Mirchi Bajji Recipe Street Style | Mirapakaya Bajji | Milagai Bajji
Mirchi Bajji, a popular South Indian street food deep fried snack prepared with green chillies dipped in gram flour batter mixed with a few spices.
Ingredients
For the Bajji:
- 10-12 Green Chilies preferably mild
- 3/4 Cup Besan Gram Flour
- 1/4 Cup Rice Flour for extra crispiness
- 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
- Salt to taste
- A pinch of hing Asafoetida
- 1/8 tsp Baking Soda Optional
- 2 tbsp Hot Oil
- Water as needed
- Oil for deep frying
For Stuffing:
Variation 1:
- 1 tbsp Carom Seeds Ajwain
- Salt to taste
Variation 2:
- 1 tbsp Carom Seeds Ajwain
- 1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder
- 1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
- 1 tsp Amchur Powder Tamarind paste or Lemon juice
- Salt to taste
For Garnish:
- 1 Onion Finely Chopped
- A handful of fresh coriander leaves chopped
- Lemon wedges to serve on the side
Instructions
Prepare the Chilies:
- Wash and dry the green chilies.
- Slit each chilli lengthwise, removing the seeds carefully to reduce the heat (optional if you prefer milder).
Stuff the Chilies:
- Slit & stuff the chillies with the stuffing. Set them aside.
Prepare the Batter:
- In a mixing bowl, add besan (gram flour), rice flour, salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, hing & baking soda. Give it a nice mix. Add 2 tbsp hot oil & mix well.
- Gradually add water to the mixture, whisking until you get a smooth batter that's thick enough to coat the chilies (but not too runny).
Fry the Mirchi Bajji:
- Heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, dip each chilli into the prepared batter, coating it evenly. Hold and lift it at the stem, after dripping off excess batter, drop it gently into the hot oil.
- Gently drop the battered chilies into the hot oil, one at a time, without overcrowding.
- Fry the chilies over medium heat until they are golden brown and crispy, turning them occasionally for even cooking.
Drain and Serve:
- Remove the bajjis from the oil and drain excess oil on a paper towel.
How to Serve - Prepare the Onion-Coriander Mix:
- Finely chop the onions and chop fresh coriander leaves.
- In a small bowl, mix the onions and coriander. Squeeze in some lemon. Toss them together to make a tangy, crunchy garnish.
Serving the Mirchi Bajji:
- Arrange the Mirchi Bajji on a plate, freshly fried and still hot.
- Make a slit & spoon a generous amount of the onion-coriander mixture on top of each bajji or serve it on the side, allowing the flavors to blend with every bite.
- Optionally, squeeze fresh lemon juice over the Mirchi Bajji just before eating, adding a tangy kick to balance the spiciness.
Optional:
- You can sprinkle a little chaat masala or black salt over the onions for an extra zing.
- Serve with a small bowl of tamarind chutney or coconut chutney to add more flavors.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Consistency: Adjust the amount of water in the batter to get right consistency. If the bajji batter is too thin, it wont stick to the green chillies. If it is too thick, it will form a very thick coating around the chillies.
- Oil Test: To test the temperature of the oil, drop a tiny amount of batter into the oil. If it raises to the top immediately, the oil is hot. Reduce the heat to medium before frying bajjis.
- Alternate method is to stuff the green chillies with a classic potato filling, which I will be sharing soon. Potato stuffed green chillies are then coated with batter and fried in oil.