Mirchi bajji, milagai bajji, mirpakaya bajji, mirchi vada….call it by any name, yet its scoville score remains almost the same. I was introduced to this fiery snack during my Hyderabad days around 1976.Since then I never miss a chance to make or eat them. My mother pain stakingly tried to reproduce the taste of mirchi bajji sold by “Gokul Chaat” which was a road side chaat shop at Koti. The shop has grown along with times and it’s existence and popularity speaks volumes about its delicious chaats. These spice wonders were not just dipped in the regular “bajji batter” and deep fried but had a tangy filling which made them special. This tamarind – peanut chutney stuffed chilly bajji was a rave and we never missed them on our visit to the “city” from our defence quarters which was situated on the outskirts of the city. Cold dark wintery nights brings in a lot of nostalgic memories about this delicious hot and spicy” anytime” snack. Today the chilly bajji has evolved to such an extent that it featured in “Master Chef India, Season 1″as a cheese stuffed version covered with a thin layer of samosa dough.Potatoes,Sweet potatoes, cheese, raw onions, date chutney and mint chutney are some of the stuffings commonly used today.
The weather in bangalore yesterday was just apt for a chiily bajji bite. The light drizzle and chill breeze interspersed with strong cold winds made my family yearn for this hot spicy deep fried delicacy. I grabbed the moment and quickly began the preparations lest my health freak family change their mind.
INGREDIENTS
- BAJJI CHILLIES – 12 NOS
- SWEET TAMARIND CHUTNEY – 12 TSPS
For bajji ingredients please refer to:
METHOD
- Wash and wipe the chillies.
- Make a vertical slit beginning a little below the stem till a little above the tip. Take care to keep the stem intact.
- With the help of a spoon scrape the seeds. Fill the chutney in the chilly.
- Dip in the bajji batter and deep fry.
- Serve hot with mint chutney or tomato ketchup.
