Mirchi Bajji Street Style Chilli Bajji Recipe Pakora

Mirchi Bajji is a popular, quick & easy to make, and addictive Indian snack recipe that is crispy and crunchy on the outside.

Mirchi means green chilies, and bajji means deep-fried fritters. These are some of the best and most popular Indian recipes served with coffee/tea or as a side with your meal. These chilies that are used to make pakoras are available in plenty during monsoon months. At many homes in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh/Telangana region, these mirchi pakoras are served with hot tea/coffee, especially when it is raining outside and the weather is cold.

Long green chili is mostly used to make mirchi bajjis in India. You can also use banana pepper, jalapeno, poblano, shishito peppers, anaheim chili, or green bell pepper (Shimla mirch or capsicum) to make these pakoras. The batter is the same for all chilies. If you can’t tolerate the heat, please deseed the chilies and then use them in the recipe. I never deseed chilies as I love the spiciness, and my husband loves spicy food as well.

Ingredients

8 Long green chilies ½ teaspoon Salt 1 cup Besan / Gram Flour / Chickpea Flour ¼ teaspoon Hing / Asafoetida ½ teaspoon Salt ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds ½ teaspoon Red chile powder Water (approx. ½ to ¾ cup) Oil for frying

How to make mirchi ajji (mirapakaya bajji street style, chilli pakora)

How to cut chilies for bajji?

1st method - cut ¼ inch at the end (I do this because these chilies were big for my pan :-)) and slit the green chilies lengthwise, leaving the portion near the top/stem undisturbed. You can discard the seeds or keep them as it is. Do not discard the stem. Check out the video here. 2nd method - cut the chilies into half at the center and cut each half lengthwise (total 4 pieces). Check out the video here. Sprinkle salt and toss. Keep this aside for 5 minutes.

How to prepare the batter for frying bajjis?

In a pan, add chickpea flour, hing, cumin seeds, red chile powder, and salt. Add water little by little and whisk to form a medium-thick lump-free batter.

How to fry crispy and crunchy bajjis?

Heat oil in a pan for frying on medium flame. Once the oil is hot, dip each chile in the batter and then drop them in hot oil, three to four chilies at a time, depending on the size of the pan. Cook until it becomes crisp and golden brown on all sides, flipping it a couple of times during the process. The bhajis will take approximately 4 to 5 minutes to develop golden brown color and a crispy texture. Transfer the bhajis to a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Repeat the process for the remaining chilies Serve hot with a cup of coffee or tea, and enjoy.

Tips:

I have presented both ways - frying the whole chile and frying bite-sized pieces of the chilies. Depending on the size of the pan, decide if you have to cut the chilies to make bajjis or use the whole chili. Even though the batter is the same, the texture for both varies:-) Check out the video to understand what is the right consistency for the batter to make perfect crispy bajjis. The batter should not be too thin or too thick. If the batter is too thick, it will become hard and remain uncooked from the inside, and if the batter is thin, it will not stick to the chili, and the bhajis will absorb more oil. Make sure to add water in increments while preparing the batter. Once you cut the chilies, just sprinkle some salt and toss; keep it aside for 5 to 10 minutes. This step ensures the bhajis taste great both on the outside and inside. Always fry on medium flame and see that the oil is hot. A drop of batter dropped should sizzle and come up.