Bajji Recipe (Aratikaya Bajji)
Updated: April 18, 2023, By Swasthi
Bajji Recipe โ Bajji is a kind of South Indian fritter made with gram flour, spices and a vegetable. The most common vegetables used are onion, plantain, eggplant, green chilies and sometimes leafy greens like spinach or betel leaves are also used. While Bajji and Pakoda both are South Indian snacks, the key difference between them lies in the batter consistency and the process of making.
About Bajji
In South India, we never use the terms Pakoda and Bajji interchangeably because they both are a lot different from each other.
To make Bajji, a thick gram flour batter is made first and the veggie is dipped into it and deep fried. Whereas a pakoda is made by mixing onions/veggies with the dry flour, spices and herbs. A small amount of water is added to bind the dry ingredients. It is not of batter consistency.
So bajji puffs up while frying and are not super crispy like pakoda but are slightly crispy. What is called as Bajji in South India is known as Bhajiya in other regions.
In this post I share my Momโs recipe to make bajji. I use plantain (raw banana in India) but feel free to use any favorite veggie of yours. Cut the veggies to thin discs/roundels, dip them in the batter and deep fry.
Onions, plantain, eggplant, potatoes, beetroot, cauliflower, broccoli, betel leaves, and firm spinach are some options. These are best served with Coconut chutney or any spicy chutney like garlic chutney or cilantro chutney.
Plantain is called as aratikaya in Telugu. Hence the name “aratikaya bajji” for these fritters. Most Andhra restaurants would have these on their menu as a starter or a snack.
This recipe uses unripe green banana or plantain which is also widely used in Andhra and Tamil cuisines to make Banana fry & Banana curry.
My Mom would always stuff these bajji with fine chopped onions, green chilies and coriander leaves. Splashed with a dash of lemon juice to cut down the heat. These banana bajji are great to have with Churumuri on the side.
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Photo Guide
How to make Aratikaya Bajji (Stepwise Photos)
Preparation
For the quantities please scroll down to check the recipe card.
1. Add onion, green chili and ginger garlic (or ginger garlic paste) to a blender and pulse a couple of times.
2. Add very little water if required to make a paste.
3. Add flour, red chili powder, turmeric, ajwain (carom seeds), salt and baking soda to a mixing bowl.
4. On a medium flame, heat oil in a deep pan for frying. You can use about 3/4 cup oil.
5. Peel and slice plantain/ banana. Make sure the pieces are thin and of even thickness. Add them to a bowl of water.
6. Pour the paste from step 1 to the mixing bowl and mix well. Add enough water to make a medium consistency batter. It should not be too thick or too runny. If you make the batter too thick, it won’t coat or hold on to the banana. If you make it too runny, the batter begins to drip off the banana. Refer the pic below for consistency. Taste test and adjust salt.
7. Remove the sliced banana and add them to a colander. Ensure there is no water in them. Test if the oil is hot enough, by dropping a small portion of batter to the oil. It should sizzle and come up.
Fry Bajji
8. Regulate the flame to medium. Dip each slice in batter and drop gently in the oil.
9. Next avoid disturbing them for a few minutes (like touching with the spoon).
10. Fry till golden and crisp on a medium flame. Remove them to a colander or a cooling rack. If you want refry them once more to make them a bit more crisp.
Lastly, mix chopped onions, green chili, coriander, little salt and lemon juice. Make a slit on the aratikaya bajji and stuff them just before serving else they turn soggy. Serve bajji hot or warm with tea, coffee or with any chutney.
Pro Tips
- Use firm and unripe banana. However you can also use soft or slightly ripe banana if you like the sweet taste.
- Use good quality besan that is not rancid.
- A small amount of rice flour has been used to give a crisp texture to the banana bajji. If you skip it , they will turn softer.
- Batter consistency is the key to get crisp fried fritters. Do not make it too runny or too thick.
- The onion and ginger masala is the key to flavor up the bajjis.
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Recipe Card
Bajji Recipe (Aratikaya Bajji)
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 1 plantain or 2 large onions/ eggplant/potato
- 1 onion medium sized
- 1 to 2 green chilies
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste (or equal amounts of ginger and garlic)
- โ teaspoon Red chili powder (more if you want)
- 1 pinch turmeric
- ยผ to ยฝ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- โ to ยผ teaspoon ajwain (vamu, carom seeds)
- 1 Pinch baking soda
- 1 cup besan (gram flour)
- ยผ cup rice flour (or corn starch)
- Water at room temperature as needed
- Oil for deep frying
Instructions
Preparation
- Make a paste of onion, green chili and ginger garlic paste with very little water. You will make a coarse paste with minimum water. keep this aside.
- Add flour, turmeric, ajwain, salt, red chili powder and soda to a large mixing bowl.
- Peel raw banana and slice them thin. Add them to a bowl of water.
How to make Bajji
- On a medium flame, heat a deep pan with enough oil for frying.
- Add the paste made at step 1 to the mixing bowl and mix well along with extra enough water to make the batter of a thick but pouring consistency. I suggest you refer the pic. Add more salt if needed.
- Drain the sliced banana and add them to a colander. There must be no water left dripping.
- When the oil gets hot, put on the flame to medium heat.
- Dip sliced banana one at a time in batter and gently drop in the hot oil. Avoid disturbing for a few minutes.
- Deep fry till golden & crisp on a medium flame.
- Remove them to a steel colander or cooling rack.
- Mix chopped onions, green chili, coriander leaves, salt and lemon juice. slit the fritters in the center and stuff them with the onion mix and serve immediately.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
ยฉ Swasthi’s Recipes
Aratikaya Bajji Recipe first published in June 2014. Updated in April 2023.
About Swasthi
Iโm Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthiโs Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
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Comments
Hi Swasthi , absolutely love this receipe ,have tried it a few times and it’s perfect proportions of things …just whst to ask you traditionally what is it served with? Tomato sauce or coconut chutney or mint coriander chutney
Hi Naina
Thank you! I remember my mom making a spicy chutney with some soaked red chilies, cumin, little jaggery, garlic & lemon juice. All the ingredients to be added in approximations.Hope this helps.
Sooooooooper
Hi mam
All your recipes are very nice.neat explanation.
U use preserved gingergarlicpaste or fresh paste everything. Plus let us know gingergarlicpaste.
Good job.
Thank you for guiding.
Welcome Veena
thank you
I mostly make ginger garlic paste fresh daily as and when needed. Sometimes I also make it and preserve.
Making ginger garlic paste
If using hybrid ginger then equal amount of ginger garlic with 1 tsp of oil and little turmeric (optional)
If using the nati variety ginger then 1 portion of ginger and 2 portions of garlic.
Hope this helps
Thank you mam
This very tasty
Thanks srividya
๐
Tempting bhaji’s……. Love to eat with hot cup of tea!!
Mouthwatering ! Perfect for this monsoon !
We make a similar one in Kerala and it is a favorite monsoon snack, but I like the way to you stuffed it….I must try your version….clicks are so very tempting…pinned!
Delicious and would love to fisnish the plate-full bajjis……….yummy!