Ragda Pattice Street food of Amchi Mumbai

Ragda Pattice is yet another street food that is very versatile. In Mumbai, we find many chat vendors selling pani puri/gol gappas with hot ragda as filling, The usal/ragda if served with garnish and shev and farsan/namkeen and a pav/bread becomes usal pav, which is another popular fast food lunch item. I am not aware about the prices now, but when I was practicing and working in Mumbai, this heavenly meal was less than Rs.20. The court canteen used to serve misal/usal for Rs 5 and that with a cup of chai/T was our mid morning fix on most days.

Ragda pattice was something we had on Saturday evenings when we had company or Mom decided to make something different than everyday dal/roti/rice. When I made ragda pattice, it surely brought back many memories and stories of my childhood. I at times wonder if my kids would also associate memories with the food we eat and places we visit. We had less toys, less outings, no eating out unless it was a special occasion or someone was promoted and celebrating in our family. Everything was pre-decided as per the guests and holidays and seasons. In summer we had our yearly pani puri with mango ice cream party, then was our pav bahji with chickoo milkshake and vanilla ice cream birthday parties. Life was simple and no time was kept for menu plannings, meal plannings. Yet there was less food wastage and no one was disappointed with the choice of food that day; except us kids who were made to eat their veggies and some salads that were prepared in less pleasing ways. I for one have no fights with food, except when my aaji/garndma mushed and mashed the banana in milk and made a sloppy mess and making us eat that shikran or when she mashed the boiled red pumpkin with her hands and mixed in the yogurt with her fingers...I mean we could afford spoons in all sizes and shapes, then why play with the food you are serving to innocent kids? Even now I get a yucky feeling when I try to picture my grandma doing all that with her fingers and stuffing our baby mouths with that. This is real torture. We have been through some touch times. My kids are really lucky to escape that. Enough of my stories about childhood days, please make this ragda pattice and bring some of the street flavor in your clean home today.

To make Ragda 

Use pre sokaed White peas( soaked for 5-6 hours)

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cooking time : 15-20 mins

Serves :4

You will need; 

1 cup dried white peas - soaked in hot water for 5-6 hours and boiled with 2 cups water in a pressure cooker for 2-3 whistles.

1 onion diced small

1 tomato diced small

1 inch ginger grated

3 cloves garlic mashed

1 tspn Usal Masala- Substitute with 1/2 tspn Garam masala + 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt to taste

Tempering

2 tbspn oil

1 tsppn Jeera/cumin seeds

1 tsp rai/mustard seeds

pinch of hing/asafodita

1tsp turmeric/haldi

5-6 curry leaves

Heat a wok on medium heat and add oil, add the tempering ingredients, rai/mustard seeds and jeera/cumin seeds, let it sizzle and then add the onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic, then add the turmeric/haldi and hing and curry leaves and fry till the onion and tomatoes get cooked and oil starts separating from the sides. Then add the boiled peas with the water in which it was cooked.Then add the usal masala, salt and lemon juice and cover and cook for 5-7 mins. The ragda is ready. Discard the curry leaves from the ragda.

** The Usal masala I have is very spicy, so adjust the heat levels as per your liking. Generally it is wiser to start with less amounts and increase to you liking.

To make Pattice/Patties

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 5 mins

Makes about 10-12, 1 inch patties

You will need:

2 -3 medium boiled  potatoes

1 small boiled and grated beet root

1 Tbspn Green chutney

salt to taste

 In a bowl, mash the boiled potatoes and add the grated boiled beetrot, add the salt and the green chutney and mix well, make small coins/patties and shallow fry in on a tawa/griddle using non stick oil spray to cut the oil intake.

They will look like this once they are shallow fried.

Assembling the Ragda Pattice; to make individual servings

Garnish with Shev/Onions/Cilantro and chat chutneys( Tamarind and green mint chutney)--Optional, use any or all or none.

In an individual serving bowl take 3 patties and arrange them as a lower base, pour ragda over that, garnish with cilantro and onions and serve hot. You can use regular chat chutneys like tamarind/green chutney and shev over this or enjoy it as is.

 Sending this to Anusha's Street Food event