Ragda is a spicy curry or gravy made with dried white peas, spices and other some other ingredients. While it can be used a side to rotis, ragda is popularly served with potato patties and chaat chutneys to make a delicious dish called Ragda Pattice.
Ingredients
The base of ragda, as mentioned, is dried white peas also called vatana. It is quite easily available in most Indian stores if you live outside India and I have a picture below to give you an idea of what to look for. Since these are dried, you do need to soak the white peas for a few hours, ideally overnight, before making ragda.
The rest of the ingredients are quite straight-forward. You need some basic spices like cumin, chilli powder, asafoetida and turmeric. Of course some ginger and garlic for extra punch and green chillies that are ground and roasted for an additional kick.
While ragda is typically prepared to make ragda patties, you can also serve this with poori, chapati, or even dosa.
Ragda Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups dried white peas or vatana
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder adjust to taste
- 1-2 green chillies adjust based on spice level of chillies available
- 1" piece of ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds or jeera
- 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida or hing
- 2 teaspoons ghee or oil
Instructions
- Soak the dry white peas or vatana for a minimum of 8 hours or overnight
- Drain, transfer to a pressure cooker pan or pot and add enough fresh water to cover it completely by 1/2 an inch. Add turmeric powder and chilli powder to this and mix well
- Pressure cook for 15 mins or 4-5 whistles. The peas need to get really soft and mushy
- Let pressure release naturally and take out the cooked peas. Use the back of a spoon or potato masher to mash it. Don't mash completely, let some texture remain in the peas. Set this aside
- Grind the green chillies and ginger together in a small mixie or pestle and mortar. You can also chop them up really fine
- Heat oil in a pan add cumin seeds and asafoetida
- When the cumin seeds sizzle and turn a shade darker, add the chilli-ginger mixture
- Add the cooked mashed pas and salt. Mix well.
- Adjust water to bring it to the right consistency. You want the ragda to flow easily from your spoon but not be water.
- Bring to boil, simmer for a minute, and then remove from heat
- Serve hot with chapati or ragda patties and chaat chutneys
Notes
- Quantities of all ingredients can be adjusted to your preference
- Using ghee gives the ragda a really lovely flavour so that would be first preference
- You can add coriander powder to give the gravy more depth. I am happier with this version because when added to the ragda patties, the flavour from the chutneys take over, which I prefer
- You can add some garlic too while grinding the ginger and chillies together
Step by Step Pictures to Make Ragda
Soak the white peas overnight or for a minimum of 8 hours
Drain, transfer to a pressure cooker pan, and add enough fresh water to cover it completely by 1/2 an inch.
Add turmeric powder and chilli powder to this. Mix well.
Pressure cook for 15 mins or 4-5 whistles until the peas is cooked nice and mushy. Let the pressure release naturally.
Smush it further with the back of a spoon or potato masher and set aside.
Grind the green chillies and ginger to a coarse paste (or you can just chop the two very fine). Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin powder, asafoetida.
When the cumin seeds turn a shade darker, add the chilli garlic paste. Fry for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Add the cooked peas and salt. Mix well adding enough water to bring to the right consistency.
Bring to boil, let it simmer for a minute, and remove from heat.
Serve hot with poori, chapati or add to ragda patties!
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