Ragda Patties

In my house, we all are chaat lovers! We LOVE Indian street food and hope you all do too! In fact, I haven’t yet met someone who doesn’t love Chaat. 

Whether it be the Mumbai famous Pav-bhaji or Delhi’s popular street food Matar kulcha, Ram ladoo, or Aloo Tikki, we love them all, and the new one to join the list is – Ragda pattice.

This is the most flavorsome chaat recipe that explodes unique flavors and myriad textures, emanating divine deliciousness! 

So, if you are a passionate chaat admirer, this dish is undoubtedly for you. 

What is Ragda Patties?

For those who are unfamiliar with this term, Ragda translates to pressed or mashed white peas stew, and patties mean crispy potato cakes, a.k.a. Aloo Tikki. 

Collectively it indicates – Soft, melt-in-your-mouth potato cakes smothered in white peas stew and served with chutneys.

Ragda pattice is one of India’s famous street food, and growing up, we often ate Ragda chaat at our local vendor (chaat wala), who would assemble the ragda right in front of us and serve it, and we loved every bit of it.

I mean, who would not love a fresh plate assembled of ragda pattice? 

It’s got everything you need- protein from the beans, carbs, fiber from the potatoes, and the ambrosial fusion of sweet and tangy chutneys with the other flavors of this recipe makes it a sinful treat.

Delve into this awesomely delicious recipe at lunch, dinner, or even in the mid-afternoon when your taste buds crave a sweet, spicy, and savory dish that promises a burst of flavors and textures in every morsel.

Reasons You’ll ♡ Ragda Patties

This Ragda Pattice recipe is irresistible and great to serve as an appetizer or can be served as a wholesome meal. Furthermore, this recipe is —

• Prepared with a handful of readily available ingredients
• Full of flavors and nutrition
• Versatile and can be customized according to your preference
• Purely vegetarian
• Kids-friendly and will please everyone’s palates!

And the best part is you can even make a large batch as this recipe is scalable and can be easily doubled or tripled, as mentioned in the recipe card.

Ragda Patties Ingredients List

Don’t let the long list of ingredients stop you from exploring this rich classic delicacy. This recipe is made with common ingredients; you probably already have in your pantry, and they are —

Pattice — The patties are made with a combination of potato, poha, and a few basic spices. I always season my pattice with mild spices because too many spices can make the patties overpowering and affect the delicate flavor of ragda. 

Spices — Such as degi mirch, chaat masala, salt, coriander powder, cumin seed powder, and amchur powder add tons of flavor and aroma to our ragda pattice. 

White Peas — This is our star ingredient and is also referred to as white vatana, Marrowfat peas, or yellow peas. Starchy legumes are a rich source of minerals, vitamin- B, and protein.

Oil — to cook our potato patties and ragda. 

Toppings — These ragda patties are filled with wholesome flavors, all thanks to the toppings such as onion, tomato, green chili, sweet and tangy green, and tamarind chutney that compliment this chaat recipe pretty well by making it amazingly delicious. 

Garnishes — Ragda patties are always served with gram flour sev, cilantro leaves, and pomegranate seeds. 

Recipe Tips and variations

For smooth textured pattice — Potatoes can be mashed properly when warm. So, to get the smooth-textured pattice, always mash the potatoes when they are still warm.

Add moist poha (flattened rice) — Adding moist poha will render the best texture to the pattice. Therefore, before adding it to the pattice mixture, make sure to squeeze out water from the soaked poha. The poha should feel moist and not wet before your add it to the pattice mixture.

Smoothening the pattice — You will get smooth and crack-free pattice by rolling them on your palm. So, when shaping them, keeping this in mind will help.

Attaining the perfect crispiness — I do not prefer deep frying, but if you like the crispiest ones, go for deep frying until golden. Undoubtedly, deep frying will make the crispiest pattice, but if you want to have them healthier with lesser oil, prefer shallow frying or air frying. Also, do not overcrowd the pan while frying. Do so in batches so that the pattice gets space to fry without breaking when being flipped.

Fixing the thickening Ragda — As the ragda cools, it continues to thicken. If you notice this happening, just add some lukewarm water and mix it until you get the desired consistency.

Adding the authentic crunch — Fine sev adds a brilliant crunch that sets the flavor and texture apart. Therefore, do not skip adding the fine sev if you are expecting to reach an authentic taste and texture.

Substitute of poha — The pattice dough needs some binding material to take a firm and excellent shape. Poha is the best binding agent for these pattice, as it lends a crispy exterior to them. But if you don’t have poha on hand, try adding 2 tablespoons of cornflour or rice flour to the pattice mixture. It will also serve the purpose quite brilliantly.

Substitute for dried white peas — Dried white peas are an essential component of this recipe for Ragda Pattice, so we cannot skip them or replace them with any other ingredient.

Soaking for the ultimate soft ragda — Dried white peas/ safed matar are soaked overnight or for at least 6- 8 hours to attain the smoothest texture. During this while, the peas also double in size. When ready to use, drain the peas and rinse them under tap water.

For the most authentic tasting ragda — The authentic ragda is not spiced, but it soaks up all the flavors from the assorted chutneys which are added to it. But, as I like the pleasantly mild flavor of ragda, I have seasoned this recipe with spices and flavors. If you are looking for the most authentic taste, feel free to skip the seasoning part and continue with the rest of the recipe instructions.

To fix the sticky pattice mixture — The pattice mix may feel sticky to the hands when shaping. To fix this, add a teaspoon of cornstarch and remix it. Now, grease your hands with oil and while taking a ball-sized mix in your hand, shape it into a pattice.

Fresh prep makes the best recipe — Ragda pattice tastes best when prepared fresh. It is assembled using ingredients like onions, tomatoes, and sev that add a crunch to the recipe. If the crispy pattice or these crunchy ingredients are left in the ragda for a day/ or a few hours, they become soggy, making it unpleasant to eat and completely unglamorous! Therefore, it is best to assemble the dish when needed.

Can I make Ragda on the stovetop?

You most certainly can! To make ragda over the stovetop:

• Soak the white peas or safed matar for 6-8 hours or overnight. The peas will double in size after the soak time. Drain the peas and rinse them under tap water. 
• Transfer the rinsed peas to a regular pressure cooker, and add salt and enough water to cover the peas. Give it a good stir and close the lid.
•  Cook the peas for 3-4 whistles over medium heat until soft. Allow the pressure to release naturally. 
• After the pressure has elapsed, check the peas for doneness. Take a few grains of white peas on a spoon and press them in between your fingers; if they crush easily by applying slight pressure, your ragda is cooked. 
• Mix it well and adjust the consistency to your liking. Once the desired consistency has been reached, you can then proceed with the rest of the recipe as instructed.

Let Me Know What You Think!

Where else will you get so many flavors and textures together in one recipe? Of course, this recipe of Ragda Pattice has to be the one!

So, why wait any longer when you can make a mouth-watering plate of this heavenly chaat recipe to devour? Let’s just dive into the joyous preparation.

Should you make this Ragda pattice, please let me know your thoughts by sharing your comment below. And don’t forget to share it with your family and friends.