Ragda Patties Recipe | How to Make Ragda Patties

Learn how to make Ragda Patties ~ Potato patties served in a spicy peas gravy and topped with assortment of chutneys and garnished with crispy sev, chopped onions, tomato and coriander leaves; a famous and much loved street food of Indian sub-continent

Where do I begin to tell you my love story…? Love story that is sweeter than any greatest love stories of Shakespeare’s tragic Romeo and Juliet, Punjabi folk tale of Heer-Ranjha or Kalidaasa’s Dushyanth-Shakntala! Love story that is spicier than all of masala movies that Hindi Cinema keeps churning every year! Love story which is juicier than thousands of Mills and Boons with millionaires or billionaire dark, tall and handsome business/shipping tycoons who sweep beautiful woman off their feet! Love story that will not be documented in romantic novels to be read by millions of romantic souls late into nights or whispered in hushed voice!

Burst of flavours ~ Ragda Patties

But there is nothing stopping me from writing about it here in my blog! My love story that has witnessed changing times, changing characters, many competitions and also few grey strands in my lush brown mane! The one I am in love with, deeply in love with, knows what makes me smile! He knows what ticks me off and even what lifts my mood! He, my lover, knows how to grab my attention even when I am surrounded by many people. He knows what can make me forget about everything when I am with him! He knows how my heart skips a beat and then drums faster than a baby’s when I lay my eyes on him! And he also knows I can never get enough of him… One look at him sitting quietly in a plate dressed up in layers of colourful cloths and accessories, I start to salivate… He is hot… He is sweet… And he is sour!!!

Dig in ~ Ragda Patties

Sour? Yes, you read it right! I am talking about my love story, alright! My love affair with the very well known Chaat! I hope I didn’t mislead you into believing that I am about to change the theme of this blog from food to romance or worse, adult fiction! ;) Well, I do go doolally when someone mentions ‘Chaat’! That plate of little slice of heaven smothered with every possible taste combination makes me go weak on my legs and makes my heart beat faster with joy! Yeah, yeah, call me a drama queen! But only those who have tasted “Chaat” will know what I am talking about and empathise with me!

I don’t particularly remember the day when I tasted “Chaat” for the very first time. But what I clearly remember is that it was love at first ‘bite’! One spoonful of heaven made my taste buds do a happy dance! I can resist the scoop upon scoop of exotic flavoured ice creams, but one look at the Chaatwala, ahem, I meant the Chaatwala’s stalls or carts selling Chaat and I see myself going on trance and see myself walking towards the said object of affection! The little voice that raises alarm about hygiene and health is shushed and I see my hands extending towards the small plated heaped with colourful and flavourful delicacy! Ah Chaat…

Popular Indian Street Food ~ Ragda Patties

For those who are unfamiliar with this delicacy, “Chaat” is a Hindi word which means “tasting, a delicacy”, from “Chaatna” which translates to “to lick”. This word is also derived from Sanskrit and means “to devour with relish” or “eat nosily”. The sweet, sour and spicy taste of Chaat makes your tongue praise its taste by making appropriate appreciative noise! Many believe that the Chaat originated in Uttar Pradesh and now it’s one of the most popular and loved street foods around the Indian sub-continent. From Bhel Puri to Dahi Batata Puri, from Aloo Tikki to Pani Puri, from Dahi Vada/Bhalle to Papdi Chaat every single plate of these delicacies leaves you wanting for more!

Patties ~ For Ragda Patties

And then there is Ragda Patties, shallow fried potato patties dunked in a bowl of spiced peas curry, drizzled with flavourful assorted chutneys and garnished with crisp gram noodles and finely chopped vegetables like onion, tomato and fresh coriander! If I had to choose just one plate of Chaat, I would go for this plate of awesomeness and end up making it a meal itself. The lightly spiced potato patties are shallow fried till golden brown perfection is immersed in a sea of goodness in the form of Ragda. Ragda is nothing but a spicy gravy of dried white peas flavoured with selected aromatic spices that makes even the bland tasting potatoes taste like out of the world. But wait… There is more! The sweet date and tamarind chutney and the spicy mint and coriander chutney not only add some colours to already colourful plate of Ragda Patties, but also add punch of strong flavours. Before you grab that plate of Ragda Patties with drool dripping all over the floor, I have to stop you as I need to add few more things to it :) Yes, there is some sev, deep fried salty gram flour noodles, and some finely chopped crunchy onion, juicy tomato and fresh coriander leaves. Yes, now you can have that plate of Ragda Patties… Remember to close your eyes and make appropriate ‘appreciating’ noise with every lick and every spoonful! And I know you will forget to talk till you lick clean last spoonful of delicacy… After all it is ‘Chaat’ and it is meant to be to be licked and relished!!!

Ragda Patties

Don’t be daunted by the long ingredient list and cooking instructions. It is not as difficult or complex as it sounds. With little planning and preparation, you can pull it off this most delicious plate of goodness in no time! If you are cooking for the large gathering or even cooking for your friends and family, you can prepare most of the ingredients well in advance, may a day before you serve it. To make it simple, I am dividing the whole preparation and cooking for two days.

On day 1, soak the peas, cook potatoes and also prepare the chutneys. Peel the potatoes and mash them well and add all the ingredients listed under patties. Prepare the potato mixture for the Patties and put them in an air tight container and store it in refrigerator. Similarly prepare the chutneys and store them in refrigerator in an air tight container.

On day 2, take out the potato mixture and place it on a counter to bring it to room temperature. Meanwhile proceed to make the Ragda by following the recipe below. While the Ragda is getting cooked, finely chop the onions, tomato and fresh coriander leaves for garnishing. That’s it! Plateful of Ragda Patties will be ready in no time and all your hard work will be paid off royally when you see your loved ones devouring it! No need to fish for compliments or ask how it tastes... When you hear just the words like ‘ahh’ and ‘mmm’s’ and no other words, consider that you have cooked one of the best tasting dishes!

Sending this plate of Ragda Patties to dear blogger friend Susan who is hosting My Legume Love Affair- 55th edition! 

Ingredients for Ragda

Ingredients for Patties

Patties ~ Before shallow frying

Patties ~ After shallow frying

Ragda ~ Spicy Peas Curry

Patties ~ Mildly spiced potato patties

Ragda, Patties, assorted chutneys, sev and finely chopped vegetables ~ Ready for assembling

Dig in ~ Ragda Patties

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Ragda Patties (Potato patties served in a spicy peas gravy and topped with assortment of chutneys and garnished with crispy sev, chopped onions, tomato and coriander leaves; a famous and much loved street food of Indian sub-continent)

Prep Time: 15-20 mins

Soaking Time: 8 hours or Overnight

Cooking Time: 45-60 mins

Recipe Level: Basic or Beginner to Intermediate (purely based on the amount of time consumed)

Spice Level: Medium to High

Serves: 6-8 People

Shelf Life: Best served fresh but can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and frozen for up to a month (read notes)

Serving Suggestion: As an evening snack or as a meal

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Ingredients:
For Ragda (White Peas Curry):
1½ cups dried Green or White Peas, soaked overnight
1 large Onion, finely chopped
1 large Onion, finely chopped
2 large Tomato, finely chopped
1 tsp Ginger Paste or 1 heaped tsp grated fresh Ginger
3-4 Green Chillies, finely chopped (as per taste)
1½ tsp Tamarind Paste or 1 large marble sized Tamarind Pulp soaked in ¼ cup of hot water and juice extracted
½ tbsp Jaggey (Optional but recommended)
2-3 heaped tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste

Spices Used for Ragda:
½ tsp Haldi/Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Dhania/Coriander Powder
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Powder
½ tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder/Paprika
1 tsp Garam Masala

For Tadka/Tempering:
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
Few Curry Leaves (Optional)
¼ tsp Hing/Asafoetida
1 tbsp Oil

For Patties (Potato patties):
3 large Potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed
½ - ¾ cup Bread Crumbs (read notes)
1 heaped tbsp Corn Flour
Salt to taste
Oil for shallow/pan frying

Spiced Used for Patties:
½ tsp Haldi/Turmeric Powder
½ tsp Dhania/Coriander Powder
½ tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder/Paprika
½ tsp Garam Masala (Optional)

Other Ingredients Need:
½ - 1 cup Sweet Date and Tamarind Chutney
½ - 1 cup Green Coriander and Mint Chutney
1 cup Sev/Deep fried crunchy gram flour noodles (easily available in any Indian grocery store)
1 cup Onion, finely chopped
1 cup Tomato, finely chopped
½ - ¾ cup Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
Lime wedges

Ragda ~ Creamy Spicy Peas Curry

Method:
Prepare the Ragda (Peas Curry):

1. Pressure cook soaked white/green peas with enough water (approx 3 – 3½ cups) and a pinch of turmeric powder for about 10-12 minutes or 2 whistles on high flame. Reduce the flame to low and let it cook for another 7-10 minutes. The peas should be cooked thorough, soft to touch and should mash easily when pressed between a thumb and index finger. Let the pressure release completely before opening the lid. Keep it in side until needed.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds to it. When mustard starts to crackle and pop, add cumin seeds, hing and curry leaves. Saute for few seconds till cumin seeds too crackle and change colour.
3. Add finely chopped onions and sauté until the edges starts to brown, about 2 minutes, on medium flame.
4. Mix in ginger paste, finely chopped green chillies and cook till the raw smell disappears, about 1 minute.
5. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder and garam masala and cook them for few seconds. Make sure that you don’t burn the spices as they will impart bitter taste to the gravy!
6. Next add finely chopped tomatoes and cook them till they turn pulpy and release their juice, about 3 minutes.
7. Add cooked peas, jaggery and salt to taste and mix them well. Pour in about 1-1½ cups of water and mix them well. Cover the lid and let it cook for 7-8 minutes.
8. Remove the lid and add tamarind paste. Mash the peas roughly with the back of the ladle. Add little water if you find the gravy too thick and also adjust the seasoning as per taste. Let it cook for 5 more minutes for all the flavours to blend well.
9. Turn off the gas and mix in finely chopped coriander leavers. Keep it aside until needed.

Mildly Spiced Potato Patties

Prepare the Patties:

1. You can cook the potatoes on previous night if you are short of time and keep it ready for the patties. Make sure that the potatoes are cooked through by testing by inserting a knife. The knife should cut through easily. The best patties are made when potatoes are cooked thoroughly. Let them cool slightly before peeling them. Please don’t dump the potatoes in a bowl of cold water to cool them fast as it will make the potatoes soggy!
2. Peel the skin when they cool enough to handle and mash them thoroughly. Make sure that they are lump free!
3. Take the mashed potatoes in a large bowl and mix in bread crumbs, corn flour, all the spice powders listed above and salt to taste. Mix them well so that all the spice powders and other ingredients are distributed uniformly.
4. Pinch medium lemon sized mashed potato and rolls them into round balls using palms. Press them gently and shape them in to circles or ovals (about 1 inch thick) as shown in the photograph. Place them in a large plate until needed.
5. To shallow fry or pan fry these patties, heat about a tbsp of oil in a tawa/griddle and arrange 5-7 patties in a single row. Add about 1 tsp of oil for each patty and cook them on medium to low flame till the side turns golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip them gently to other side and cook it for another minute or two by drizzling little oil.
6. Repeat for the same for remaining patties and place them in a plate lined with paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Alternatively you can bake them in an oven at 170 deg C for about 15 minutes, flipping it once in between to cook on both the sides.

Ragda Patties ready to serve

For Assembling the Ragda Patties:

1. Place 2-3 Patties in an individual serving plates or bowls. Pour 1½ - 2 ladleful of hot Ragda on top.
2. Drizzle a tsp or two of sweet date and tamarind chutney and spicy mint and coriander chutney.
3. Next add about 1 tbsp of finely chopped onion, tomato and coriander leaves and top it with a spoonful of crispy sev.
4. Serve this absolutely delicious Ragda Patties hot with lime wedges and just enjoy every spoonful of sweet, spicy, and spicy goodness playing magic on your taste buds!

Ragda Patties

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Sia’s Notes:

• The bread crumbs and corn flour used in patties work as binding agents and prevents the patties from breaking when cooking. You can prepare the bread crumbs at home by popping 2 slices of breads in a toaster. Let these toasts cool completely before you tear them into 3-4 pieces and transform them into food processor or mixer jar. Press the pulse button 4-5 times or until you get rough bread crumbs. Stale bread works best for making these bread crumbs.
• The peas should be cooked thorough, soft to touch and should mash easily when pressed between a thumb and index finger. Let the pressure release completely before opening the lid. Keep it in side until needed.
• Don’t be daunted by the long ingredient list and cooking instructions. It is not as difficult or complex as it sounds. With little foresight, planning and preparation, you can pull it off in no time! If you are cooking for the large gathering or even cooking for your friends and family, you can prepare most of the ingredients well in advance, may a day before you serve it. To make it simple, I am dividing the whole preparation and cooking for two days.
• On day 1, soak the peas, cook potatoes and also prepare the chutneys. You can find the recipes for chutneys here. Make sure that the potatoes are cooked through by testing by inserting a knife. The knife should cut through easily. The best patties are made when potatoes are cooked thoroughly. Let them cool slightly before peeling them. Please don’t dump the potatoes in a bowl of cold water to cool them fast as it will make the potatoes soggy! Peel the potatoes and mash them well and add all the ingredients listed under patties. Prepare the potato mixture for the patties and put them in an air tight container and store it in refrigerator. Similarly prepare the chutneys and store them in refrigerator in an air tight container.
• On day 2, take out the potato mixture and place it on a counter to bring it to room temperature. Meanwhile proceed to make the Ragda by following the recipe below. While the Ragda is getting cooked, finely chop the onions, tomato and fresh coriander leaves for garnishing.
• Store leftover Aloo/Potato Patties in zip lock bag and freeze them up to a month. When needed thaw them and place them on hot griddle or oven and cook till it is heated through on both the sides. Or simply pop them in an oven preheated at 180 deg C for 15 minutes, flipping them after 10 minutes.
• You can also freeze the chutneys as well as the Ragda for up to a month.