Mirchi Bajji - Jalapeño poppers
Mirchi Bajji’s are spicy, green pepper fritters or jalapeño poppers. Green peppers or jalapenos, stuffed with tangy spices, breaded and deep fried make a scrumptious snack.
Author: Birjis Adeni Rashed
Cuisine: Indian
Recipe type: Appetizer
Serves: 4
Prep time:
Total time:
Ingredients
- 8 Green chili peppers (Anaheim or Jalapeno)
- 2 cups oil
- ½ tsp Chat Masala
- Batter:
- 2 cups Gram flour
- 2 Tblsp Red Pepper, Ground
- 1⁄2 T turmeric
- 1 Tblsp Salt or add to taste
- 1 pinch Baking soda
- ½ tsp cumin, ground
- Stuffing:
- 1 Tblsp Red Pepper, ground
- ½ Tblsp Salt
- 2 tsp Coriander seeds, ground
- 1 tsp Cumin, ground
- 1⁄2 cup Cilantro
- 1⁄2 cup Mint
- 1⁄2 tsp Ginger paste
- 1 Tblsp Jaggery
- 2 tsp Tamarind paste
- 1 Tblsp Gram flour(Besan)
Instructions
- Take Anaheim peppers and make a slit on the side. If the peppers are large, cut into two, and deseed using a small fork, peeler or marrow spoon. If Anaheim or hatch peppers are not in season, large jalapeños are a good alternative. While deseeding use caution not to touch any seeds to your eyes, since it causes a burning sensation.
- Stuffing: Make tangy tamarind chutney stuffing by mixing - ground coriander seeds, ground cumin, ground red pepper, salt, cilantro, mint, ginger, jaggery, tamarind, and gram flour. Mix to a paste consistency. Stuff the slit peppers with this tamarind chutney stuffing. To simplify this task, store bought tamarind chutney mixed with little gram flour can also be substituted.
- Batter: To make the breading batter, Mix gram flour, ground red pepper, turmeric, cumin and salt with some water. Make sure it’s a pancake batter consistency. If it’s too runny or watery, it will not coat the pepper.
- Take a deep fryer or pan and warm the oil. When the oil is warm, dip the stuffed peppers into the gram flour batter and drop it slowly in the oil. Deep fry the pepper by slightly stirring so that it’s cooked on all sides. Remove and set aside on paper towel to absorb and excess oil.
- Sprinkle the chat masala powder and serve warm with hot sauce, green mint chutney or ketchup.
Notes
-If you find the mirchi bajji too hot for your taste buds or have swallowed any seeds casuing burning sensation in the mouth, the best cure is to drink a cold cup of milk.
-Deep fried food like mirchi bajjis / Jalapeño poppers or onion pakodas/ onion fritters are often associated as a rainy day snack with the Indian chai or tea.
-Deep fried food like mirchi bajjis / Jalapeño poppers or onion pakodas/ onion fritters are often associated as a rainy day snack with the Indian chai or tea.
Serving Size
Serving size: 4
