Mirchi Vada is one more Indian dish, which has regional variations throughout the length and breadth of India. This recipe, right here, is the Rajasthani Mirchi Vada also known as the Mirchi Bada. Though these are also stuffed green chili fritters, but with a difference in the filling which is typical to the Rajasthani cuisine. This side of the country, these may be termed as chili cutlets too. Though, they might not look like a usual cutlet.
About Mirchi Vada
The first time I made this Rajasthani Mirchi Vada at home was on a day when it was pouring cats and dogs! Oh, what a lovely time it was. I really can’t put that feeling into words here. So, in the beginning itself, I’ll suggest you to try these the soonest.
To make this Mirchi Bada, you need the larger, non-spicy and mild variety of green chilies. Some of these typical varieties are the Bullhorn chilies, bajji mirchi or the Bhavnagri chilies. One more very famous Hyderabadi dish that uses such a chili type is this Mirchi Ka Salan.
In my Rajasthani Mirchi Vada recipe, I have used the Bhavnagri green chilies. You can also use the other varieties or even the large, thick green chilies which are used to make the stuffed chili pickle. If you are out of India, fresh jalapeño peppers or banana peppers are a good choice for this recipe.
Th stuffing of this Mirchi Bada is a tangy, spiced mashed potatoes one. Crushed fennel seeds are added in the mashed aloo, which gives the mixture a unique flavor as compared to the other stuffed Mirchi Vada variations.
This Mirchi Vada is quite popular as a snack on the streets of Jodhpur in Rajasthan. There, the vendors selling these flavorful chili vadas also call it as stuffed chili cutlet. But as I mentioned right in the beginning, you may not find the looks cutletish at all.
Relish this crispy, fiery Mirchi Bada as an evening tea/coffee time snack, best during monsoons. With a side of imli chutney, pudina chutney or even tomato ketchup, it’s going to literally blow your minds. You can also team these vadas with bread slices.
Fan of Mirchi Bada? Try this few regional variations of Andhra style Mirchi Bajji and the regular and simple Mirchi Pakoda.
How to make Rajasthani Mirchi Vada
Preparation
1. Rinse 200 to 250 grams or 8 to 9 Bhavnagri chilies (or pakoda/bajji chilli) very well in water. Then, pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.
Remove the chili crowns, if you want. I always remove them.
2. With a knife, slit each chili from one side. Slit from the top and keep about 0.5 to 1 cm space at the bottom before the slit. Remove the seeds and pith with a small spoon.
3. Slit all the green chilies this way and keep aside. If you want, you can even blanch the chilies before stuffing them with the mashed potatoes.
Make Potato Stuffing
4. Steam or boil 250 grams or 4 medium potatoes in a pressure cooker or steamer, adding water as required until they are cooked very well and fork tender.
5. When the potatoes are still warm, peel and mash them.
6. Add the following list of spices and herbs one by one:
- 1 finely chopped green chili or ½ to 1 teaspoon
- 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
- ½ teaspoon crushed fennel seeds (saunf)
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon dried mango powder (amchur powder)
- ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
7. Mix very well. Check the taste and add more salt or spice powders, if required.
Stuff Green Chilies
8. Now, stuff the prepared potato mixture evenly in the green chilies.
9. Stuff all green chilies in batches. Set the stuffed chillies aside.
Make Batter
10. In a bowl, take 1 cup gram flour (besan) along with ¼ teaspoon red chili powder and a pinch of asafoetida (hing). You can also add a pinch of baking soda, if you want.
11. Add ½ cup + 2 tablespoons water (or as required) to make a medium thick batter. Also, add salt as required.
The addition of water depends on the quality and texture of gram flour. Since I used homemade gram flour, the quantity of water required was more than the store-brought one.
So, add about ⅓ cup water first and then add some tablespoons to get the right consistency.
12. Mix very well to get a medium thick batter without any lumps. In case the batter becomes thin, add a few more tablespoons of gram flour to thicken the batter.
Fry Mirchi Vada
13. Dip the stuffed green chili in the batter.
14. Coat it very well with the batter.
15. Gently place it in medium hot oil.
16. Add more Mirchi Vada in the oil and fry till golden. Be careful when turning or flipping the mirchi vada in the oil.
Let one side become light golden or golden and gently turn over each mirchi bada. Let the second side become golden. Turn over a couple of times as needed for even frying of the vada.
17. When golden and crisp, remove the Mirchi Bada with a slotted spoon.
18. Place the Mirchi Vada on kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil. Deep fry the remaining stuffed chillies, in the same way in batches.
19. Serve Mirchi Bada hot with tomato ketchup, coriander chutney, tamarind chutney and some slices of bread or pav along with chai or filter coffee.
Expert Tips
- Substitutes: To get the tangy taste in the potato stuffing, opt to add ½ teaspoon lemon juice instead of dried mango powder (amchur powder). You could also make the recipe with jalapeño peppers or other large non-spicy green chilies instead of Bhavnagri chilies.
- Blanching Chilies: Before stuffing the chilies with mashed potato mixture, you can even blanch the chilies.
- Spice Adjustments: You can add more or reduce the spice powders according to your taste likings.
- Baking Soda: While making the batter, you can add a pinch of baking soda too to leaven it.
- Water Proportion: Since I used homemade besan to make the batter, I added more water. This might change if you are using store-bought besan as the quantity of water will depend on the quality of besan. So, begin by adding ⅓ cup water, then increase by a few tablespoons till the right consistency is achieved.
- Batter Consistency: If the batter becomes thin, add some tablespoons of gram flour to thicken it. You should have a medium-thick batter to coat the Mirchi Vada well. Too thick batter will make it doughy and dry, after being fried.
- Frying Tip: To cook the vadas evenly, fry on medium heat. Ensure that the oil is not warm or too hot. If the oil is warm, the mirchi bada will absorb more oil. If the oil is very hot, the outside crust will brown quickly with the chilli being undercooked.
FAQs
If you stay out of India, the best option for you is to use jalapeño peppers or fresh banana peppers.
I suggest you to make this particular recipe with the stuffing, or else it won’t be the classic Rajasthani Mirchi Vada. If at all you want to make it without stuffing, then this Mirchi Pakoda recipe is what you should follow.
You could use grated paneer or tofu or mashed sweet potatoes. You could also have a look at this Mirchi Bajji recipe, which is a special from South India and is quite distinct in its stuffing.
Yes, you can. But then, do add about ½ teaspoon lemon juice instead.
More Pakoda Recipes To Try!
Pakora Recipes
Pakora Recipes
Pakora Recipes
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Mirchi Vada Recipe (Mirchi Bada)
Ingredients
For potato stuffing
- 250 grams potatoes or 4 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed
- 1 green chili – finely chopped or ½ to 1 teaspoon
- 2 tablespoon coriander leaves – chopped
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds – crushed or ½ teaspoon fennel powder
- ½ teaspoon Coriander Powder
- ½ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur) or add as per taste
- ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 pinch asafoetida
- salt as required
For batter
- 1 cup besan (gram flour or chickpea flour)
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons water – do add water as needed
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- 1 pinch baking soda (optional)
- salt as required
Other ingredients
- 200 to 250 grams Bhavnagri chilies – or 8 to 9 chilies, or large mild chilies or jalapeño peppers
- oil – for deep frying, as required
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse the bhavnagari chilies very well with water. Then pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Remove the chili crowns. You can keep the crowns if you prefer.
- With a knife slit each chili from one side. Slit from the top side and keep about 0.5 to 1 cm space at the bottom before the slit. Remove the seeds and pith with a small spoon.
- Slit all the green chilies this way and set them aside.
Making potato stuffing
- Steam or boil potatoes in a pressure cooker or steamer until they are cooked very well and fork tender. Add water as needed to cook the potatoes.
- When the potatoes are still warm, peel and mash them.
- Add chopped green chilies and coriander leaves.
- Next add the crushed fennel seeds (or fennel powder), coriander powder, dry mango powder, cumin powder red chili powder. Mix very well.
Making mirchi vada
- Now stuff the potato mixture evenly in the green chilies.
- Stuff all green chilies one by one and set them aside.
- In a bowl take the gram flour, red chili powder and a pinch of asafoetida.
- Add ½ cup water + 2 tablespoons to make a medium-thick batter. Also add salt.
- Remember to add water as required. The addition of water depends on the texture and quality of gram flour. Since I have use home made gram flour in the recipe, the water amount needed is more than store brought one. Thus first add about ⅓ cup water and then add some tablespoons to get the right consistency.
Frying mirchi bada
- Take oil as needed to deep fry in a kadai (wok).
- Dip the stuffed chilli in the batter and coat it evenly with the batter.
- Place it in medium hot oil gently and carefully.
- Add more chili vada in the oil and fry them till they are golden. Be careful when turning or flipping the vada in the oil.
- When one side is golden, turn over gently with a slotted spoon and fry the second side.
- When golden and crisp, remove the mirchi vada.
- Place them on a kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil. Fry the remaining chillies in batches.
- Serve Rajasthani Mirchi Bada hot with tomato ketchup, coriander chutney with evening chai.
Notes
Substitutions
- ½ teaspoon dry mango powder – ½ teaspoon lemon juice or add as per taste.
- Bhavnagri chilies – large chilies used for pickling or jalapeño peppers
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Mirchi Vada recipe from the archives was first published in June 2015. It has been updated and republished in February 2024.
Idk whether my comment is posted or not….cant v see or own comment? And forgot 2 mention( if my comment gets posted) can u plllsss try to add vattalappam without egg and the masala needed 4 masala chapati which my jain frnd brings……sry
of course, you can see your comment and i have received your previous comment also. i do plan to add vattalapam without eggs. for the masala is it some dry masala which is added in chapati dough. let me know.
S dassana now i can see my comment:P didnt think dat u will reply soo soon. Ur rite it is some dry masala.cant even imagine wat kind of spices they use.it is more in quantity in d chapati and is soo tasty….thanks a ton….
thanks aishu for letting me know. i have seen a similar dry masala in khakra which someone had got from gujarat. that masala was amazing. so i guess it must be the same type of masala. will try to find out more about this masala and if possible then add the recipe.
Hello dassana!!luv u loads always….pls keep up ur fantastic work…last week i had did kind of chilli bajji..luvd it the lil diff thing was dat the colour was more lighter(chilli) it is called as bajji milaga here…tasted awsm and spicy…i luv ur paneer masala recipe and muchroom puff!!never thought v can make the puff like dis at home thought it wud b more complicated….luv u soooo much all ur recipes ought 2 have 5 stars only
thanks a lot aishu. i know about bajji milaga, but we do not get it here. glad you liked the paneer masala and mushroom puffs. the puff pastry dough can be made at home. it just that it takes time, but not difficult. thanks again.
Dear Dassana.. I want to try this…I m thinking to steam or bake…is it possible…if baking means wat temp should I select….I got to know about ramekins recently from one of your posts..can it b replaced to cup cake moulds….I feel ramekins r better ….pl suggest me
you can bake the mirchi vadas. steaming will give different results. bake at 180 degrees celsius. also add a few teaspoons of oil in the batter if baking. make the batter thick for baking.
you can easily use ramekins for cup cake moulds. there are many sizes they come in and they are better also.
Ok dassana thank you very much
Welcome Shubha
I liked the recipe, simple n easy i will definitely give it a try…
Thanks Maryam
Thanks for the recipe… my hubby loved it very much… can u post some more recipes with these mirchis?
welcome shona and glad to know. i plan to add some more recipes with these chilies.
Hi , I just love all ur recipes . Ur recipes are so simple yet tasty . To me they r my rescuer.
glad to know this and thankyou saifa 🙂
love all your recipes…was looking for cut mirchi bhajji/pakora recipe, but found only the regular mirchi pakora in your blog. can you please post cut mirchi bhajji recipe too. I always have from our street side vendor..not many people sell this. would like to make it at home too. I think it involves cutting the mirchi pakora and re frying it and also there should be a stuffing which I have no idea. could you please post that recipe too..
thanks deepu. i have never seen cut mirchi pakora. even i think, they must be cutting and then frying the mirchi. will try to add.
Hi dassana….
Is there any difference between fennel seeds or they are just fennel or saunf which we can powdered in mortar and pestle….i am making these today and got confused…
fennel seeds and saunf are the same 🙂
I love all spicy food, this is a great recipe.. thanks!
thanks.
Can i use pizza dough to make calzones?
yes you can use pizza dough.
Beautifully explained with pictures in simple language. Thanks for such a beautiful website.
welcome paarkhi
Very nice . I will try this for sure as I m drooling right now .I love spicy food
thanks dollie
hi
Nice recipe. will try. How you make home made Besan? Can you let me know?
Thanks
i dry roast 1 kg of chana dal in a big kadai. just a light roasting. no change of color or browning. allow the chana dal to cool and then give it to a local mill for grinding. trust me this is much much better besan than what we get outside. you can also dry chana dal in sunlight for a couple of hours.
Thanks will try.