Ragada(Ragda) Pattice

Ever wondered a choupati without Ragada Pattice...No way :)

Every Indian enjoys 'chaats' and without any doubts Ragada Pattice is one of the favorites of all. This one is a different recipe than what is served at Choupati centers. Ragada pattice indeed takes some preparation time but its easy to serve.

Ingredients:

For Pattice:

2 medium size potato

2 bread loafs

2 tsp ginger paste

Green chili paste, Salt as per taste

Few drops of Lemon juice

Few Coriander leaves; chopped

Little sugar

For Ragada:

2 cups fresh or frozen Green peas

1 tbsp chopped onion

1 tbsp chopped tomato

2-3 tsp Garam Masala as per

Vertical slits of 1 Green chili

1 Clove

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp Chai Masala

Salt as per taste

4-5 tsp of oil, mustard seeds,
asafoetida (hing), cumin seeds for seasoning

For Green Chutney:

1 tbsp roasted Chana Dal

1 tbsp roasted Peanuts

1 1/2 tbsp fresh grated coconut

1 tbsp Cilantro

1/4" cube ginger

1-2 Green chili

Salt and little sugar as per taste

1 tsp Jeera

For Imli ki Chutney: Click Here

Method:

Pattice:

1. Boil, peel and smash the potatoes.

2. Soak the bread slice in little water, squeeze them in between the hands and add to the potato smash.

3. Add all other ingredients and mix well the patty mixture.

4. Now make small patties of any shape you like (round, heart or leaf shape); put semolina on both sides of it and shallow fry all of them.

Ragada:

1. Boil the peas, smash them a little and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a skillet and add clove and bay leaf. When they start to sizzle add all the seasoning ingredients.

3. Immediately add chopped onion and fry till they turn trasparent. Now add chopped tomato and green chili and saute a little.

4. Add garam masala, chai masala and salt as per taste. Add boiled peas, put some water and let it cook for 5-6 minutes.

Green Chutney:

Grind all the ingredients in a mixy. Add water as required. This chutney is bit watery but not as watery as Imli ki chutney.

How to serve:

In a bowl put 2-3 patties. Put some ragada on top of it, then put green chutney, imli ki chutney and sev in sequence.
Garnish with chopped onion and coriander.

Imli Ki Chutney (Tamarind Chutney)

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh Imlis (Tamarind)
2-3 Khajoors (Dates)
Jaggery for sweetness, so add accordingly
Red chili powder, Dhaniyajeera powder, Salt, Sugar as per taste

Method:

1. Wash all the imlis and dates, add enough water and boil them.

2. After boiling let the mixture cool down a little and then grind it into a grinder.

3. Now with the help of a thin sieve of any kind; sieve this mixture so that all the tamarind and date waste gets removed.

4. Now add jaggery red chili powder, dhaniyajeera powder, salt and sugar and boil again for 2-3 minutes.

Add water if required.

Tips:

This chutney can be stored in freezers for long time.

Methi and Palak Thepla (Fenugreek leaves and Spinach Paratha)

Back in my school days I remember my friends getting crazy for the mouthewatering and satiating theplas made by my mother. Thepla is a popular gujrati food item and its next to impossible to find any gujrati to not have eaten a thepla :)...The best thing about them is the flour and green ingredients which increase the nutrition value. I tried this recipe for first time and I bet mom would really like them.

Ingredients: Serves: 10 - 12 theplas

1 Cup Bajra flour

2 Cup Wheat flour

3/4 Cup Besan flour (optional)

1 tbsp Fresh fenugreek leaves, chopped
1 tbsp Spinach leaves, chopped (optional)
2 tsp green chili paste
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp asafoetida
2 tsp turmeric powder
3/4 Cup fresh yogurt
Salt as per taste
Oil ('mohan') 1 tbsp
Some wheat flour for rolling the dough balls

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients and knead the dough. Add little water as required.

2. Make 10-12 even balls from the dough and set aside.

3.Take one ball, flatten it in the bowl containing the wheat flour on one side, flip it over and flatten it again.

4. Start rolling it on the block/flat slab with a roller. Rolling should be from inside to out. Roll till we get about 6" diameter disc thepla.

5. Heat the pan and place the thepla on it so that the upper side is now facing the pan.

6. As this side cooks turn quickly to bake other side. Then when other side cooks well put some oil on it, turn and with the help of spatula make sure all sides get cooked and oil spreads to all the sides. You can again turn the thepla and cook the back side.

Tips: Eat with pickle, curd or tea.

Saravanaa Bhavan, Delhi, India

          Folks, if you love south Indian food and if you happen to visit Delhi any time you must visit सरवन भवन (Saravanaa Bhavan). This is a very crowded restaurant in Connaught Circus. On our trip to Nainital via Delhi we went to this restaurant for our breakfast as South Indian dishes are served very quick and we were damn hungry. We ordered an Onion Uttappa and a masala dosa, both, are our favourites.
          In no time we were served with our dishes. I still remember that yummy Uttappa with those crispy and brown onions slices over it........ It was our first outside eating in our trip and we remembered it in our whole tour. I haven't ate that delicious Uttappa before. The orange, green and white chutneys added more to the taste. The serving style was also different. We wanted to order one more but we were already over done and we decided to control our temptations.
          I loved every bit of it and I still wish to visit Sarvana Bhavan again.

Palak - Moong Daal (Spinach and split Green Gram Lentil)

Ingredients: Serves: 4

1 cup split Moong Yellow Daal (Green gram)
1 bunch of spinach chopped
1 medium size tomato chopped
1 medium size onion chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
2 green chilli slit
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp butter / ghee
½ tsp turmeric powder
Red chili powder and salt as per taste
Fresh coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

1. Wash and soak the moong daal in water for about an hour.

2. Grind the garlic, green chili, ginger and onion to a fine paste.
Add the turmeric and red chili powders to the paste and mix.

3. Heat the butter /ghee (clarified butter) in a pan and fry the cumin seeds till they splutter. Add the paste and fry till the ghee leaves the sides.

4. Now add tomato and salt. Cook on medium level for about 3 minutes.

5. Add the soaked daal and double the water. Cover and boil on medium level till the daal becomes soft.

6. Add the chopped spinach and simmer for about 3 minutes or till the spinach is cooked.

Garnish with finely chopped fresh coriander leaves.

Tips:

Serve with garama garam Laccha Parathas