Mirchi Bajji

Fresh, fleshy, hot Chillies fried stuffed with tangy paste and fired in besan flour.



Mmmm Mirchi! Be it any season or any celebration in Hyderabad you see Mirchi Bajji is the common snack or appetizer to start with. It is the best snack for teatime. Hmm yum.... Though it is the hottest vegetable. It is still a favorite of many people. There is some thing about this that makes it so tasty.

Mirchi Bajji is a typical Andhra snack served with coconut chutney or tomato sauce. For 6 Mirchi Bajji we need 6 long Chillies or Jalapeno.

For the stuffing there are 3 types

1. Sesame Seeds & Tamarind Paste: Mix about 5 Tsp of slightly roasted sesame (till) seeds ground to powder with small lime size tamarind soaked in warm water and thick juice removed and salt.
2. Peanut & Tamarind Paste or Amchur Powder: Handful roasted powdered peanut and one small lime size tamarind juice or one tsp amchur powder and salt.
3. Potato & Lime or Lemon juice: one potato and lime juice and salt.

For flour batter: 3 cups besan or channa flour, 1 tsp vamu or ajwain or carrom seeds and jeera seeds, pinch of tumeric and salt.

Dhaniya (corinader) powder and jeera powder to spinkle.

Prepare the stuffing with any of the one variety and keep it as side. Slit Chillies length wise and remove the seeds if it is too hot. Stuff the chillies with the stuffing and keep in ready. Mix the flour, jeera, ajwain, salt and turmeric to a thick paste.

In a wide pan, add oil. When the oil is hot, dip the chiilies in the besan flour and put it in the oil and fry it. when it is half done remove it again cool it for a min and dip it again in the flour and fry it medium heat till golden brown. Sprinkle with some coriander/jeera powder. Serve it with tomato sauce or coconut chutney.

Note: Adjust the salt, tamarind or lime juice to taste. Sometimes the Chillies are hot, remove the seeds completely. Do not slit too long, the stuffed paste might come out of the chillies.