SNACK RECIPE - PERI PERI BITES / CHILLOS / MULAKU BAJJI / CHILLY BAJJI

Ramadan is very close. So lets make some snack today. This snack is very popular in South India and can be seen in most of the tea stalls which is served as an evening snack. There are different varieties of bajji namely onion bajji, potato bajji, cauliflower bajji, vazhakka or raw banana bajji and like so.  Banana pepper fritters, Milagai bajji, Mirchi bajji, Chillos, Peri bites, Poppers, Mulagu bajji, Chilli bajji are some of its names. I love to enjoy hot chilly bhaji with coconut chutney or tomato ketchup and savor with a nice cup of tea. When i was in Kerala, i often eat it from tea stalls. 
You must note some important things before making this bajji. The chili used for this bajji is banana pepper or bhaji mulak or any chilli which is mildly spiced . More over you can also reduce the spiciness of bajji by deseed it and soaking it in hot salt water for few minutes. This bajji must be deep fried and the batter must be thick enough to coat on the chilly.  You can also stuff this peppers with chicken fillings, veg fillings or simply mashed potato. Anyway even without any stuffing,  it tastes yummy and crispy. Here is the recipe showing how to make chillos / mulaku bajji / peri peri bites.

INGREDIENTS

Banana peppers / bajji mulaku  - 10 nos (you can use any less hot long chilies for making this bajji)
Gram flour / besan /kadala mavu  - 1 cup
Rice flour                                      - 3 tbsp (optional, for more crispiness)
Chili powder                                 - 2 tsp
Asafoetida / hing/ kaayam            - half tsp
Baking powder                              - a pinch
Salt
Oil

PREPARATION

• Bring 2 cups of water to boil. Add salt when boiled. Remove from flame and soak the chilies in this hot water for few minutes. This is to make the chilies soft and reduce the heat of chilies. If your chilies are more heat, then dessed it and then soak. As i used mildly spiced chilies, i soaked it before deseeding.
• Drain the water and set aside.
• When done, slit  open peppers and deseed it.
• Add all the ingredients except oil and peppers in a bowl.
• Combine it well by adding water slowly and make a thick batter. The batter must be thick to coat on the peppers. But it should not be too thick or too thin.
• Heat oil in a deep bottomed wok.
• Dip each peppers in batter one by one, filling the open and coat it well. 
• Drop the pepper in hot oil and fry both the sides until golden.
• The flame must be medium low only.
• Serve hot with mint chutney or ketchup.