Ragda Patties in a Twice Baked Potato Pocket

Ragda patties is a popular Indian fast food dish derived from the streets of Mumbai. If you are looking for a spicy and flavorful Indian chaat to have, then you should try this dish. Ragda patties is a combination of thick ragda (thick curry or gravy) aloo patties (potato cutlets), and a variety of spicy chutneys. The crispy potato pocket is a unique twist that brings the dish together, creating a wonderful presentation. My dish requires three parts to prepare - 1) the ragda 2) the patties and 3) the potato pockets. While this is a time consuming recipe, it is worth a try!

Soaking time: 4 to 5 hours
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes
Serving: 4
Ingredients for Ragda:

• 1 1/2 cups dried white peas / vatana (pre soaked and boiled)
• 2 medium onions chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes chopped
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves minced
• 3 to 4 green chillies minced
• 1 teaspoon ginger minced 
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon dhanajeera powder (coriander and cumin powder)
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 5 to 6 curry leaves
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• Pinch asafoetida/hing
• salt to taste
• 3 tablespoon sweet tamarind chutney
• 1 teaspoon red garlic chutney
• 2 teaspoon green coriander chutney

For patties:

• Use baked potatoes flesh
• 1 tablespoon chili and ginger paste
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
• 2 tablespoon corn flour
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Pinch of sugar
• Oil for shallow fry
• Salt to taste

For twice baked potatoes:

• 4 big potatoes, scrubbed and dried
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black powder
• 1 teaspoon olive oil or any oil
• salt to taste

For Garnishing:

• Gram flour sev
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup green coriander leaves chopped
• Chaat masala to sprinkle

Directions:

1. Pre-soak the white beans for 4-5 hours
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, Pierce the potatoes with the fork in a few spots. Put the potatoes in a tray, placing the tray in the center of the oven. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. While potatoes are baking, start the process for ragda and patties. After 45 to 50 minutes take out the potatoes from the oven
3. Hold the potato with a mitten and trim off the top of the potatoes to make a canoe shape. Carefully scoop out most of the potato into a bowl, and keep the potato flesh on the side for later to use for the patties. Leave enough potato in the skin so the shells stay together. 
4. Seasoning the potatoes with salt, red chili pepper and black pepper, drizzle some oil and bake it again for 10 minutes until it gets lightly brown. Once done take it out from the oven and keep it on the side.
5. Drain the soaked white peas and cook in a pressure cooker for two whistles with salt and turmeric powder added
6. Switch off the flame and let the steam disappear, open the cooker and set that aside
7. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds. When seeds crackle, add hing, and curry leaves. Add in onions, with some salt so that they cook faster. Cook the onions until they are golden brown. Now add green chili, ginger and garlic, sauté for 1 minute.
8. Add tomatoes and cook until tender. Add all spices - red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, dhanajeera powder and salt, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
9. Add the cooked peas along with water and mix well. Add some water if needed (if it is too thick)
10. Let it simmer for 10 minutes until all the flavors mingle together
11. Turn off the stove, add all three chutneys in to ragda and stir (2 tsp. green,1 tsp. red and 3 tbs. sweet chutney)
12. Now use the remaining of baked potato's flesh, add corn flour, chili and ginger paste, turmeric powder, lemon juice, sugar, garam masala, salt and mix well
13. Shape into balls, flatten them like patties
14. Heat a pan, add very little oil, shallow fry the patties on both sides on medium heat until evenly brown
15. Pour some ragda on a plate, placing the baked potato pocket on the ragda. Then fill the potato pocket with some more ragda and add patties into pocket. Drizzle green coriander chutney, red garlic chutney, sweet tamarind chutney
16. Sprinkle onions,chaat masala, sev and coriander leaves. Similarly, make the other servings. Serve hot immediately

Notes:

You can also eat ragda patties without baked potato pocket, place the patties on a plate, pour the ragda over the patties, drizzle the chutneys, garnish with sev, chaat masala, onion and green coriander leaves. (both photos are shown below). You can also eat ragda with bread, without having patties.

For all three chutneys check recipe on my blog.