MyMusingsSangSpeak-Pet Puja - Ragda Patties

Ragda Patties – Chaat Special

Chaat is the Indian street food and each and every one of us have enjoyed it once in a while and some of us do it on daily basis. There is a wide variety of chaats like the Bhel Puri, Paani Puri, Papdi Chaat, Aloo Tikki Chaat, Dahi Bhalla, SPDP, Wada Paav, Misal, Paav Bhaji,Ragda Patties, Kachchi Dabeli and so on. Chaats are loved for their eclectic tastes – mix of sweet, sour, spicy, tangy flavours(chatpata swaad) that tickle the taste buds. Chaat recipes satiate totally and completely. People love the ambience that goes with the roadside chaat stalls…the cool breeze, vehicles plying up and down the streets, laughter and chatter of people around.

During my childhood, I used to enjoy eating Bhelpuri and what I loved more was to see the Bhelpuriwala go about making the bhel. Such a methodical process- firstly he would take the clean stainless steel utensil and add each ingredient one by one and then mix it with a spoon by making a particular music with the utensil and spoon. Afterwards, he would add a dash of the green and tamarind chutneys and again a musical mix.  I was so impressed with the Bhelpuriwala that I always wanted to become one when I grew up. What aspirations….!

Most of the chaats have some essential ingredients that include some crispy element like murmura, papdi or bhujia, green chutney, sweet sour chutney, some potato, curd, fresh onions, tomatoes, coriander to name a few.

Homemade chaat has its unique advantages – it will be more hygienic and you can enjoy good family and friends’ time within the comforts of home. It is quite exciting to go about assembling a Chaat Dish.

Ragda Patties is one easy chaat recipe to make. Ragda meaning a homogenous mixture and it is essentially made of dried peas. The patties are made of potato.

Ingredients

Dried Yellow Peas – 200 gms

Potatoes – 5-6 medium sized

Onions – 3 nos

Tomatoes – 2 nos

Bread Slices – 2 nos

Cumin Powder- 1 teaspoon

Coriander Powder – 1 teaspoon

Ginger garlic paste – 1 teaspoon

Turmeric Powder – 1 teaspoon

Garam Masala – ½ teaspoon

Red Chilly Powder – ½ teaspoon

Fresh Coriander – 6-7 sprigs

Oil – 4-5 tablespoons

Water – 1 and ½ litre

Salt – To Taste

Tamarind Chutney – 1 cup (Boil 50 gms tamarind pulp and 50 gms jaggery in one and half cup water. Add more jaggery if required.)

Method

Soak the dried yellow peas for about 5-6 hours. Cook them in a pressure cooker with about 1/2 to 3/4th litre water, ½ teaspoon each of turmeric, cumin and coriander powders along with salt. Cook till the peas are cooked well and soft. Make a paste of 2 onions and 1 tomato. Heat oil in a pan and add the onion tomato paste along with ginger garlic paste and fry well till oil separates. Add garam masala, red chilly powder, little salt and the cooked peas and bring to a boil. Add some water and cook on low flame to allow a nice homogenous ragda to be formed.

Boil the potatoes, cool , peel and mash well. Add ½ teaspoon each of turmeric, cumin and coriander powders along with salt and two bread slices (ground to a coarse mixture in the mixer) to the mashed potatoes and mix well. Then form patties (cutlets) with your hand and shallow fry till golden brown.

Chop one onion and tomato very fine. Chop the coriander leaves. For serving the Ragda Patties, place the patties at the base of the plate and pour the ragda on over it. Add some tamarind chutney and top with chopped onion, tomato and coriander. Ragda Patties is ready to be served and relished.

Note  - In case yellow dried peas are unavailable, dried green peas can be substituted in their place.

MyMusingsSangSpeak-Pet Puja- Pav Bhaji

Pav Bhaji:

Pav Bhaji is a much loved Indian street food, hot favourite with majority people all across the country. Many people debate about the nutritional value of this dish as it is laden with butter and the vegetables are overcooked. Despite all criticisms, this dish is soul food and there are die hard Pav Bhaji fans that will vouch for it with all their hearts n souls. I am giving my version of Pav Bhaji where I use my homemade garam masala.

Ingredients:

Onions- 2 large

Potatoes- 2-3 large

Tomatoes- 2 large

French Beans- 100 gms

Carrots- 100 gms

Cauliflower- 100 gms

Greeen Peas- 100 gms

Ginger Garlic Paste- 2 tablespoons

Butter- 100- 150 gms

Oil- 2-3 tablespoons

Salt- as per taste

Red Chilly Powder- 1 teaspoon

Garam Masala/ Redaymade PavBhaji Masala - 1½ teaspoon

Water- 2- 3 cups

Lemons- as per taste

Coriander n finely chopped onion for garnish

Method:

Chop all vegetables finely. Heat oil in a pan and add chopped onions and sauté well till they become light brown, then add tomatoes, ginger garlic paste and chopped potoatoes. Stir well, cover with lid for 4-5 minutes and cook on low heat. Then add the rest of the chopped vegetables, stir well, add garam masala, red chilly powder, salt and water. Cover with a lid and let it cook for about 10 minutes, then add butter and again cook for 5 minutes. Now, take the pan off heat and mash well with a masher. Serve the pav bhaji topped with finely chopped onion+coriander, butter and a slice of lemon along with buttered Pav.

Variations for cooking Pav Bhaji- You may boil potatoes and then add them so that it becomes more homogenous.

In addition, if you like you may add other veggies like brinjals, capsicums, this is optional.

Servings: Serves 4 to 5 people