Mirchi Bajji

Mirchi Bajji aka Guntur Mirapakaya Bajji is spicy, deep-fried, much loved and very popular south Indian street snack. Gram flour (besan) and green chilies are the main ingredients in making this mirchi bajji. They are many different variations of making this Andhra Street Style Mirchi Bajji. Follow my recipe and enjoy relishing street style bajjis at home.

Looking for tea time snacks? Then try Aloo Pakora, Beetroot Cutlet, Chekkalu, Cut Mirchi, Thotakura Vada, Acahri Masala Popcorn and Soya Chunks Chutlets.

About The Recipe

In Guntur, tea-time is incomplete without relishing bajji or bonda or pakodi. Guntur Mirchi Bajji, is famous for its taste and look, which come from a special variety of Guntur chili. Guntur chili is world famous. It is known for its heat, spice and taste.

Usually around 3PM in the evening, road side snack stall people start cutting and stuffing the chillies. At 4PM, people start to gather around these stalls or carts to have a cup of tea and bajji. A very common line, which you hear around this time is babu okka tea, rendu bajji (one tea and two bajjis).

By evening five, almost one round of bajjis and pakodas will be sold out. Some start mixing the batter for other round too. Most the the people who return from work, take parcel of hot bajjis or pakodas and go home. This will continue till 9PM in the evening.

The usual stuffing in Guntur mirchi bajji is ajwain (carom seeds). Ajwain will add an unique taste in bajjis. By stuffing ajwain, these chillies are dipped in thick batter of gram flour. Then, these are fried in hot oil, till they turn nice golden on all sides.

Guntur Mirapakaya Bajji

Guntur holds Asia’s largest chili market. You get many varieties of chilies in Guntur. May be that is the reason, for seeing a mirchi bhajji stall in almost every corner of the street.

Popular as tea-time snack, mirchi bajji, har mirchi pakoda is spicy and extremely delicious. We Gunturians, love spicy and fiery tea time snacks and mirchi bajji is perfect example of it.

Relishing piping hot bajjis with some crunchy onions and lemon is a next level experience. If you ever happen to visit Guntur, I recommend you to surely try the bajji in any road side stall in Brodipet or Lakshimpuram areas.

Till then, try my recipe of mirchi bajji and satisfy your craving.

One Recipe, Many Names

India’s diversity truly reflects in its food too. The recipe is almost same, but the name is different depending on the place and people. We come across many recipes like this in India. Mirchi bajji is one example of this. Here are few other names of mirchi bajji,

Telugu – Mirapakaya Bajji

Telangana – Mirchi Bajjiya or Mirchi Bajjiyae

Rayalaseema – Mirchi Pakoda

Hindi – Mirchi Bajji | Hari Mirchi ka Pakora

English – Green Chilli Fritters

Hyderabadi Mirchi Pakora

Chilli Bajji, Chilli Pakora, Mirchi Pakora, etc.

Mirchi Bajji – Main Ingredients

Green Chilies | Hari Mirchi | Mirapakaya – A special variety of green chillies are used in making these bajjis. The skin of green chillies is thin and these are little stout in shape. You can even make this with normal green chillies, but remember to remove the seeds and white pith.

If making these bajjis with normal green chillies, I suggest you to pick chillies, which are little stout in shape. I am insisting on shape because, you can easily stuff in stout chillies without breaking them.

Chickpea Flour | Besan – Very common ingredient for making bajjis, pakora, etc. We coat the chillies with thick besan paste and deep fry them.

Carom seeds | Ajwain | Vaamu (వాము) – A very important ingredients. Ajwain balances the flavours and adds unique taste to bajjis. Sometimes besan can upset the tummy or give acidity. Adding ajwain will help in preventing bloating and reduce acidity.
Oil – For deep frying the bajjis.

Baking Soda | Cooking Soda – This is optional ingredient. Usually added to get fluffy and crispy bajjis.

Step by Step Recipe To Make Mirchi Bajji

Stuffing the bajjis

Coarsely grind and make a coarse powder of carom seeds and salt.

Take green chilies, slit length-wise (as shown in the figure above) and using the tip of the knife remove the seeds along with thick white vein.

Gently stuff the chilies with the above made stuffing with your fingers and set aside.

Heat oil for frying

Heat enough oil in kadai, or wide heavy bottom cooking vessel for deep frying.

Prepare batter

In the meantime, add chickpea flour, salt and baking powder to a bowl and make thick consistency batter by slowly adding water. Whisk gently to avoid lumps and set this aside.

Check whether the oil is hot enough to deep fry, by dropping a small ball of batter in the oil. If the batter ball sizzles and reaches the top of the oil, then the oil is ready for deep frying.

Fry the bajjis

Dip each of the stuffed green chili in the above made batter and make sure that the stuffed green chili is properly covered with batter.

Slowly from the corner of the kadai, drop down the batter covered stuffed chili.

Repeat the process and add 2-3 chilies at a time, depending on the size of the kadai/vessel.

On medium heat, fry till they turn nice golden. Remove on to a kitchen tissue or towel using a stainless slotted spoon. Repeat to complete the chilies.

Serve hot by garnishing with sliced onions, lemon wedges and fresh coriander leaves.

Tips To Make Best Mirchi Bajji

Always choose bright and long green color chilies.

Soak the chili in water for 2 minutes and then wipe each chili with dry kitchen towel and lay them to dry for 5-10 minutes.

Remember to remove the seeds and white pith from the chilies; otherwise you cannot take that fiery heat the green chilies carry.

To get thick coating on bajjis, dip the bajjis in besan batter and fry till half done.

Then again remove and dip them in batter and fry till completely done.

YIELD: 15