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Top view of ragda chaat in white bowl garnished with chutney and toppings

Ragda Chaat (Matar Chaat)

Shweta Arora
Ragda chaat is a popular Indian street food snack made with dried white peas curry (ragda) served with various toppings like chopped onions, tomatoes, cilantro, sweet tamarind chutney, spicy green chutney, sev, and spices. Healthy, vegan, and delicious!
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Soaking time 8 hours
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4
Calories 247 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

For Ragda:

For the chaat:

  • 8 tablespoon tamarind chutney
  • 4 tablespoon mint cilantro chutney
  • 1 cup red onion finely chopped
  • 1 cup tomato finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon chaat masala
  • ½ teaspoon black salt kala namak
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 green chili diced, adjust to taste
  • 4-5 dried mint leaves optional
  • 1 inch ginger julienned
  • ¼ cup cilantro chopped, to garnish
  • Nylon sev or Aloo Bhujiya as required
  • pomegranate, crushed puri, or papdi, boondi for garnish, optional

Instructions
 

Preparing Ragda :

  • Rinse the dried white peas in water and then soak them in 3 cups or enough water for at least 6-8 hours or overnight. Or soak in hot water for 4-5 hours. They will double in size. Drain the soaked peas and rinse them again. Set aside.
  • Start your Instant Pot on saute mode (normal), once it displays hot add the oil and cumin seeds.
  • Once the seeds splutter add the asafoetida (hing), turmeric, and red chili powder. Give it a quick mix (ensure the spices dont burn) and add the white peas along with salt and 3 cups of water. Mix well.
  • Close the Instant Pot lid, set the vent in a sealing position, and cook on cook on "Manual", "pressure cook", or "bean chili" mode for 20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
  • Open the lid and make sure the ragda is well cooked. The peas should be soft and mushy.
  • You can start the pot back on saute to thicken the gravy. Mash some of the peas with the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
  • Ragda is ready to be used in ragda chaat or served as a side dish.

Assembling Ragda Chaat :

  • In a serving bowl, add one cup of the cooked ragda.
  • Top it with 2 tablespoons of tamarind chutney, 1 tablespoon of green chutney, 2 tablespoons of onions, and 2 tablespoons of tomatoes.
  • To flavor the chaat, sprinkle chaat masala, black salt, roasted cumin powder, and red chili powder (to taste or skip).
  • Squeeze lemon juice and garnish with cilantro, sev, a few crushed puri or papdi for crunch, and green chili (adjust to taste).
  • You can further garnish the chaat with dried mint (crushed), masala boondi, pomegranate pearls, whisked yogurt (dahi), and ginger (you can skip if you dont like raw ginger). Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Soak the dried peas overnight or in hot water for 4 -5 hours to ensure they cook evenly
Cook the peas until they are soft and mashable. This helps thicken the ragda and creates a creamy ragda.
Some white peas may take longer to cook so pressure cook for additional minutes if required.
For making Ragda on the stovetop pressure cooker, cook for 2-3 whistles on medium-high heat and then lower and cook for another 5-10 mins or until the peas are tender.
For making Ragda in a pot on the stovetop, cover and simmer for about 30-40 minutes or until the peas are soft.
Ragda chaat should be a balance of sweet, sour, spicy, and savory flavors. So adjust the amount of tamarind chutney, green chutney, and spices like chaat masala, and cumin powder to achieve the perfect balance of flavors.
You can adjust the amount of spices according to your taste preferences. Add more chili powder or finely chopped green chilies if you like it spicier.
The ragda thickens as it cooks so adjust the consistency by adding water. The consistency should be neither too thick nor too runny.

Nutrition

Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 974mg | Potassium: 712mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 545IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 3mg
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