Andhra Style Mirchi Pakoras/Pakodas/Bhajjis/Fritters

Andhra style mirchi pakoras – crispy, spicy and lip smacking green chili pakoras or fritters stuffed with peanuts, spices, dipped in a chickpea batter and fried until golden brown! It is the perfect snack to enjoy with hot tea or coffee!

Monsoons are synonymous with us Indians indulging in a variety of pakoras or fritters! It could be a simple vegetable like bell peppers, cauliflower or onions dipped in a chickpea batter or a mix of veggies for more flavor and crunch!

My favorites are onion pakoras using my homemade pakora mix and aloo bondas!

WHAT IS A PAKORA/PAKODA?

These are basically deep fried Indian fritters with a crispy coating of a spicy chickpea batter sometimes called "bhajjis", "bhajiyas" etc. Like I mentioned above, it could be any vegetable or even fruit like bananas or even apples! We prefer the Malabar bananas from Kerala!

Basic ingredients for the batter are chickpea flour and some spices like red chili powder, ajwain (carom seeds) and I do add some rice flour which gives a nice crispy crunch to the pakoras.

ANDHRA STYLE MIRCHI OR CHILI PAKORAS:

Recently, I got some takeout from a local restaurant which specializes in Andhra cuisine (from the state of Andhra Pradesh in the southern part of India). We love our mirchi bhajjis/pakoras but typically, I just dip whole green chilies in a besan/chickpea batter, deep fry and enjoy!

This one was unique! It was stuffed with some peanuts, deep fried, then slit and served with an amazing but simple onion-cilantro-peanuts mixture. Each bite of this spicy pakora was heavenly with the tang of lemon juice, crunch and flavors of peanuts and onions and of course, a spicy sensation with every bite of the fried chilies in a crispy coating! I had to try making this!

I later found out that these mirchi pakoras are the quintessential street food of Andhra Pradesh!

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

As I said, all you need is a sprinkling of fresh onions, peanuts, cilantro and lime but you could also dip these fiery lip smacking pakoras in your favorite green cilantro chutney, tamarind chutney or even plain tomato ketchup!

So, the next time you find some large chilies, make sure to try this heavenly Andhra style Mirchi Pakoras or Bhajiyas! It is lip smacking, vegan, gluten free and a perfect snack to enjoy during the monsoons!

For less of a spicy hit, make sure to deseed the chilies first. My family loved this version of chili pakoras and I am sure yours will too!

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Here are some more of my favorite pakoras or fritters we enjoy:

• Onion Pakoras
• Apple and Walnut Pakoras
• Aloo Bonda
• Bhindi Kurkuri/Crispy Fried Okra
• Spicy Vegan Gobi Kurkuri

Lets fry up some lip-smacking Andhra special street food delight Mirchi Pakoras/Pakodas!

 

STEP-WISE INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE ANDHRA STYLE MIRCHI PAKORAS:

Wash, dry, make a slit in the chilies lengthwise and deseed to reduce the heat and spiciness of the pakoras. Set aside.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:

In a blender jar, make a coarse paste of the chutney dal, roasted peanuts, spice powders and salt to taste. You could also use only peanuts if you do not have the chutney dal. Stir in some chickpea flour instead.

Remove; mix in onions and cilantro along with lemon juice to combine well. You should get a paste like moist mixture.

TO MAKE THE BESAN BATTER:

In a mixing bowl, stir the dry ingredients with a whisk or spoon. Add water just enough to make a smooth and medium thick batter, just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Transfer the batter to a wide pan for easy dipping of chilies.

TO PREPARE THE CHILIES:

Stuff each slit chili with the filling mixture, spooning it in and pressing until the filling is tight and fills the cavity well.

TO MAKE THE GARNISH:

In a small bowl, mix finely chopped onions, cilantro, roasted peanuts and lemon juice with some salt to combine thoroughly; set aside.

FRYING THE MIRCHI PAKODAS:

Heat oil for deep frying and once the oil is hot, dip each stuffed chili in the thick batter to coat on all the sides.

Let the excess batter drip back into the bowl and gently drop the coated chilies in the hot batter, taking care to not over crowd the oil. Immediately, spoon hot oil over the simmering chilies to fry on top.

Fry on medium high heat, tossing a couple of times until the pakoras are crispy and golden brown.

Remove and place on oil-absorbent paper lined plates.

Continue frying as many of the chilies as you want.

You can serve it right away!

Or enjoy as the people of Andhra do; slit the chili or Mirchi pakoras in the center, sprinkle onion-cilantro-peanut mixture over the hot bhajjis and serve spicy, stuffed Andhra style Mirchi Pakoras/Pakodas (whole or cut into pieces) with some piping hot adrak/ginger tea or coffee!

Enjoy!!

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I am sharing this with our gourmet Face Book group "Food for Feast" where the theme this time is the quintessential street food and monsoon delight snack "pakoras"!

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