Indian cuisine · Salads & Mezze

Mirchi Bajji

Large mild chili peppers stuffed with spiced salt and deep-fried golden brown in a chickpea flour batter.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 10 green chilies (long, mild variety)
• 200 g chickpea flour
• 2 tbsp rice flour
• 1 tsp chaat masala
• 1 tsp amchur (mango powder)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
• 1 onion
• 250 ml water
• 1 l frying oil
• Salt

Instructions

1. Wash the chilies, pat dry and slit lengthwise once without cutting all the way through; scrape out the seeds with a small spoon so they stay mild.
2. Mix chaat masala, amchur and 1/2 tsp salt and rub this spice mix into the slit peppers with your fingers.
3. Whisk chickpea flour, rice flour, cumin, asafoetida, baking powder and 1 tsp salt with the water into a thick batter that coats the peppers opaquely.
4. Heat the frying oil to 170 °C (340 °F) and cut the onion into fine rings, to be scattered over the finished bajji later.
5. Dip the peppers one at a time by the stem into the batter, let the excess drip off and fry each for 4–5 min. until the coating is pale golden and firm – turning twice.
6. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with the onion rings and a little chaat masala, and serve hot as a street-food snack.