Vengaya bajji

A handy tea time snack recipe from my collection to you all.

Vengayam - Onion ; Bajji - usually some vegetable sliced , dipped in a besan batter and deep fried.

Varieties of Bajji as far as I know LOL 

Veg bajji  - Onion bajji, Vazhaikai plantain bajji, eggplant bajji, capsicum bajji, Cauliflower bajji, Potato bajji

Non veg bajji - Egg bajji, Fish bajji.

New varieties of  bajji - Paneer bajji, Bread bajji, Sweet bajji (?)

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Ingredients (for 12 pieces) :

Red Onion - 2

Besan flour (kadalai mavu) - 3/4 cup

dosa batter - 2 tbsp

Rice flour - 2 tsp

salt - to taste (2 tsp)

red chilly powder - to taste (1 tsp)

hing (asafoetida)- 1/8 tsp

baking soda - 1/2 tsp

garlic - 2 pieces 

ajwain (omam) - 1/4 tsp

oil - to deep fry (200 ml)

Method:

Peel the onion. Slice it into thin (1/4 inch thick approx) round pieces, using a knife and cutting board. Carefully cut the onion, so that the concentric pieces remain intact.

Or we can slice it lengthwise too.

Grind the garlic and omam to a fine paste with 1 tsp water. Mix all the above (except oil) along with 1 cup water to a thick batter. Add more water if needed, but keep the batter like thick idly batter ,otherwise the bajjis will absorb more oil.

Heat oil in a wok. As it gets smoky hot, reduce flame and keep in medium flame.

Dip the onion slices in the batter and put it on the hot oil.  Do not clutter. Flip and fry both sides. Drain oil and take out.

Onion bajji / fritter is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve hot as snack along with hot coffee or tea during rainy / winter season.
Coconut chutney or tomato ketchup are good side dishes for these fries.

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வெங்காய பஜ்ஜி (12) :

வெங்காயம்  - 2
கடலை மாவு  - 3/4 cup
தோசை மாவு  - 2 tbsp
அரிசி மாவு  - 2 tsp
உப்பு  - தேவைக்கு  (2 tsp)
மிளகாய் தூள்  -தேவைக்கு  (1 tsp)
பெருங்காய தூள் - 1/8 tsp
பேக்கிங் சோடா - 1/2 tsp
பூண்டு - 2 pieces 
ஓமம்  - 1/4 tsp
கடலை எண்ணெய் -  பொறிக்க (200 ml)

Sweet n spicy Milagai bajji

Milagai - green chili (any variety) ; Bajji - pakora / fried spicy snack of India.

In USA , most us cannot get the real Indian bajji milagai (a bigger version of green chili without any hot chili taste, but smells like one). So we use Jalapeno peppers to prepare pakora / bajji.  Jalapenos are really HOT when compared to Indian bajji peppers.
Nowadays I am seeing these lesser spicy peppers - Cubanelle peppers, in the nearby Asian grocery store. So I prepared a sweet and hot bajji as a variation and we love it very much. My mom used to put some tomato ketchup inside the bajji milagai before dipping it in besan batter, as I was not a fan of spicy foods in my early ages. So I always crave for that sweet touch to spicy dishes till now.
Here I have used a 'Thai sweet chili sauce' instead of ketchup and in my view the chili flavor in that sauce enhances the taste of the bajji.

Try this and I am sure everyone will like it.

Ingredients : 
Non spicy long peppers (Bajji milagai) - 8
Besan flour (kadalai mavu) - 3/4 cup
dosa batter - 1/4 cup
(or) rice flour - 2 tbsp
salt - to taste
red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
hing (asafoetida)- 1/8 tsp
baking soda - 1/2 tsp
garlic - 2 pieces (finely ground)
ajwain (omam / bishop weed) - 1/4 tsp 

oil - to deep fry (250 ml)
Thai chili sauce - 1 tsp per chili

Cubanelle pepper tastes just like Indian Bajji milagai (not spicy).

Ingredients for bajji

I used Sweet chilli sauce from Asian store.

Remove seeds after slitting the pepper.

Apply a little sweet chilli sauce inside the peppers.

Dip them one by one in bajji batter

Fry them in medium heat, both sides.

Take out, drain oil by placing over a kitchen paper towel.

Fried capsicum bajji is ready ! Serve hot !

Cut them into 2 or 3 slices before serving (optional).

Method:

Chili:
Rinse the peppers. Slit the bottom of the pepper carefully (without cutting it in half) and remove all the seeds.  
Scoop a tsp of 'sweet chili sauce' inside the peppers.

Batter:
Grind the garlic and ajwain to a fine paste with 1 tsp water. Mix all the above (except oil, sauce) along with 1/4 cup water to a thick batter. Add more water if needed, but keep the batter like thick idly batter ,otherwise the bajjis will absorb more oil. 

Frying:
Heat oil in a wok. Before it gets smoky hot, reduce flame and keep in medium flame.

Dip the Chili peppers in the batter and put it on the hot oil.  Do not clutter. Flip and fry both sides. Drain oil and take out.

Sweet Milagai bajji / fritter is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Cut these big fried bajji into two or three pieces and serve (easy to bite).
Serve hot as snack along with hot coffee or tea during rainy / winter season.
Tomato ketchup is a good side dish

Note:
*It is always a good idea to make onion bajji or some other bajji along with capsicum bajji , for guests, as everyone can't accept the spiciest bajjis.
 *Instead of stuffing the bajji with 'Thai sweet chili sauce' before frying, we can scoop some after frying too. Thereby we can avoid soggy bajjis, if served after some time.
*The batter should be prepared fresh to avoid excess oil absorption (that means leaving it in room temperature will make it sour soon). Refrigeration for same day use is ok.

Enjoy my other bajjis also:) 
Sweet bajji
Vazhaikkai (plantain) bajji
Potato bajji
Cauliflower bajji
Onion bajji
Kathirikkai bajji
Check out my authentic milagai bajji recipe.

Omavalli bajji

"A great person never loses a childlike spirit" - Mencius.
"It is that nostalgic foods that brings back our childlike spirit" says me :)

Omavalli / karpooravalli / cuban oregano / mother of herbs
bajji - fritters

Though we used to grow this omavalli plant in our house (while growing up), I had never tasted this bajji (we eat it raw), till I saw a platter of this in a TV serial long back.
Unlike anywhere else, house plants are almost free in India :). After that , around 2005 I got one of this omavalli in our garden, as my husband is very much fond of smelling this leaf.  Also he likes the way this grows enormously and he particularly wished me to grow this plant along with my favorites. I searched everywhere and spotted one in my neighborhood. Then while I went for a walk I asked my neighbor if she can give me a tiny piece of this. She gladly gave me a big branch and that one grew in our house to a large bush. We munch on this leaf  in the mornings. Then on a rainy and cold evening (that nice weather is not common in Chennai and we Chennaites celebrate the cold weather with spicy foods and tea), I prepared this for us and we loved it very much along with tea. Omavalli remains in Chennai and I never thought if I could see one again in USA.
After many years, I saw this in a nearby Asian grocery stores, and bought it for $ 2 in a small pack. Then it grew this big (see photo) inside our house. Then only I learned that omavalli is not only native to India, it is a favorite herb in South America too. It is a hardy and outdoor plant too (haven't tried outdoors yet).
 I love my plants very much and consider them as my kids, as I think that they give me a very good company. Growing them in cold regions needs some luck, so I keep them precious. I rarely pick leaves out of them and one fine day  just like that on a cold evening  I made this bajji along with tea and we liked it very much :)  .
Here is a platter of omavalli bajji and should I say it tastes amazing ? :)

omavalli bajji

May 2014 Omavalli plant from Asian stores.

Omavalli plant in indoors.

Ingredients :

Omavalli leaf - 10 
Besan flour (kadalai mavu) - 1/2 cup
dosa batter (or) rice flour) - 2 tbsp 
salt - to taste
red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
hing (asafoetida)- 1/8 tsp
baking soda - 1/2 tsp
oil - to deep fry (200 ml)

Method:

Pick some fresh omavalli leaf (using a sharp scissor). Rinse and wipe to dry.

In a mixing bowl , add all the ingredients except oil and leaf .  Mix well to a thick batter using little water. The batter should be like thick idly batter ,otherwise the bajjis will absorb more oil. 

Heat oil in a wok. Heat well, reduce flame to medium.

Dip the leaves in the batter and put it on the hot oil.  Do not clutter. Flip and fry both sides. Drain oil and take out.

Omavalli bajji  is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve hot as snack along with hot coffee or tea during rainy / winter season.
Tomato ketchup is my choice of side dish for all bajji. 
Tastes good without any dipping too.

Kathirikkai bajji

Eggplant pakora / Brinjal bajji.
This year also I am getting lot of eggplants from my garden. I am kind of forcing (happily) myself to try newer dishes with each and every eggplant so that hubby doesn't notice any overload of the same vegetable this season :)  Anyways my vegetable garden has been saving a little in my normal grocery expenses and he is wondering why:)  Believe it or not, I won't be bored of this vegetable ever and waiting to get more:) In Tamilnadu we would call all the eggplants as Katharikkai which means kathari - summer ; kaai - vegetable.... but we would get this vegetable in the market in all seasons( any variety of eggplant is called as brinjal only in India ...no name like eggplant).
Here is one bajji (fritter) with eggplant, which my mom used to make along with sambar rice. I can remember those few weekends which were reserved for fasting and she would make her best to present us all a catchy lunch. Vegetarian lunch menu will get a thumbs up with any fried item like papad, vadai or bajji in our house. Even now when I talk with my inlaws they tells me how much my father inlaw likes the fries I make :)
Back to our bajji again, Bajji is a kind of pakora / fritter. It is a deep fried side dish made with any thinly sliced vegetable dipped in besan flour mixture. Try my version and enjoy a delicious SouthIndian food.

Eggplant  bajji

Sliced eggplants and the besan flour coating dip.

Ingredients (for 10 pieces) :

eggplant (1 lb) - 1
Besan flour (kadalai mavu) - 3/4 cup
dosa batter - 1/4 cup
(or) rice flour - 2 tbsp
salt - to taste
red chilly powder - 1 tsp
hing (asafoetida)- 1/8 tsp
baking soda - 1/4 tsp
ajwain powder (bishop weed / omam) - 2 pieces (finely ground)
red food color - a pinch (optional)
oil - to deep fry (200 ml)

Method:

Rinse the eggplant and trim off the top (bracts and stem). Slice it into thick (1/4 inch approx) round pieces, using a knife and cutting board. Don't use a chips maker, if it has nonadjustable blades.

Mix all the above (except oil) with 1/4 cup water to a thick batter. (If ajwain is not available then grind 2 cloves of garlic and add instead). Add more water if needed, but keep the batter like thick idly batter ,otherwise the bajjis will absorb more oil .

Heat oil in a wok. As it gets hot, reduce flame and keep in medium flame.

Dip the eggplant slices in the batter and put it on the hot oil. Flip and fry both sides . The eggplant would have been cooked within this short time. Drain oil and take out.

Eggplant bajji is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve hot as snack along with hot coffee or tea during rainy / winter season.
Coconut chutney or tomato ketchup are good side dishes for these fries.
I made this as side dish with sambar rice.

Cauliflower pakoda

I think Cauliflower is one of the most favorites in every household. Some years back (at least for people in my home town)getting some English vegetable like cauliflower was rare. Also those kind of veggies were more expensive because of transportation. I have never come across a Tamil word for Cauliflower (there will be a Tamil equivalent for most of the words in English), so I guess it is definitely a vegetable of modern days:) Thanks to the globalization in everything we get what we desire. While growing up, Cauliflower being an apple to our eyes, mom would make only chosen dishes with it. She would make very crispy fries with cauliflowers or put a tiny flower in vegetable briyani...that's it, we all would love whatever she made:). But nowadays I make many dishes with it and it became my regular in this part of globe we live and I love it:) Here is a pakoda / bajji with cauliflower and we had it did with sambar and rice :) 

Cauliflower pakora / bajji.

Ingredients:
Cauliflower - 1 (300 gm)
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Besan flour (kadalai mavu) - 3/4 cup

rice flour - 2 tbsp
corn starch - 1 tsp  (optional)
salt - to taste
red chilly powder - 1 tsp
hing (asafoetida)- 1/8 tsp
red food color - a pinch (optional but I didn't use)
garam masala - 1 tsp (optional)
oil - to deep fry (200 ml)

Method: 
Wash the cauliflower and break it into medium size florets.
Bring few cups of water to boil with 1 tsp salt and turmeric powder.
Put the cauliflower pieces in boiling water and boil for only one minute.
Switch off, drain water completely. Keep aside.

In a separate bowl mix besan flour, rice flour, corn starch, salt, hing, red chilly powder  with 1/4 cup water to a thick batter. The batter should be thick and should not be runny (otherwise the bajjis will absorb more oil). If there is more water , then add some more rice flour.  Heat oil in a wok. As it gets smoky hot, reduce flame and keep in medium flame. Dip the semi-cooked cauliflower pieces in the batter and put in hot oil.
Flip and fry both sides. Drain oil and take out.

Cauliflower pakoda / bajji is ready!

Serving suggestions: 
Serve hot as snack along with hot coffee or tea during rainy / winter season.
Tomato ketchup / sauce is a nice side dish for this fry.
I usually make them for some weekend lunch along with sambar rice or curd rice.

Potato bajji (Urulai kilangu bajji)

Bajji (Tamil) - Vegetable slices coated with spicy gram flour paste and deep fried. (Whereas in hindi , baji means a spicy curry served roti).

We can get this snack in almost all the tea shops of Tamilnadu, India. The valaikkai bajji prepared with unripe banana is more common and claimed as the standard version when served with thick coconut chutney (ketti chutney). But I have seen mom utilizing various vegetables like Potato, onion, cauliflower, unripe plantain (valaikkai), brinjal, unripe tomato, capsicum. Also bajji can be made using boiled egg, fish, bread, appalam (pappad). As it is a simple snack, that can be prepared within 10 minutes, bajji comes handy for me whenever we get surprise visitors, especially during winter evenings.

Memories :I will always remember the 'bajji treat' made by my friend Archana's mom....It was a pleasant surprise for us to see almost all the varieties of bajjis in one place, that too made in front of us , while we were enjoying her tea and waiting to roam(!) around that pool. Thank you Nalini aunty! whenever I make bajji, your treat goes as the main topic in our home :).

Urulai kilangu bajji served with tomato ketchup.

Ingredients (for 10 pieces) :

Potato (big and round) - 1
Besan flour (kadalai mavu) - 3/4 cup
dosa batter - 1/4 cup
(or) rice flour - 2 tbsp
salt - to taste
red chilly powder - 1 tbsp
hing (asafoetida)- 1/8 tsp
baking soda - 1/10 tsp
garlic - 2 pieces (finely ground)
red food color - a pinch (optional)
oil - to deep fry (200 ml)

Method:

Wash the potato, scrub and remove the skin. Slice it into thin (2mm approx) round pieces, using a knife and cutting board. Don't use a chips maker, if it has nonadjustable blades. We may need the slices to be more thick than the potato chips.

Mix all the above with 1/4 cup water to a thick batter. Add more water if needed, but keep the batter like idly batter ,otherwise the bajjis will absorb more oil.

Heat oil in a wok. As it gets smoky hot, reduce flame and keep in medium flame.

Dip the potato slices in the batter and put it on the hot oil. Flip and fry both sides. Drain oil and take out.

Potato bajji is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve hot as snack along with hot coffee or tea during rainy / winter season.
Coconut chutney or tomato ketchup are good side dishes for these fries.

Reposts for events

I am re-posting the following fried snacks for Radhika's Deep fried snacks event.

1.Thengai paal murukku.

2.Masaal vadai.


3.Vazhai kaai bajji.

Who won't love a plate of deep fried snacks in this cold weather? Hope she gets a lot of entries. Happy hosting dear!