the 3 chutneys on top in your preferred amounts, then sprinkle with coriander leaves, onions and tomatoes.
4. Finish with sev and chaat masala sprinkled over, and serve straight away.