Mirchi Bajji

  Call me weird , but the first thing I can think of when someone reminds me of monsoons in India , is food. Hot, piping, spicy fritters (pakode, bajji) or chaat. I don't like drinking tea , but most people say a hot cuppa along with these snacks lifts up your spirits on a rainy day.

 Our second recipe for scrumptious tuesday is Mirchi Bajji (Jalapeno fritters). I am pretty sure most of my Hyderabadi readers are longing to have a bajji while reading this post. There are different fillings used in different parts of India, I will only cover the basic version today.

For this recipe you will need

For the batter :

Besan (chickpea/gram flour) 1 cup
Ajwain (carom seeds) 1/4th tea spoon
Salt to taste
Baking soda 1/2 tspn

For the stuffing:

Jalapeno peppers / big green chillis 8-10
Tamarind pulp , the size of a lemon
Ajwain (Carom seeds) 1 1/2 tspns
Salt to taste.

The Method

Soak the tamarind for about 20 minutes. You can also heat it in a micowave for about a minute if you are in a hurry. Keep this aside to cool

In a bowl mix together all the ingredients for the batter . Keep adding water to this mixture until the consistency is right. When the Chilli is dipped in the batter it should coat completely. Make sure there are no lumps in the batter. Keep aside

In a blender mix together the tamarind pulp, Carom seeds and salt.

Slit the chillis lengthwise without seperating the crown. De seed the chillis with a spoon. Now stuff the chillis with the tamarind pulp mixture. Keep aside for a while. This will ensure that your chillis are not very spicy. If you want them hot, you can fry them right away.

 Heat oil in a deep pan . Once the oil is the right temperature , we start frying the chillis. To test the heat of the oil, drop a little batter in the oil, it should sink to the bottom of the pan first and then slowly rise up. If it rises up immediately, then the oil is too hot. Now dip the stuffed chillis in the batter and drop in the oil. Fry on medium heat until golden brown. Remove on to a paper napkin when done, to remove excess oil.

Serve hot with finely chopped onions and tomato sauce.