Chilly Bhajji / Deep Fried Peppers

chilli bhajji 5

This is how I like to categorize spicy food.. ‘Spice Spicy’, ‘Gingery Spicy’ and ‘Chilly Spicy’ 🙂

All I need on my daily diet is a dish with lots of flavor and a hint of spice. However, there are days when I crave for nothing more than a super-spicy delicious homemade meal. Like chilly chicken or tom-yum soup or spicy chicken wings or roasted pepper dipping sauce. These kind of cravings mostly happen during cold winter.. Or when I have cold/fever and the medicines have killed my taste bud.

Chilly Bhajji / Deep Fried Peppers 1

Yesterday was not one of those days.. I had no cold. Fit and fine, just back from gym. With a glass of juice, I relaxed on the couch and switched on my favorite cooking channel. Barbecue.. aah delicious!! The chef grilled peppers, mashed them and made a sauce.. Trust me, it looked mouthwatering. I was drooling at it and that’s when the craving started. Clearly, ‘the craving’ didn’t follow my protocol!

Turns out, neither did I. I made a spicy deep-fried Indian street food popularly known as ‘Chili Bhaji’ for our snacks on a warm spring evening.

Chilly Bhajji / Deep Fried Peppers 2

Last weekend, we picked some of these gorgeous humongous Anaheim Peppers. These chilies are very commonly available in India and we eat them in different ways. They are not too spicy and once you fry them, they taste a lot better. If you want to avoid the spice, remove the seeds and just enjoy the texture of the skin.

You can enjoy them as sauce.. or even in curry. But, the best way to enjoy these peppers is by biting into it. Ideally, Chilly Bhaji is either stuffed with mashed potatoes or it is just deep fried with some thick batter coating.

I stuffed it with something different and you will love it. This is one of my friend’s recipe and I can’t thank her enough for sharing this delicious snack bite. It’s super easy to prepare. You can enjoy it with some dips or drinks or evening tea.. Like we did 🙂

Chilly Bhajji / Deep Fried Peppers 3

chilli bhajji 5

Chilly Bhajji / Deep Fried Peppers

Ingredients

  • 4 anaheim peppers
  • 1 onion
  • 1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbs ginger paste
  • 1 tsp tamarind paste
  • 1 tbs chickpea flour/besan
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • salt
  • pepper
  • oil

Instructions

  1. Make a slit on the peppers and remove the seeds slowly if you want to reduce the heat.
  2. Using a food processor, grate onion, cilantro, garlic and ginger to a coarse paste.
  3. Then, add tamarind paste, salt, pepper and cumin powder to the onion mixture.
  4. Brush some oil on the peppers and stuff them with the mixture.
  5. Bake them at 375 F for about 15 minutes. Just to soften them. This is however optional.
  6. Take them out of the oven and let them cool down completely
  7. In the mean time, mix the chickpea flour with some water and make a thick batter.
  8. In a pan, heat enough oil to deep fry.
  9. Coat the peppers with the batter nicely.
  10. Fry them in medium heat for about 2 minutes until it's slight golden brown in color.
  11. Serve them hot!
© Playful Cooking

Chilly Bhajji / Deep Fried Peppers 4

Chilly Bhajji / Deep Fried Peppers 5

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June 16, 2011
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Comments are closed.

  • karishma
    karishma
    June 16, 2011 at 9:34 AM

    wow….really innovative recreation of the humble chilly bhaji. Liked the different stuffing and the baking part. Something new that i cant wait to try….thanks, kankana..

  • karishma
    karishma
    June 16, 2011 at 9:38 AM

    really an innovative way to make this….not only is the stuffing different but the baking bit is also intriguing…..will be trying this for sure….thanks kankana

  • Krithi
    Krithi
    June 16, 2011 at 9:51 AM

    Love the color play in the pictures.. Your shots are super-professional… Love the chilli bajjis with tea.. mm ..nostalgic..

    http://krithiskitchen.blogspot.com
    Event: Healing Foods – Banana

  • Heather @girlichef
    Heather @girlichef
    June 16, 2011 at 10:34 AM

    Oh my goodness, these look absolutely amazing! Gorgeous photos.

  • aipi
    aipi
    June 16, 2011 at 10:42 AM

    I soooooooooo want to grab that plate right now ~ my all time favorite 🙂
    US Masala

  • Raji
    Raji
    June 16, 2011 at 12:39 PM

    Barsaat, ek cup garam chai aur yeh lazzatdar bhajji mil jaye toh kya kehna…but nevertheless rains are always not necessary to enjoy these..even in the hot and humid climate here I would not mind eating these…nice recipe Kankana and beautiful pictures.

  • Manju
    Manju
    June 16, 2011 at 2:08 PM

    niiice!! I was debating between a potato bhajji or coconut pulao for my next post and decided on the coconut pulao (will be up in a minute on Mirch Masala). I can never have enough of bhajjis and pakodas, whatever the weather is! 🙂

  • Manu
    Manu
    June 16, 2011 at 2:56 PM

    I love Indian tea snacks! I love the idea of pairing something savory (and spicy) with hot tea! It is so unusual to me and soooo delicious!!! These bhajjis look so crunchy and tempting! Great idea Kankana!

  • Nami @ Just One Cookbook
    Nami @ Just One Cookbook
    June 16, 2011 at 7:42 PM

    Your spice food category is very helpful! I never thought or heard that category! I can eat “spice spicy” food and my husband love “chilly spicy” food. He’d love this! Beautiful pictures Kankana!

  • Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets
    Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets
    June 16, 2011 at 8:42 PM

    Wow that looks like it really packs a punch — I’d love to try some!

  • Radhika @ foodfor7stages
    Radhika @ foodfor7stages
    June 16, 2011 at 9:48 PM

    Drool…. Love the stuffing that has gone into this spicy mirchi bhajjis. Can I get these chilies in U.S?

    • Kankana Saxena
      Kankana Saxena
      June 16, 2011 at 10:49 PM

      Thanks Radhika 🙂 I usually buy them from Indian store and I have also seen them in mexican stores.

  • Plateful
    Plateful
    June 17, 2011 at 2:11 AM

    You know I get cravings for spicy spicy food very often too…and I so looove spicy snacks with a hot cup of chai, aha! Now I feel like taking a bite out of your tempting bajjis. The stuffing idea sounds so good, can’t wait to try this new twist to the mirch bajji!

    Hey for reducing shadows in pics, use reflectors — a white foam board, aluminium foil or even a small mirror. Honestly, my biggest challenge while shooting with plenty of day light is harsh shadows. I still need a lot of improvement in this area 🙂

  • Priya
    Priya
    June 17, 2011 at 2:29 AM

    SImply irresistible, i can easily have these fritters anytime without any hesitation,fabulous bhajjis..

  • Kate@Diethood.com
    [email protected]
    June 17, 2011 at 6:31 AM

    Oh my goodness…those are awesome! We have something similar…we stuff them with feta or ricotta. 🙂

  • Priti
    Priti
    June 17, 2011 at 6:50 AM

    Oh my this looks so crispy n perfect and tempting …..drooling

  • yummychunklet
    yummychunklet
    June 17, 2011 at 7:12 AM

    Looks great, but I’ll stay away from peppers. I can only take a bit of heat at a time. Great post!

  • The Mistress of Spices
    The Mistress of Spices
    June 17, 2011 at 11:53 AM

    These look great! We don’t get anaheim peppers here but another similar-looking type that is common in Morocco. They are quite spicy though, so I wonder if they’ll work for this. I’ll certainly try!

  • Ameena
    Ameena
    June 17, 2011 at 12:17 PM

    My father – who can eat a green chili straight up – would totally love this! I am a bit on weaker side so I think I migh need to steer clear of these. But they look fantastic!

  • Joyti
    Joyti
    June 17, 2011 at 2:22 PM

    Yum! Those look and sound really great. I am a spicy food lover myself.

  • Junia @ Mis Pensamientos
    Junia @ Mis Pensamientos
    June 17, 2011 at 4:48 PM

    wow, my parents would love this! they eat hot peppers diced up with their korean food!! great recipe! 🙂

  • Tiffany
    Tiffany
    June 17, 2011 at 5:09 PM

    I love your categories! 😀 These peppers look great!

  • Sneh | Cook Republic
    Sneh | Cook Republic
    June 17, 2011 at 5:13 PM

    These are gorgeous Kankana. I absolutely love chili bhajis. Have something similar on my blog too. So good with tea on a rainy day!

  • rebecca
    rebecca
    June 17, 2011 at 6:58 PM

    oh wow my hubby would love this

  • Tina (PinayInTexas)
    Tina (PinayInTexas)
    June 17, 2011 at 8:57 PM

    Oh my, Kankana! Ryan loves fried stuffed peppers. I’ll definitely give this a try.

  • Roxana GreenGirl
    Roxana GreenGirl
    June 17, 2011 at 9:15 PM

    There are different cuisines I know that have stuffed peppers.
    Mexican use poblano chilies and they stuff them with fresh cheese.
    in Eastern Europe you’d find peppers stuffed with feta or farmer’s cheese.

    I love your version and the photos are stunning.
    Thanks Kankana

  • wizzythestick
    wizzythestick
    June 17, 2011 at 9:40 PM

    Goodness, I’m craving these right now thanks to your photos.

  • torviewtoronto
    torviewtoronto
    June 17, 2011 at 10:06 PM

    delicious looking crispy snacks perfect for tea time

  • Shabs
    Shabs
    June 18, 2011 at 3:36 AM

    Oooooh , on a cold rainy day this would be just perfect ,hmmmmm lemme get to Kerala ,hopefully in a few weeks time.

  • thepickyeater | a spoonful of yumm
    thepickyeater | a spoonful of yumm
    June 18, 2011 at 5:55 AM

    the images are making me hungryyy !! matching mugs to…wah wah …kya baat hai 😉 i like frying ajwain leaf with besan too…its nice. something different 🙂

  • sayantani
    sayantani
    June 18, 2011 at 9:14 AM

    Wow you have one gorgeous space here. beautiful write ups, gorgeous clicks and mouth watering recipes…love it.
    its been raining cats and dogs here in Kol and these mirchi bhajjis would be just perfect to enjoy that.

  • Priya Sreeram
    Priya Sreeram
    June 18, 2011 at 9:24 AM

    am inviting myself over kankana- looks super hot and yes ur pics have made me forget the protocol of not dropping in unexpected !!

  • Charissa
    Charissa
    June 18, 2011 at 1:27 PM

    Wow…I didn’t know such a thing existed…this looks crazy. I wonder if I could take the heat. 🙂

  • Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen
    Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen
    June 18, 2011 at 6:37 PM

    I don’t know if I could eat a whole one but I’d love a taste! YUM!

  • sarah
    sarah
    June 19, 2011 at 4:41 PM

    Oh these are so going to score me some brownie points with my husband! Lovely pictures 🙂

  • daksha
    daksha
    June 20, 2011 at 10:40 PM

    Hi! kankana really say mouthwatering….just yumm i like spice food and specially green chili:).

  • briarrose
    briarrose
    June 21, 2011 at 10:16 AM

    So tasty. My husband would be in pepper heaven with these beauties. 🙂

  • Ananda Rajashekar
    Ananda Rajashekar
    June 22, 2011 at 11:27 AM

    its a rainy day here and lady you made me to crave for ur chilly bhaji 🙂

  • Jun
    Jun
    June 22, 2011 at 7:22 PM

    Oh this looks so good. I have never heard of the technique before, roasting then deep-frying. It sounds awesome. I wonder if this can be used for other vegetables as well. Great recipe, Kankana

  • Annapet
    Annapet
    June 24, 2011 at 3:36 AM

    Wow, I will sure try chili bhajji! I grow Anaheim peppers every year though my season is quite late this time and won’t have the peppers for another month.

    Thank you for sharing!

  • Sarah@buttered-up
    [email protected]
    June 27, 2011 at 4:02 PM

    OH I love “spice spicy” & “chili spicy”! This looks fantastic and it’s been bookmarked for future reference already. I would personally eliminate the tamarind paste. Despite living in Southeast Asia for a while now, I still cannot get accustomed to it. My taste buds have tried to make friends and play nice but tamarind really doesn’t agree with me. 🙂