Ragda Pattice is a divine food from the streets of Mumbai, with a mad mix of flavors and textures that's tease and titillate your tastebuds. But it's also rather wholesome, with its chief ingredients being white peas and potatoes. A vegan, soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free recipe.
Indian English speakers are tempted to change the spelling of this voluptuous snack -- always spelled Ragda 'Pattice' by food vendors in the glorious tradition of street slang-- to the more correct ragda "patties.' But why spoil a good thing by forcing on it unneeded refinement?
There's nothing proper about this bold, tarty street snack from the swollen crush of Bombay's streets. It is a hodge-podge of random flavors and textures that no cook in their right mind would dream of putting together. There's sweet here and spicy and sour and salty. And then there's creamy and crispy and crunchy and crumbly. The final result is lush genius on a plate.
In Bombay, you can buy Ragda Pattice at the open stalls and carts lining the city's long beaches and eat it standing right there, your feet burrowing into the soft sand and the sea breeze whipping your hair into a salty tango. Or, if you're worried about hygiene and all that annoying stuff that gets between you and your indulgences, you can order it at one of the city's restaurants.
When I lived in Bombay, one of our go-to places after work was Vithal's, a restaurant in the maze-like Fort area. Vithal's offered almost every snack invented by the ingenious food hawkers of the city's streets, and although you were sitting in an air-conditioned room that sealed you off from the humidly oppressive heat, the raucous laughter and voices of people young and old at the tables around you could easily make you think you were actually out there.
I had one coworker who never ordered anything at Vithal's but Ragda Pattice. She was that person who, although a vegetarian since birth, ate no vegetables other than potatoes (doesn't everyone know someone like that?). And although I can't think of a veggie I don't love, I can easily see why she was so obsessed with the mighty Ragda Pattice.
What we love about this dish
- It's delicious!
- It's mostly potatoes and chickpeas, so it's healthy as well.
- It's kid-friendly and adult-friendly, because who doesn't love potatoes? And crispy, cruncy stuff?
- It has every flavor and texture you can imagine--tart, sweet, salty, spicy and soft, squishy, crispy and crusty--all in one plate, making it a gastronome's dream come true.
- It is extremely easy to make.
- It needs just a handful of ingredients, and the sev can be storebought--in fact, I don't know anyone who actually makes it at home.
- It looks stunning.
- Did I say it was delicious?
How to make the potato patties
- The "pattice" in Ragda Pattice are two flat patties made with boiled and mashed potatoes, turmeric, salt and green chillies. They are fried to golden perfection with just enough oil to coat the pan. The patties are placed atop the white-pea sauce, or the ragda.
- White peas are not actually white but rather beige. You can find them in Indian stores and online and they work really well in this dish because they have a flavor that's perfectly neutral and therefore perfectly wonderful here. Because here's the secret to a perfect Ragda Pattice: you want the two building blocks -- the ragda and the patties-- to not have an overwhelming flavor. That way they can provide the perfect backdrop for all those delicious toppings that go on, like the sweet-spicy-sour tamarind sauce, the spicy green mint chutney, the crispy, savory sev (tiny yellow squiggles of chickpea flour you can buy in a packet at an Indian store), the pungent onion and the lemony, leafy coriander.
- To make the patties, boil and peel the potatoes--russets are great here--and then mash them to a very even consistency. Add in some rice flour, turmeric, minced green chili peppers and salt and form into small, smooth discs, about two-and-a-half inches across and a third of an inch thick.
- In a pan coated with oil, shallow-fry the patties until each side is golden-brown.
How to make the ragda
- Soak the white peas overnight or at least for 3-4 hours, then pressure cook them with salt and water to cover by an inch or two, until very tender (five whistles should do the trick).
- If you're using an Instant Pot, you can skip the soaking and just cook them, with some salt and covered with at least three inches of water, on the "beans" setting.
- If cooking on the stovetop, soaking overnight is strongly recommended. Place the peas in a pan, cover with two inches of water, bring to a boil, and let them simmer, covered, for about an hour or until very tender.
- Once you have the boiled peas, making the ragda couldn't be easier. Heat a teaspoon or oil, add a teaspoon of ginger-garlic paste to it (don't add more, you want softer flavors here, remember?), saute, and then add turmeric, minced green chili peppers like jalapeno or serrano, the peas and salt. Simmer for another 10 minutes, with some water, until you have a thick, chana-masala-like consistency.
Putting together your final dish
- Most Indian street food starts out with healthy building blocks, but what gives them the decadence of street eats is the junk you pile on top.
- In case of ragda pattice, most of the "junk" is healthy too. You want finely minced onions, minced coriander leaves, a tamarind-date chutney, and a spicy mint chutney. You can buy both chutneys off the shelf, although I'll include recipes for them here.
- The only component here that's probably not going to make your fitness app give you a hi-fi is the sev-- tiny little deep-fried squiggles of chickpea flour that you can buy off the shelf at an Indian grocery store or online. Don't skip it, it just makes everything more delicious and adds so much crunch and texture.
- To serve the ragda pattice, you'll put some ragda on the plate, place the patties on top, drizzle on the two chutneys, scatter onions and cilantro, and finally sprinkle sev over it all.
- Magic on a plate.
Related recipes
Ragda Pattice Recipe
Ragda Pattice is a divine food from the streets of Mumbai, with a mad mix of flavors and textures that's tease and titillate your tastebuds. But it's also rather wholesome, with its chief ingredients being white peas and potatoes. A vegan, soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free recipe.
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe
Review Recipe
Servings: 6 servings (2 patties each)
Calories: 254kcal
Ingredients
For the ragda (white peas curry):
- 1 cup white peas (Sometimes also sold as yellow peas. Chickpeas will do at a pinch. Soak for about 4-8 hours or overnight and cook until tender. (See instructions above on how to cook in pressure cooker, Instant Pot and on the stovetop)
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 2 green chili peppers (Minced. Use less or more depending on your tolerance for heat. Deseed for less heat.)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala (optional)
- Salt to taste
For the potato patties:
- 4 medium-large potatoes (about 2 ½ pounds, boiled, peeled and mashed until smooth)
- 2 green chili peppers (finely minced. Again, use more or less based on your tolerance for heat)
- ¼ cup rice flour (or 2 tablespoon cornstarch)
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Salt to taste
For the tamarind-date chutney:
- ½ cup dates (any kind is fine. Make sure you take out the pits, if any)
- 2 tablespoon tamarind paste , about the size of a lemon (adjust this up or down depending on whether you like your sauce sweet or really tangy)
- 2 tablespoon jaggery (an unrefined Indian sugar. You can replace with turbinado or coconut sugar)
- ½ teaspoon cumin (roasted until a couple of shades darker, then ground to a fine powder)
- ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder
For the mint chutney:
- ¼ cup mint
- ¼ cup cilantro
- 1 green chili pepper (like serrano or jalapeno)
- Salt to taste
Toppings:
- 1 cup sev (found at Indian grocery stores)
- 1 medium onion (minced)
- 4 tablespoon cilantro (minced)
Instructions
Make the ragda:
- Heat the oil in a skillet and add the ginger-garlic paste. Saute over medium-low heat for a few seconds until fragrant but not burnt, then add the green chili peppers, turmeric, chaat masala, if using, white peas and salt. Add about two cups of the cooking liquid from the white peas, or water.
- Stir together, then bring the sauce to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes until the gravy is still a little runny but quite thick. You can add more water if needed.
- Check salt, add more if needed, then turn off the heat.
Make the patties:
- Place the potatoes and other ingredients and form into 12 flat patties, about 2 ½ inches in diameter and a third of an inch thick.
- Heat the skillet, pour enough oil to coat the bottom evenly. When hot, fry the patties in batches. Let each patty cook about 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat or until the surface is a rich golden-brown. Flip over and cook the other side.
Make the tamarind-date chutney:
- Place all ingredients for the chutney in a blender, add ½ cup water, salt if needed (you may not want it) and blend into a smooth and fairly runny paste, about the consistency of ketchup.
Make the mint chutney:
- Place all the ingredients into a blender with ½ cup water and salt and blend into a runny paste. This chutney will be more liquid than the tamarind-date chutney.
Put the final dish together:
- To build you plate of Ragda Pattice, ladle the ragda into a plate. Place two patties on it. Sprinkle on some more chaat masala, if you wish. Drizzle on the tamarind-date and mint chutneys followed by onions, cilantro, and finally the sev.
Nutrition
Calories: 254kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Potassium: 231mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 143IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment and recipe rating below!
Follow Holy Cow Vegan on Instagram
Harini
Just had to say that I lived in Bombay for a few years when I was little and Vithal’s was the place we always went to when relatives visited. I still have memories of eating various dinners there and it was always so good. Love your recipes btw!
Vaishali
Hi Harini, thanks for the lovely message. Vithal's always makes me nostalgic. 🙂
Cal
What is the bright yellow base for this dish? Almost too short for noodles and too long and thin for rice.
Vaishali
Those squiggly little things on top are the sev--they are made by deep-frying seasoned chickpea flour and you can buy them at an Indian grocer's or online. The yellow base of the dish is the white pea sauce with turmeric in it.
Sangita Kalarickal
Vaishali, this is one of my favorite dishes, and come to think of it, it is a full meal complete with healthy carbs, protein, fiber and only a wee bit of oil in each plate. Plus all the tang and sweet and heat from the chutneys, an explosion of flavor! Thank you for the new avatar of this recipe which is perfect! This is going to be our next meal for today. Off to soak the peas. 🙂
Vaishali
Hi Skay! So nice to hear from you! I hope you try it. Jay loves it, so I can swear it's kid-friendly despite the healthfulness. 🙂
David
Hi Vaishali, thanks for the recipe!
Is falooda sev an appropriate substitute for sev in this recipe?
Vaishali Honawar
Hi David, Falooda sev is quite different-- it is more like a noodle, and made with sago or other starch. The sev you need for ragda pattice is a seasoned, fried sev and it's made with chickpea flour. You can find it at any Indian store or on Amazon:
Lynn
I found this recipe recently, showed it to my "meat-and-potatoes" husband, and he agreed reluctantly to try it. He loved it! He asks me to make it, and it's now becoming one of our regular supper options. Thanks!
Vaishali Honawar
Hi Lynn, so glad you and your husband tried and liked the ragda pattice recipe. This is definitely one of my favorites. Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
roy
Vaishali,your name is synonomous with one of the best restauarants in Pune which serves snacks and food just like your recipes.i must say your blog makes my mouth water and i crave those good old vaishali days.Such a nostalgic feeling ur blog evokes,i love your photographs and writings. crisp and mouthwatering,to summarize.
Vaishali
Hi Roy, thanks for your lovely email. I have great memories too of Pune and of Vaishali and Rupali, the two restaurants that sat along FC Road. You might want to check out my post on Zunka Bhakar where I wrote about some of my memories of Pune:
Vaishali
Mrs. Obie, you could easily replace the white peas with garbanzo beans or chickpeas. Tamarind is available in Latino stores, and you could use crushed fried onions in place of the sev. 🙂
Mrs. Obie
Have any tips for those of us who don't have an Indian grocery store near by? This looks delicious, but Indian food isn't popular in Hawaii. 🙁
Shoba Shrinivasan
Hi Vaishali,
Its 1 am in teh morning and you are killing me girl, with your lovely ics of the soppy gravy adn the pattice and the chutney...YUm Droool...
shobha
Vaishali
Kitchen Flavors, he taught us very briefly, but yes, he was a really nice guy like I said and I agree he is a very good singer.
Mihl, hope you try it! 🙂
Mihl
I really need to make a trip to the Indian store to buy the ingredients for the curry. This dish looks fabulous!
Kitchen Flavours
I just had my lunch and iam hungry all over again with those pics.....lucky u to have Suresh Wadkar as u r teacher....i like most of his songs.....
Vaishali
Connie, thanks! And don't forget the toppings, because they are what make this dish extra-delicious. 🙂
Anonymous, thanks for your kind words.
Anonymous, you're right-- chickpeas are not the right bean for this because they're just too flavorful and one needs a bland legume for this dish to make it work.
Priya, SunSoaker, Chitchat, Thanks!
Amey, Thanks! Recreating the recipes at home is a great way to enjoy them without worrying about hygiene. And with all the materials so easily available it's really easy too. 🙂
Anonymous, Thank you!
Dibs, Divya, thanks!
Sheela, you're so kind-- thanks for the feedback, and you really make my day. 🙂
Bindiya, Thanks!
RawGirl, I admit I never thought as longingly about street food before I moved here and was cut off from it. 🙂
Raw_Girl
So beautiful! I'm in Bombay, and never much care for street food - until i see its glammed-up version on your blog 🙂
bindiya
ooohhh delicious!
divya
Yumm yumm, picture itself makes me hungry.
Dibs
Ho Vaishali! How are you? Ragda Pattice / Patties - whatever is sooo Yum! Nice detailed recipe Vaishali! Great snaps as usual!
Amey
I have been grooving on your blog so much. I have so many of your recipes bookmarked! I just got home from 6 weeks in Pune, and - as always - I loved the food in India so much. Sadly, I am cautious of most street food... which is very practical, but also so sad! So I love finding these recipes for street food so that I can recreate the magic!! 🙂
Ms.Chitchat
That was one of the most elaborate description of ragda patties and u made me crave for some by the end of your write-up and made me drool too :):)Inviting clicks too.
Sheela
Hey Vaishali,
Thanks for all yummy recipes. I must say I have not done it all but whatever I have tried has turned out delish...(easy to cook as well for an amateur in cooking)
Offlate I made rajasthani carrot and peas curry,beans usli,tomato rice and all of the recipes a big hit:)
Sheels
Anonymous
Great post. Made me feel quite nostalgic. Love your writing and recipes.
SunSoakerB
I spent 3 months in New Delhi and I love Indian Cusine. I love the recipes, videos and pictures on your blog!!!
Priya
Am an addict to Indian chaats especially these ragda pattices,yummm!
Connie
we would make potato patties like this in my family too- mostly after Thanksgiving with all of those mashed potato leftovers. I love the idea of serving them with ragda. Off to the Indian grocer I go to get some white peas! yum!
Anonymous
Indian Chat Cafes in U.S serve Ragada Pattice/Papdi Chat etc with Garbanzo Beans. I really don't like that. May be they should read this post to learn the authentic recipe that you have posted.
Thanks
Anonymous
Wow Vaishali
You really encourage all of us to try these wonderful recipes. Your blog is a great repository of recipes all around the world.
Take care
Thanks