The fall season has arrived here in Boston, and so did my cravings for chatpata and masaledar (spicy and flavorful) food. It rains in the mornings, then by noon it’s hot and sunny, and by evening it is cool and pleasant. Basically, it’s the perfect weather to enjoy hot and spicy food. I wanted to make some chatpata street food, but then most of the street food in India has potato in it, which is again heavy in calories. So, I thought of making this sweet potato ragda, which fully satisfied my craving for ragda cutlet and gave me a sort of guiltless pleasure. The right amount of crunch, the softness of the delicate sweet potato, and a bombshell of delicious, hot spices which is perfectly balanced through the relief brought by lil’ blobs of yogurt creates an entirely heart-warming snack! This Sweet Potato Ragda is an instant recipe unlike regular ragda for which we need to soak peas for 8-10 hours and then cook them for long time. Try it sometime when you’re in a mood to have something spicy and flavorful yet light in calories!

Click here for the recipes of other chaat items on my blog!

Sweet Potato Ragda Recipe:

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Wash and peel the sweet potatoes. Cut them into pieces and cook them in the pressure cooker for 2-3 whistles till they’re soft, with just enough water to boil the sweet potatoes. Once they’re cooked, open the lid and separate the excess water and keep it aside for later use. Mash the boiled sweet potatoes with the help of a masher or back of the spoon.

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Add some turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala, dry mango powder (amchur) and salt to taste. Mix all the spices well in the sweet potato mixture. Add finely chopped green chilis, fresh coriander and corn kernels into the sweet potato mix. Also add in some corn flour or rice flour to help forming the patties. Mix all of the ingredients well with your hand and adjust salt and spices if needed. Take a small amount of the sweet potato mix in your hand and press it into the shape of a round patty.

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Heat oil in a pan over medium heat and fry the patties till they turn golden in color. You can deep or shallow fry the patties as per your preference. I wanted it to be low in calories so I shallow fried the patties in less oil. Remove them and place them on a paper towel to drain the excess oil.

You can eat these patties as it is with a green chutney or tomato chutney, if that’s something that you’d like.

Click here to see the recipes of various chutneys on my blog!

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Heat a tawa and place some butter on it. When the butter melts, add the pieces of fried sweet potato patties to it. You can also mash the patties with the help of a spatula to make it mushy. Add finely chopped onions and tomatoes.

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Also add in some green chutney and tamarind chutney. I added a tablespoon of curd (yogurt) instead of the tamarind chutney. You can also add some red chili sauce if you want it to be extra spicy. Add some water if needed. You can use the water that was left after boiling the sweet potatoes. Combine this mixture well on the tawa and transfer small portions of it into individual serving bowls.

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Sprinkle some lemon juice and chaat masala on each serving. And garnish it with some sev, chopped onions and green chutney. And the tangy, spicy and mildly sweet Ragda is ready for you to indulge on during the upcoming chilly weather! Enjoy it while hot!

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