Ragda Patties (alternative recipe)

Patties without oil - adapted from Tarla Dalal
This dish actually makes a complete meal and one that takes very little cooking, especially if you have planned ahead and soaked the peas a day before. You can use a filling of your choice for the patties like peas, french beans, tofu, corn etc. I also like to eat just the ragda topped with the onion and chutneys.

Ingredients

For the Ragda Filling



  • 1 cup dried yellow peas (white vatana)

  • 2 boiled potatoes, cut into small pieces

  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)

  • 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

  • 2 tsp green chilli-ginger paste

  • 1/2 tsp garam masala

  • 2 tsp jaggery (gur), grated

  • 1 tbsp tamarind (imli), soaked

  • salt to taste


For the Tempering



  • 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)

  • 6 curry leaves

  • a pinch asafoetida (hing)


For the Patties



  • 1 kg potatoes

  • 2 tbsp cornflour

  • salt to taste


For the Patties filling (grind together the ingredients)



  • 1 cup chopped mint leaves

  • 1/4 cup chopped coriander

  • 12 mm (1/2") piece ginger

  • juice of 1/2 lemon

  • 1 tsp sugar

  • salt to taste

  • crushed peanuts to ‘flour' the patties in


Method

For the Ragda

Soak the dried peas overnight. Drain, add approximately 3 to 4 cups of fresh water and pressure cook for 4 whistles or until the peas are soft. Prepare the tempering by heating a pan, adding the mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida and stirring till the mustard seeds crackle. Add in all the other ingredients for the ragda adding more water if required. Mix well mashing the peas slightly so that the gravy becomes thicker. Simmer for 10 minutes and keep aside.

For the Patties

Boil, peel and grate the potatoes. Add the corn flour and salt and knead to a soft dough. Divide into 12 equal portions and keep aside. Roll out each portion into a 75 mm. (3") diameter circle. Place a portion of the ground filling mixture on each circle. Bring together the edges in the center to seal the filling inside the potato. Press lightly on top to make a patty. Repeat to make the remaining 11 patties. Place the ground peanuts in a plate and pat the patties on the ground peanuts so that both sides are covered with a thin layer of peanuts. Cook without oil on a tawa. The oil from the peanuts will help the cooking. To serve place 2 patties on a plate and pour the ragda over. Top with green chutney and date chutney and onions as desired. Serve immediately.

Tips

For crisper patties, use old potatoes or a variety commonly called "chips" or "wafer potatoes". You might need to add some more corn flour to the potatoes if they are not dry enough.