Ragda Pattice (Ragda Patties)

Soft, melt-in-the-mouth potato patties are placed on a bed of buttery, gently spiced peas — then topped with tangy and sweet chutneys, nylon sev, finely chopped onion, and zesty coriander. Of course, I’m talking about ragda pattice (or ragda patties), a delicious street food chaat hailing from Maharashtra.

I live almost 5000 miles from Mumbai, but I’m obsessed with the city’s street food. My mouth waters just imagining misal pav, dahi puri, and vada pav. I’ve made it my mission to learn how to recreate these incredible street food dishes at home — cheaper than a plane ticket, and masses healthier too! If you also want to learn how to make mouth-watering ragda pattice, you’re in luck … read on!

Ragda pattice is quite different from the other dishes mentioned. It’s filling, but light. Less oily. The vatana curry is lightly spiced, with earthy and comforting flavours rather than fiery heat. And the potato patties aren’t overly crisp. They’re soft, almost melting into the white peas curry as soon as you break into them.

AND, there’s good news for my vegan friends. Ragda pattice is 100% naturally vegan!

❓What is Ragda Pattice?

Ragda pattice is a Maharashtrian street food. It’s also popular in Gujarat, although the recipes vary slightly.

Ragda pattice is made from a mild white pea curry, soft potato patties, and numerous toppings typical of chaat dishes.

The name comes from ragda, meaning rubbed — as the vatana are mashed (or rubbed) to create the thick, delicious texture. Pattice is an Indian-accented form of patties, hence the two different names — and refers to the tempting potato cakes.

Who invented ragda pattice? Unfortunately, we have no idea who the original inventor of this special dish was! While many street food trucks and stalls each claim to have the best or oldest ragda patties, the inventor was never officially documented. In fact, ragda pattice is likely a relatively new street food, much like vada pav.

Ragda patties is similar in concept to the North Indian dish aloo tikki chole — except that’s made with chickpea curry, while this is cooked with white peas curry!

🥘 Ingredients for Ragda Pattice

At first glance, it may seem as if you need tons of ingredients for ragda patties. But, don’t worry — most of these are re-used throughout the recipe and should be pantry staples.

Ragda pattice is split into three main components: the white peas curry, the aloo patties, and the chutneys. I’ve split the ingredients groups accordingly, to make it less overwhelming.

The only component you may have problems finding is vatana (white peas). I’ve never had luck finding these in a Western supermarket, so a trip to an Asian grocery store might be in-store — or if there’s none nearby (I get it!), you can purchase them on Amazon.

🫘 For the White Peas Curry:

• Vatana are dried white peas with a pleasant earthy flavor. A variety of marrowfat peas (the ones used to make British mushy peas!), you can read more about this unique pulse in my guide to lentils, beans, and pulses.
• Green chilli adds a gentle note of fruity spice to the vatana.
• Garlic melts down into the thick curry with a gorgeous buttery flavor.
• Ginger provides a punchy, peppery, and slightly spicy overtone to the ragda pattice.
• Tomato adds a touch of sourness to the vatana curry.
• Oil is a must for tempering the ground spices. It’s a flavor carrier, which helps bring out the best of all the other ingredients. Use a neutral oil like sunflower or groundnut.
• Ground spices such as cumin powder and turmeric powder add earthiness and balanced layers of flavor, plus a beautiful golden color to the ragda pattice.
• Potato thickens the vatana curry. We mash it into the sauce!

🥔 Ingredients for Aloo Patties:

These aloo patties are a little different from typical Indian aloo tikki. They’re softer and fluffy, with a simpler flavor (less spices) and less crisp edges (as they are pan-fried, not deep-fried).

• Potato (“aloo” in Hindi) is, unsurprisingly, the main ingredient! You’ll need a floury/fluffy variety of potatoes for the best texture; I like King Edward or Maris Piper.
• Fresh coriander adds an incredibly subtle touch of herby zesty flavor. It’s optional.
• Salt and pepper are a must for seasoning the patties.
• Red chili powder provides just the slightest hint of smoky spiciness.
• Plain flour has two purposes: to bind the potatoes and to coat the patties. It’s known as all-purpose flour in the U.S. and maida in India.

🌱 Toppings:

• Green chutney is herby, zesty, and tangy from lemon juice. I use my coriander and mint-packed hari chutney recipe; a great all-rounder.
• Tamarind chutney is balanced between sweet and sour. It brings extra complexity of flavor to the ragda patties, and is a must!
• Onions are finely chopped and sprinkled on top. They add pungent crispness to every bite.
• Fresh coriander provides a pop of color and slight pepperiness.
• Tomatoes bring bursts of juicy sweetness.
• Nylon sev is essential for most chaat dishes, including palak patta chaat and chaat bombs. Made from chickpea flour, the noodles are nutty, crisp, and crunchy.

🔄 Ingredient Subs and Allergies

Good news for anyone with dietary preferences or requirements: ragda pattice is naturally vegan, nut free, and soy free! It’s also easy to adapt ragda patties to be gluten free. There’s only one tiny swap — replace plain flour with cornflour (cornstarch in the U.S.).

I always recommend making the recipe exactly 100% as written your first time. Once you have a grip on the method and flavors, feel free to play around with the toppings and spice levels to suit your preference.

🧑‍🍳 How to Make Ragda Pattice

Making radga pattice isn’t quick — it requires a little in-advance planning. But once you get to cooking the chaat, it’s uncomplicated and straightforward. I advise breaking the workload into manageable segments; the chutneys can be made ahead of time (or storebought), as can the patties.

Focus on one task at a time, and everything will fall into place!

1. Soak the white peas overnight with enough water to cover.
2. Make the ragda by sauteeing green chillis, garlic, and ginger in oil. Then add the white peas, potato, ground spices, chopped tomatoes, and water. Pressure cook for 6 whistles or boil, covered, on medium heat for one hour. Once cooked, mash slightly.
3. Boil the potatoes for the aloo patties until knife soft, then drain well and peel.
4. Make the aloo patties by mashing the potatoes with chopped coriander, salt, black pepper, chili powder, and plain flour. Mix then shape into patties.
5. Cook the aloo patties by dusting them in flour then pan-frying in oil until golden.
6. Plate the ragda pattice by arranging the aloo patties on the plate, topping with the white peas curry, chutneys, and garnishes. You can make the chutneys in advance or buy them.

If you don’t want to pan-fry the aloo patties, you make ragda patties in an air-fryer or oven too! To air-fry ragda pattice make the aloo patties as per the recipe, then heat an air-fryer to 180 C (356 F). Spray the patties with neutral oil and cook for 10 minutes, then turn the patties, spray with oil again, and cook for 10 minutes.

To bake the aloo patties, pre-heat your oven to 220 C (428 F). Brush the patties with neutral oil and bake for 15 minutes, turn, and bake for another 15 until golden.

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