Mirchi Bajji

Mirchi Bajji (chilly fritters) is a very popular spicy Indian snack which is usually served with sweet and tamarind chutney. Prepared in a variety of ways, each recipe has its own unique taste. This is very famous in Rajasthan where they stuff the chillies with  mashed potato mix and deep fry them.


My mom prepares yet another version of this dish without any stuffing and this one is my all time favorite. It has this tinge of tangy sweetness that makes you want to eat more of this while keeping them really light in your tummy.

Recipe: 

Ingredients:
Pakoda Mirchi - 12
Chat Masala - optional

For Frying batter:
Oil
Besan - 1 cup
Water - 1/4 cup (or as necessary for a thick consistency
Salt - to taste

For Stuffing:
Tamarind paste - 1/2 cup
Jaggery - 1 tsp
Curd - 1/4 cup
Lemon - 1/2
Hing - a pinch
Ajwain - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Water - 1 tsp

Preparation:

1. Mix the ingredients under the stuffing section well (tamarind paste, jaggery, curd, lemon juice, hing, ajwain, salt and a bit of water.
2. Take the pakoda mirchi and slit it.
3. Stuff the tamarind mixture into each chilly and keep aside for 1 hr.
4. Make the batter for dipping the chilly. For this, mix the besan, water and salt into a thick consistency.
5. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying.
6. Dust each pakoda with some dry besan and then dip it in the batter. The dusting helps the batter to evenly coat the chillies when frying.
7. Deep fry the chillies till they are well cooked. Once cooked, remove them and serve.
8. Optionally, you can sprinkle some chat masala powder while you serve it.

You can serve this with rice or eat it just like that as a snack.