Ragda Patties and an Award

I didn't realize I had to go on this trip to Mukteshwar. I knew I was supposed to go, but then, given all the confusion with the new office, I thought that the trip might have been cancelled or postponed. But my boss made it very clear to me that it was on as per schedule.

S travels quite a bit on work and I've gotten used to his trips (which fortunately have come down a great deal these days) but I've never had to travel on work since the time we started living together. Until this last weekend. (I do take off to spend time with Amma Appa every once in a while - but that doesn't count!!)

So, just before I left on this trip, I wanted to make something special for S. I'd been talking of Ragda Patties for ages now and our friends even invited us over on Tuesday for a nice evening with Ragda Patties and Pani Puri to celebrate the eve of I-Day. I'd some leftover Vatana Ambat in the fridge. (The recipe for Vatana Ambat will come out only after the RCI Karnataka starts - yes, I am finally getting smart!) S insists that the Vatana Ambat wasn't leftover. He insists I saved some so I could make Ragda. Well, it doesn't matter, does it?

I asked our friend's mother for the recipe and she gave it to us. But when my time to came to make it, I decided to try it on my own.

Ragda:

1 cup Yellow peas, soaked and cooked

2-3 Onions, chopped
3-4 pods of Garlic, chopped
1 tbsp Ginger-Chilli-Garlic paste
2 tbsp Oil
2-3 Tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
2 tsp Chilli Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala

1/2 tsp Pav Bhaji Masala
Salt to Taste

To serve:
2 Onions, chopped

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a kadhai and fry the onions. When the onions turn brown, add 1-2 pods of garlic, chopped. Add the ginger-chilli-garlic paste and fry for 2-3 minutes. Cool this mixture and grind to a fine paste.
Heat the remaining oil. Add the remaining garlic and fry for a minute. Add the ground paste and fry until the oil separates from the paste. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, pav bhaji masala and garam masala. Add the chopped tomatoes and fry for 2 minutes. Add plenty of water and salt. Add the cooked peas and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Mash the mixture a little and add some chopped coriander leaves if you like.

Patties:


For this, I mostly followed Amma's recipe for Aloo Tikki. My friend had made them like cutlets, so I coated my patties with bread crumbs and shallow fried them instead of deep frying.


4 Potatoes, boiled and mashed
1 tsp Chilli Paste
1 tsp Ginger Paste
1/4 cup Coriander, chopped
2 slices of bread
Bread crumbs for coating
Salt to Taste
Oil for shallow frying


Soak the slices of bread in water for a couple of minutes and squeeze the water out.

Mix the potatoes, chilli and ginger pastes, coriander and salt. Add the bread slices. Form small balls using this mixture and flatten them a little. Coat these patties with bread crumbs and shallow fry them on a hot skillet using a few drops of oil, cooking them on both sides.


To Proceed:


Place the patties on a plate. Pour the ragda over these. Top with chopped onions and enjoy the dish.

There have been a lot of awards going around and two of my friends, Richa and Srivalli awarded me with this title.

Thanks girls. I didn't expect it and it came as a pleasant surprise. Thanks a ton.

It does feel like everyone I might want to pass this on to has already been given this award. But I'd like to pass this on to the people who have ensured that this blog lives and thrives. The people who encouraged me when I was a newbie. There are lots more and this should go out to all of them. So, please treat this only as an illustrative list and not an exhaustive one.

Nupur

Nandita

Anita

Asha

Sia

Sharmi

Seema

Sig

Jai and Bee

Coffee

Trupti

Jeena

And Sreelu thought I was being such a tease when I said I was jumping off a cliff in the Himalayas over the weekend. So, just to remove any doubt, here's a picture.

I'll write more about this when I pen my Random Thoughts. That's my other blog: the other side to me.