Menasinakai Bajji/ Jalapeno Fritters

One of the most popular street foods of Karnataka is the Menasinaakai Bajji.. also know as Mirchi bonda/Mirchi Majji in north Karnataka. Its actually a tradition in the northern parts of the state to eat the Mirchi Bajji with Puffed rice (Mandakki, Puri). I love it with or without the puffed rice part of it!! Its actually related to rains... In my family we just need an excuse to dash to the street corner and get these fiery hot bajjis for may be Rs10 or Rs 15!!! Its good enough to feed and army. And the best part is, where ever you are you cannot be more than 1 kilometer far from the nearest bajji cart.. no doubt they are so popular. In my family at least we are not very particular about the bajji cart.. they all taste good. However there can some of them using stale oil, there fore better to avoid. Fortunately the one near our house is a very good one. Lip smacking,fresh tasting and yummy, besides being right in the corner of our street that's about 35 feet from our gate!!!
Spring here in the east coast means deluge after deluge after deluge before it is time to snow again...So on one such rainy day i felt like eating these bajjis.. so simple made it at home right away.. anyway it is easy to make as well.

Jalapenos 12
Chickpea flour 1 cup
salt chilly powder 1/2 teaspoon
Baking powder 1 big pinch
baking soda 1 big pinch
Jeera 1 teaspoon
oil for deep frying

method
Pound the jeera with the salt to get a coarse powder. Wash the Jalapenos and clean it. If you find it very hot, make a small slit and remove the seeds and the white coloured veins. stuff a pinch of the jeera salt mixture into the jalapeno Set it aside.
For the batter, sift the chickpea flour, baking powder and baking soda together once or twice till well combined.Add salt and chilly powder.
Heat oil in a kadai. Once it is hot enough to fry prepare the batter by water to the chickpea mixture. Do not let the chickpea mixture hang out after having mixed with water.
Now dip each jalapeno in the chickpea mixture and deep fry it in hot oil till done.
Serve hot with the sauce of your choice.

2 comments:

Vanamala Hebbar said...

I tried different way..this looks nice will try ur method

chethana said...

you can fill with salt+jeera+garlic mixture. This is how my mom prepares :)