Ragda pettis

Mumbai is famous for chaats and despite of living in mumbai as a child I was not allowed to eat outside / road side food. My mom use to make chaat a lot and ragda pettis was the most favorite and often made dish. I hope you like the recipe. Be careful if you are making this dish for your north indian friends. They might have not tasted this recipe :).

Ingredients:

For pettis:
Potato: 3 medium / 2 large
Salt to taste
Ginger and chili paste: 3 tbs
Dry mango powder/ Aamchur: 2tbs
Garam masala: 1tbs
Corn flour: 3-4 tbs
Oil to roast

For ragda:
Dried white peas / ragda: 1.5 cups
Tomato: 1 medium
Curry leaves: 5-6
Red chili powder: 2 tbs
Turmeric: 1/2 tbs
Oil: 3-4 tbs
Mustard seeds: 1 tbs
Hing/ asafoetida
Garam masala: 1/2 tbs
Water
Salt to taste

For garnish:
Garlic chutney
Coriander and mint chutney
Khajoor chutney or
Imali / Tamarind chutney
Onions: 1 small chopped
Sev: 1 cup (optional)
Pani Puri's puri or sev puri's puri: 1 cup crushed (optional)
Coriander finely chopped: 1/2 cup

Preparation:

For ragda:
1. Soak white peas over night or for 8 hours.

2. Boil it in pressure cooker for 5-6 pressures. White peas are very hard and they have longer cooking time than rest of the grains. Add salt and few drops of water while boiling it. Water quantity will be 1.5 times of peas. If peas are uncooked further cook them till they are soft. Uncooked white peas can cause indigestion. Do not drain off water. This will be used for making ragda.

3. Wash and chop tomato.

4. In pan add 3-4 tbs of oil. Once the oil is hot add mustard seeds. Once seed starts crackling add hing and curry leaves.

5. Add cooked white peas and stir for a minute. Add water if required. Ragda should be thick but easily pourable from the spoon.

6. Now add red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt to taste and chopped tomato. Cook on medium heat and bring it to one boil.

7. Add garam masala and stir for another minute.

For pettis:
1. Boil potatoes and peel the skin off and mesh it.
Note: When I started learn to cook I really had trouble boiling potato to the right meshable amount. If potato is uncooked you will notice and if potato is overcooked this won't form good pettis. If potato you are using is too big cut them into 2-3 inch cubes and pressure cook it for 2-3 pressures. If it is undercooked, you can cook it again but if this is over cook you will not be able to use it well.

2. in the meshed potato add ginger and green chili paste, salt to taste, garam masala or lime juice or aamchur powder to taste.
3. Take a small quantity of potato and try to roll out into small pettis and see if you are able to make firm pettis. If not add corn flour which will help in binding. Add 2-3 spoon of corn flour. Do not add all at once. Mix well with potato and try again.
4. You can choose to make pettis of the size you like. I prefer to make slightly big size because it saves me time to roast them. Divide potato in equal size and roll out about 6 to 8 pettis.
To roll pettis make a ball first and keep the ball on the palm and slightly press it and give a good smooth out the edges.

5. Heat flat pan and pour 1-2 tbs of oil. I prefer to use non-stick pan as this requires less oil and pettis does not stick.

6. Roll pettis in corn flour and put it on pan. Sprinkle slight oil on the edges. Roast it on both sides till they are golden brown to slightly dark brown.

7. Repeat same for rest of the pettis and keep them all ready.

Getting garnish ready:
1. My garlic and coriander mint chutney are thick so I add little water in both the chutneys so they can be added easily.
2. Peel and fine chop onions.
3. Crush puri and keep aside
4. Keep the sev ready for garnish
5. Wash and fine chop coriander

Serving:
1. On the serving plate keep two to three pettis. Pour ragda on pettis such that pettis are covered with it.

2. Sprinkle garlic chutney, coriander mint chutney and tamarind chutney.

3. Sprinkle onions and if you like you can add puri and sev on top.

4. Garnish with coriander and serve.