Ragda Recipe

When I think of Ragda (to be pronounced as ra-ga-daa), I think- yummmmmmm!!!!! It also is a perfect example of Minimum Efforts; Maximum Results. It is a kind of stew which we can eat with Patties, Chaat or just plain Rotis too! It requires very little oil & hence can be a very good option for health freaks too! I am dedicating a separate blog post to Ragda because I use it in quite a few dishes. So it seems silly to repeat the same thing again & again. So, here it goes:

What you'll require-
White Peas (maybe called Yellow Peas too) (Safed Wataana) - 250 grams
Onion (finely chopped) - 1 medium sized (optional)
Green Chilies - 3-4 (chopped)
Turmeric/ Haldi Powder - 1 teaspoon
Grated Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 teaspoons
Asafoetida / Hing - 1 teaspoon
Cumin Powder or Seeds (Jeera) - 1 teaspoon
Fresh Coriander Leaves - for garnishing
Salt - 3/4 tablespoon or as per your taste
Oil - 2 teaspoons
Water - around 450 ml

How to proceed-

1. Wash & Soak the Peas overnight. The next day, you'll see beautiful yellow coloured peas almost doubled in size!

2. Take a pressure cooker ► Add the oil, Cumin Powder, ginger garlic paste, onion, slat & fry till the onion slices turn translucent.

3. Add Asafoetida, Green Chilies, Turmeric & stir for a few seconds.

4. Add the peas, water & stir the mixture. At this stage, you can just taste the water a bit. If you feel you need to add extra salt, you can add at this stage.

5. Let the peas cook in the pressure cooker for about 10 minutes (at least upto 8-10 whistles)

6. When you can, open the lid & check if the peas are fully cooked. They have to be really soft. In case they aren't cooked, you must again keep them in the pressure cooker for 5 minutes.

7. Once you get the Ragda mixture, heat it on low flame until the mixture thickens a bit. 

8. Garnish with coriander leaves & store in a cool place until use.

9. Consume it fresh. If you have left overs, make sure you consume it within a day! :-)

Enjoy it with Ragda Puri, Ragda Patties etc!