Mirchi Bajji

 















Mirchi Bajji/Mulaku Bajji/Mulaka bajji/Mirappa bajji/Menshinkaya bajji/Chilli bajji....whatever you call it is definitely the queen of bajjis,fritters, and are quite common as an evening snack in the North and South of India alike...Hot tea and a few chilli bajjis...especially during the rainy season...is a treat!!This was one welcome snack in our hostel menu at B'lore often,and back in chittoor we used to get it from a street vendor....fresh and hot!!Absolutely gorgeous!I was just thinking of our friend Richard...... he would have had his worst shock, had I served him Chilli bajji!!But Chillis for making Bajji is generally not hot....any green pepper that is very mild is used...I used the banana peppers available here...though it was slightly hot,we enjoyed it!Mirchi Bajji can also be eaten as a side dish for some of the South Indian rice dishes like

lemon rice

I made a few bajji's stuffed with mashed potato and tamarind paste for an extra twist... and few just ordinary chilli bajjis.Here's my Mirchi Bajji recipe:
Ingredients:

Green Banana peppers-10
Potato-1 large-cooked-mashed(for stuffed bajjis)
Tamarind paste-1/2 tsp(for stuffed bajjis)
Chickpea flour-100g
Rice flour-1tbsp
ginger paste- 1tsp
Asafoetida powder- 1 pinch
Cumin powder-1tsp
Red chilli powder-1 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/4tsp
Salt-as required
water-as required
Oil-for deep frying
Method: Make a thick batter mixing chickpea fower,rice flour,asafoetida powder,cumin powder,red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt in water.
















Slit the chillies with its tail end intact.Scoop out the seeds inside.If you dont want stuffed bajjis you can straight away coat the chillis with the batter and deep fry it till golden in the hot oil.For making stuffed bajjis, mix together mashed potato and tamarind paste with a little salt well.Fill this inside each Chilli.Close it well.Dip it in the batter and deep fry it in the oil. Enjoy hot Chilli Bajji with your favourite sauce or just like that with a cup of hot tea!!