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Whole Food Plant Based Recipes
Sun Apr 19, 2020
Hot Mirchi Bajji on a rainy evening is a picture perfect setting to gorge on this popular street food.
Do you have an Indian background? Then most finger foods like bajjis, pakodas, wedges and fries may be deep fried. This makes them unhealthy for the heart and brain. How to enjoy common recipes like mirchi bajji without deep frying? We faced this difficulty when we upgraded to a whole food plant based diet. After months of experiments, we found a great solution - featured recipe below. Like this, we have a whole Snacks Recipes Collection on the Plant Based Recipe online course. Sign up for free.
Now we enjoy the best of both worlds with a popular option of delicious Indian veg recipes. Tasty food that brings us goodness and life.
Here is our whole food plant based Baked Mirchi Bajji recipe - a baked chilli with step by step instructions in a wrap bread of sorts, with minimal ingredients. It is by default a vegetarian option. Enjoy this delectable bajji hot from the oven especially in winter season with aside of chilli sauce.
Mirchi bajji is a common Indian street food snack, like its popular counterpart, aloo bonda, which is a potato masala dipped with a batter coated making it crunchy outside, is a crowd favourite. It's so popular, it may as well be the unofficial national food.
The long green chillies for stuffing - banana chillies - used for the bajji is a special kind of chilli which is known for its versatile behavior. It goes well on pizzas, common paneer or fancy paneer curry, of course made with tofu, other gravies to name a few. We will also put up a recipe for curry with step by step photos. You can use also use bullhorn chillies for stuffing, or you can make a great curry with perfect spice and flavour!
Many chilli recipes are popular snack recipes. People use them to replace street food snack with home made ones. But if you fry the bajji or bonda at home, they are still unhealthy. They may not be as unhealthy as street food recipes. Some street food recipes have put a modern days fusion twist with cream, dalda, and cheese. Others add food colour, additives, preservatives, tons of baking powdersalt, etc. But if you want to make the healthiest version, read on.
In our category of recipes, we are bringing the healthiest version of these dishes some with detailed step-wise picture recipe to help you make the change. We have dishes from Indian cuisines and international cuisines. We have breakfast recipes to power up your breakfast time, lunch recipes that will leave you feeling full yet light, and dinner recipes that are nutrition packed.
Course: Course 2: Vegetable Dish for Lunch & Dinner Meals, Snack
Cuisine: Rajasthani Recipe from North India
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 10 Mirchi Bajjis
10 Bajji Mirchis / Banana Peppers
1/2 cup groundnuts
1/4 cup Besan / Gram Flour
1 tbsp Dhaniya / Coriander Seed Powder
1 tbsp Jeera / Cumin Powder
1 tbsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Black Pepper Powder
A Pinch of Hing (Optional)
5 tsp Miso Paste made with ½ tsp Salt (Healthy Salt Alternative. See Nutrition Science Highlights below)
1 tbsp Coriander Leaves
1 tsp Lemon Juice
Mirchi Bajji is called chili fritters in English. Mirchi translates to chili and bajji translates to fritters. Mirchi can refer to chillies for stuffing or chili powder. You can also use shimla mirch or capsicum for this common snack.
100 to 120 calories are there in one Bajji. Frying increases calorie count. Baking reduces calorie count. Reduce nut butter to reduce calories even more.
Fried bajji is not healthy. It may contain cholesterol, saturated fat, trans fat, low fiber, and high fat content. It may also contain AGEs - Advanced Glycation End Products. Frying or baking causes AGE formation. These are carcinogenic. Baking at lower temperature reduces AGE formation. Make step by step changes to your diet. Switch to baked bajjis today.
The difference between pakoras and bhajis is the form. A bajji has a central vegetable slice of piece. For example, you make onion bajjis with onions sliced into discs. A pakoda has many chopped vegetable pieces mixed with bajji batter before frying or baking, like 4 tbsp of potato and onion.
Sweet bell pepper is the mildest chilli. It has a scoville rating of 0. This means it is actually sweet, not hot. Mirapakaya Bajji uses Banana peppers. These have a scoville rating of 500. They are mild and you can then raw.
The California Reaper is the hottest chili in the world. It shatters the roof at 10,00,000 scoville units. Do not try to eat the california reaper raw! In fact, 1.5 kg of this chilli has enough capsaicin to kill an adult. Imagine that!
The best red chilli is Kashmirilal Chili. It has a mild spice and a deep red color. It helps make your dish look intense red without making it too spicy. Red chillies are spicier than green chillies.
A Mirchi is a chili inhindi. Hindi speakers call chilis of all shapes, sizes and varieties mirchis. Mirchi bajji is chili fritter. Pakoda means fritter. Shimla mirch means capsicum
Reheat bajji in the oven at 160 degrees Celsius for10 to 15 minutes. Take care not to let your bajjis get burnt or turn brown colour. Carcinogenic AG formation causes brown colour. You can avoid this by baking at a lower temperature.
You reheat bhajis in an oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 10 to 15 minutes. You can also heat bajji on the tawa on medium flame without any oil although ovens work better. Baking is easier too. Make step by step changes to your diet. Switch to baked bajjis for cooking and reheating.
You can eat bajji during pregnancy if the bajji has zero oil and is not fried. Fried foods increase triglycerides and cholesterol. Avoid fried foods and try baked bajji instead.
Cut mirchi bajji is as healthy as full mirchi bajji. There is no difference between the two for health. Only the form factor is different. If fried, both are unhealthy. If baked, both are healthy.
Davangere mirchi bajji is healthy only if baked and not fried. The spices and masala in Davangere Mirchi bajji are very healthy. Oil makes it unhealthy. So skip the oil. Bake Davangere Mirchi bajji in an oven to make it healthy.
Goan mirchi bajji can cause side effect of abdominal pain and loose motion if too spicy. Remove the seeds from inside the Mirchi bajji to reduce spice levels and avoid side effects.
Guntur Mirchi bajji can be too hot to handle if you don't remove the seeds. Common starters are often spicy. Reduce red chilli powder to reduce spice from 1 tsp chilli powder to 1/2 tsp chilli powder in your recipe. You can even reduce it further to 1/4 or 1/8 tsp chilli powder. Remove seeds and add moderate or no red chili powder or green chillito the bajji batter to bake moderate Guntur Mirapakaya bajji.
Make besan mirchi bajji by coating your green chillies in a besan batter and baking it. Mix 1 cup besan with with 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds powder,1/2 tsp coriander seeds powder and 1 cup water in your mixing bowl. A homogenous mixture gives good results. Scroll up to read full recipe.
Make fluffy mirchi bajji by adding 1/2 tsp baking soda or cooking sodato 2 cups besan batter. But this is not healthy. It increases sodium consumption. Consuming more sodium can cause hypertension, stomach cancer and kidney failure. To make your green chilli bajji healthy, avoid adding any baking soda to the prepared mixture.
Make soft mirchi bajji by adding cooking soda - 1/8 tspto the besan batter. But this is not healthy. It increases sodium consumption. Consuming more sodium can cause hypertension, stomach cancer and kidney failure. To make your Mirapakaya bajji healthy, avoid adding even 1/8 tsp baking soda to the prepared mixture.
Famous Hyderabad Mirchi Bajji is not healthy because they fry it in oil. You can make the same Andhra Pradesh famous Hyderabad Mirapakaya Bajji healthy by baking it an oven instead of deep frying it in oil. You may also want to add an extra 1/2 tsp chilli powder. Hyderabad dishes are generally quite spicy.
What's wrong with Jodhpur mirchi bajji is that they fry it in oil. This causes increased triglycerides and cholesterol. This leads to heart disease in the long run. Make Jodhpur mirchi bajji healthy by baking it in an oven instead of deep frying in oil.
Keema mirchi bajji is bad for health because it has a spiced meat stuffing - an animal product. Meat and oil raise risk of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and cancer. Meat eaters make keema mirchi bajji healthy by using plant based meat alternatives. Mock meats are transition foods. Use mock meals instead of meat in Keema to make keema chilli bajji if you are a meat eater starting your health journey. You can also use scrambled tofu, tempeh, raw jackfruit, yam, or mushroom to make your keema stuffing. These are all healthy options for keema mirchi bajji.
Some long Mirchis may be less spicy than the short ones. The long mirchi bajji is preferred as it is more filling than the short ones. Long mirchi bajjis need more batter to cover them and may take longer to bake. You can cut one long mirchi bajji in half and serve in two pieces to make it easier to eat.
You can make Mirchi bajji in an air fryer. It comes out even better than oven baked ones! Make mirchi bajji an air fryer by baking at 160 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes. If your air fryer has a nonstick base, use a reusable silicone sheet to protect your fritters.
Mirchi bajji and banana bajji can go together. Enjoy them with your favourite chutney recipes as a tea time snack. Make sure you bake them, not fry them.
There are many mirchi bajji benefits.
You can make mirchi bajji biryani. But usually you make Mirchi Ka Salan with banana peppers. Mirchi ka salan curry recipe is a popular side dish for various types of biriyani recipe. You can use cashew milk and cashew butter to make mirchi ka salan gravy instead of dairy products.
You can make Mirchi bajji chat. Here are the steps:
Did you think Chaat recipes are unhealthy? You may be right. You could increase your blood pressure with a chaat recipe. But by reducing salt and avoiding oil in the onion masala preparation or aloo mixture, chaat can be healthy too!
Mirchi bajji is low in carbs as it does not contain fruits, whole grains or starchy vegetables. But low carb diets are not recommended. They can increase disease risk. To achieve your ideal weight, try a whole food plant based diet plan. With low calorie density, you can eat more, weight less! Eat a low calorie diet, not a low quantity diet. Adding 1/2 tsp cumin powder may help speed up weight loss.
Mirchi bajji Chilli name is banana pepper. It is a long waxy green paper that turns red when ripe. it is mild in spice level. You can eat it raw.
Mirchi Bajji that is fried in oil is not healthy to eat. Whether it is made in Coimbatore or elsewhere. Mirchi Bajji is a popular street food snack and can be made healthy at home. The best way to make tasty yet healthy mirchi bajji is to bake it in an oven without using any oil. Use besan and not maida to made the batter while baking the mirchi bajji.
It is ok to eat mirchi bajji for diabetes if baked and not fried. Fat accumulation in muscles, liver and pancreas causes diabetes. Fried bajji increases fat accumulation. Baked mirchi bajji helps remove this fat from your cells and even reverse diabetes.
Mirchi Bajji is keto friendly. Keep in mind though, mirchi bajji is healthy only when baked and not fried.
Estimate
Calories 325 Calories from Fat 150
Fat 16g - 25%
Saturated Fat 1g - 6%
Sodium 708mg - 31%
Potassium 307mg - 9%
Carbohydrates 32g - 11%
Fiber 6g - 25%
Sugar 7g - 8%
Baked Mirchi bajji's Nutritional Facts will be different. The above is for fried version
Mirchi bajji origin is India. There are many versions from many regions in India. You can make them all by baking rather than frying.
You can make Mirchi bajji peanut stuffing with peanut powder. Here is a quick recipe:
Mix all wet and dry ingredients together to make mirchi bajji peanut stuffing. Pulse in a food processor or add some water to combine. Reduce cumin seeds powder in case it tastes bitter. This will have a coarse texture and not be a homogenous mixture. Scroll up to read our detailed recipe for mirchi bajji peanut stuffing.
mirchi bajji with banana peppers
mirchi bajji with corn flour
mirchi bajji with jalapenos
mirchi bajji with onion
mirchi bajji with peanut stuffing
mirchi bajji with potato stuffing
mirchi bajji with serrano peppers
mirchi bajji with shishito peppers
mirchi bajji with stuffing
mirchi bajji with tamarind stuffing
mirchi bajji without baking soda
mirchi bajji without besan
mirchi bajji without oil
Dr Achyuthan Eswar
Lifestyle Physician & Co-founder, NutritionScience.in PHC Lifestyle Clinic & SampoornaAhara.com Plant-based Kitchen