Believe me just a mere thought of it makes my mouth water.
Well after Vada Pav the famous street food of Mumbai, BHAJIYA OR BHAJJI PAV is more popular in Mumbai. The laari / roadside foodstall's are flooded with people enjoying this delicacy all seasons. My mom makes them often when it rains in Mumbai, as if it is a ritual, or say a must-have if it rains. I too follow this rainy feast tradition. Being in USA for sometime now i very well know there is no fixed season for rains, the good thing of which is we are always ready to get ourselves feasted anytime it does.
I experiment making bhajiya of almost all vegetables whatever is available handy at home and fresh in season. The all time basic ones are potato and onions readily available and they ought to be the favorite of us all too. To name a few zucchini, bottle gourd, carrots, eggplant, bell peppers, french beans, okra, Indian cottage cheese / panner, a variety of cheese, spinach leaves, kale, mustard greens are which i usually make... indeed a bountyfull of varied vegetables right...
INGREDIENTS
vegetables i used -
2 long green peppers
1 big onions ( red/white/yellow - your preference )
1/2 zucchini
for the batter-
2 cup fine gram flour
from the spice box -
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
salt
1/4 tsp carrom seeds
pinch of ENO / fruit salt
for frying -
oil ( i use peanut oil always for deep frying )
plating accompaniments -
hot chai
cilantro chutney
ketchup
khajur imli chutney
homemade sweet/sour pickle
chat masala ( sprinkle over the bhajiya's )
PROCEDURE
STEP 1 : Cut all vegetables into medium or thin slices.
Here I am using long green peppers, you may use variety of bell peppers, jalapenos or any other type of fresh peppers locally available. Cut them and deseed them fully to reduce that spice level. You can also fry the peppers whole with out cutting too OR if doing stuffed bhajia's these are excellent for stuffing in your favorite mix, let's keep it for some different day.
Here I am using long green peppers, you may use variety of bell peppers, jalapenos or any other type of fresh peppers locally available. Cut them and deseed them fully to reduce that spice level. You can also fry the peppers whole with out cutting too OR if doing stuffed bhajia's these are excellent for stuffing in your favorite mix, let's keep it for some different day.
STEP 2 : Mix all dry spice mix into the fine gram flour.
STEP 3 : To make batter, take lukewarm water in a bowl and slowly add it to the dry ingredients and mix well, the consistency of the bhajiya batter should be thick enough and not runny so add water slowly and accordingly. Do taste the prepared batter as to the salt and spices according to your taste.
There is no fixed measure to the quantity of water, this is what makes the difference in the texture and crispness.
check consistency of the batter it should not easily fall and should be thick enough to make a drop even.
TIPS FOR MAKING BHAJIYA's CRISP FROM OUTSIDE AND MELT IN THE MOUTH -
- The vegetables you use for making bhajiya's should be non watery one's, i mean to say firm ones which do not ooze out much juice when cut into thin slices.
- The main trick to a perfect crispy bhajiya is the batter consistency, do follow the pictures as shown to achieve great results and perfect bhajiya's.
STEP 4 : Heat sufficient amount of oil in a deep wok on a medium high flame. Once oil is hot enough, check doneness by putting a little drop of batter into the oil, if it springs up immediately then it is ready to prepare the bhajiya's.
STEP 5 : Add 1/4 Tsp Eno fruit salt to the batter and add 1 Tsp of hot oil from the wok over the eno and mix well. This process will loosen the batter a bit. This gives the bhajiya that crisp n thick outer layer like the one we eat on the laaris.
Dip the vegetables in the batter one by one and fry them in a sequential manner in batches. After putting the first batch of vegetables in the hot oil turn the heat to medium low and fry the bhajiya from all sides until golden brown.
FINAL PLATING
Time to serve the piping hot bhajiya. My family likes to have it with a cup of hot chai OR freshly prepared cilantro chutney OR ketchup OR sweet and tangy khajur imli chutney OR homemade sweet/sour Pickle OR sprinkle chat masala on the bhajiya OR all of them together OR as you like it. Food tastes best if you eat the way you like it no restrictions...
Happy cooking and enjoy these tempting bhajiya platter today whether it rains or not !!!
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