Mumbai ragada

Last time when I went to Cream center I stumbled across mumbai ragda in the menu. I have been to cream center a million times but never bothered to order this dish. Dont know how I missed it! It tasted heavenly. Truely desi !!!


After about a month when I googled for the recipe I realised its one of the street foods of Maharashtra thats as popular as vada pav or pav bhajji.

Mumbai ragada is basically aloo tikki served with tangy vatana or dried white peas gravy. Its garnished with onion and chutneys making it even more tasty.

Patties are made using boiled potatoes and bread crumbs. And unlike other gravies ragada is made using tamarind instead of tomato. If planned well it doesnt take much time to prepare and  its more like a meal than a snack.

INGREDIENTS

RAGADA

Vatanan or dried white peas    -   1 cup ( soak for 1 hour and boil)
Onion                                      -   1 finely chopped
Ginger - garlic paste                -   1 tsp
Turmeric  powder                    -  1/2 tsp
Chilli powder                          -  1 tsp
Coriander powder                   -   1 tsp
Garam masala                         -   1/2 tsp
Cumin                                      -  1 tsp
Jaggery                                     - 1 small piece ( small lemon sized)
Tamarind paste                        -  1 tbsp
Oil                                            - 1 tbsp

1. Heat oil in a kadai, add cumin and allow it to splutter.
2.Add the onions and saute till they are translucent.
3.Add ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes.
4.Add salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and saute.
5.Add the cooked peas,tamarind paste/pulp , jaggery and 2 cups of water. Bring to boil.
6. Simmer for 10 minutes till the gravy thickens and add garam masala. Remove from the heat.

 

PATTIES

INGREDIENTS

Potatoes    -   2 big ( boiled, mashed )

Bread        - 1 slice 

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala  - 1/4 tsp

Salt

Maida              - 1 tbs

Bread crumbs   - 1 cup

Oil

1. Mash the potatoes in a bowl and add the powders and bread slice.

2. Mix and shape it into tikkis.

3. Make a paste with maida and water.

4. Roll the tikkis over the maida then immediately over the crumbs.

5. Gently shape it so that there are no loose bread crumbs.

6. Shallow fry till golden brown and crisp.

TAMARIND CHUTNEY 

Tamarind   -  size of a  lemon or 1/4 cup thick pulp

Jaggery      -  1/4 cup

Dates         -  deseeded and chopped 1/2 cup

Cumin seeds - 1tsp

Water         - 1 cup

1. Boil water and add tamarind, jaggery, dates.

2.Cook in a slow flame till the dates is soft.

3. Remove from heat, cool and grind to a smooth puree.

4. Add dry roasted cumin seeds to the sauce.

GREEN CHUTNEY

Coriander     - 1 cup chopped

Mint leaves  - 1/2 cup

Green chilli  - 2

Chat masala - 1 tsp (depending on ur taste)

Garlic  -  1 or 2 cloves

Juice of half a lemon

1. Combine all the ingredients except lemon and grind to a smooth paste. Add water if needed.

2. Add lemon juice and mix well.

TO ASSEMBLE

 Place a tikki on the plate and add a ladle of hot ragada. Top it with the chutneys, raw onions and coriander. Serve.

NOTE

VATANA gets cooked easily unlike channa or rajma so 2 or max 3 whistles enough.

The chutneys can be made ahead and stored.

Ready made aloo tikkis ( Mc Cains) can also be used.