Author Notes
Anyone familiar with the street food scene in India would invariably have come across a firm favorite: The 'ragda patty'
This surprisingly nutritious street side snack consists of a pan fried potato patty drowned in 'ragda', a mildly seasoned curry made with dried peas, & liberally garnished with raw onion & cilantro.
My interpretation of this dish consists of a rather large pan fried gnocchi stuffed with a ricotta cheese mixture. The ricotta itself is seasoned with mint, coriander & lemon zest.
Its paired with a split pea puree, seasoned with ginger, scallions & garam masala.
I've resorted to including store bought tamarind sauce only because the recipe format does not allow for a separate section for describing this. A basic version of the recipe can be found on this link: http://www.food52.com/recipes... —Panfusine
Ingredients
- Ricotta stuffed gnocchi
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1/2 cup
ricotta cheese
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2 tablespoons
fresh mint leaves, finely minced
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2
small thai green chillies, deseeded & finely minced
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2 tablespoons
cilantro, finely minced
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1 teaspoon
lemon juice
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1/2 teaspoon
grated lemon zest
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2 cups
boiled & mashed Idaho potatoes
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1/4 cup
corn starch
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1 1/2 teaspoons
Salt to taste
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2 pinches
fresh ground peppercorn (optional)
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1/4 cup
oil (for pan frying)
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store bought Tamarind sauce as per personal taste.
- Split green pea puree
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2 cups
rehydrated split green peas,
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4
scallions chopped (green & white part)
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1 tablespoon
Ginger-chilli paste
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1/2 teaspoon
garam masala
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1 pinch
turmeric powder
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1 pinch
red chilli powder
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Salt to taste
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1 tablespoon
dark brown sugar
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2 tablespoons
Lemon / lime juice
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3 cups
water
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1 tablespoon
oil
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1 teaspoon
mustard seeds
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1 sprig
curry leaves (~ 8-10 leaves)
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1 pinch
asafetida (optional)
Directions
- Ricotta stuffed gnocchi
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Mix the ricotta cheese, mint, cilantro, green chillies, lemon zest, 1/2 tsp salt & lemon juice till well combined. Place in refrigerator for 1/2 hr to allow the flavors to blend.
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In a mixing bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, cornflour & remaining salt (adjust as per personal preference) & peppercorn (if preferred). Knead well into a dough.
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Divide the potato dough into 8 - 10 parts and roughly shape each one into a ball.
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Placing one ball of dough in the palm of your hand. make a 'well in the center using your thumb. Expand this well till the ball resembles a little cup.
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Spoon a heaped teaspoon of the ricotta mixture into the well. Using your fingers, fold over the edges of the cup to cover & seal the ricotta filling completely. Flatten slightly into a disk.
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Repeat with the remaining dough. You may cover these with plastic wrap & place in refrigerator till you're ready to pan fry them.
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Heat oil in a non stick skillet on medium high. When the oil is hot, fry the gnocchi in batches till golden brown on both sides. (~ 2-3 minutes)
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When done, remove & place on a plate lined with paper towels. To keep these warm, cover with Aluminum foil & place in a warm oven (~ 200 F).
- Split green pea puree
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To make the chilli-ginger paste, combine 1 inch piece of ginger (minced) & 2 small green chillies (chopped) & pound into a paste using a mortar & pestle. It need not be too fine, just enough to release the flavor since the puree will be strained in the end.
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Cook the re-hydrated split green peas with turmeric powder till well cooked. Drain & set aside, reserving the turmeric infused cooking liquid.
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In a pan heat the oil. when hot, add the mustard seeds. When the seeds sputter, add the curry leaves, the chilli ginger paste & the optional asafetida,
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Give a quick stir & add the scallions. Saute till they get soft & the flavors of the ginger & scallions begin to combine.
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Add salt, red chilli powder, garam masala, the cooked peas, sugar and a cup of the reserved liquid.
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Cover & cook on a medium-low heat for ~ 5-8 minutes.
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Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, puree well and strain. Discard the residue.
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Return to the stove, adjust the thickness of the puree as per your personal preference using either more of the reserved liquid or water if the former has been used up.
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Add lemon juice, combine & remove from the stove.
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To plate, spoon required quantity of the puree on to a plate. Place 2 gnocchi in the center, drizzle with tamarind sauce. Garnish with finely chopped mint & cilantro & serve with a wedge of lemon.
A biomedical engineer/ neuroscientist by training, currently a mommy blogger on a quest for all things food - Indian Palate, Global perspective!
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