Vazhakkai Bajji / Raw Banana Bhajji / Bajji Recipes



         Here it comes a most popular South Indian snack – Bajji / Bhajji. Bajji is a hot, crispy evening tea time snack. It is a dish prepared by dipping sliced raw banana in gram dal -rice flour batter and finally deep frying it in a hot oil. You can make bajji with any vegetables like potato, onion and eggplant . Best accompaniment for this bajji are coconut chutney or peanut chutney and tea.

       Ingredients

          1 Big Vazhakkai / Raw Banana
          3/4 Cup of Gram (Besan) Flour
          1/4 Cup of Rice Flour
          1 Tsp of Corn Flour
          1/4 Tsp of Baking Soda
          A Pinch of Asafoetida
          1.5 Tsp of Red Chilly Powder
          1 Tsp of Salt
          Water as needed , about 2/3 cup of water
          Oil for Frying


    Method

  • Wash and peel the skin of raw banana/ vazhakkai.
  • Slice them lengthwise into long and thin slices.
  • In a bowl, add besan flour, rice flour, corn flour, asafoetida, red chilly powder, baking soda, salt and add water little by little to get batter. Batter should not be too thick or too thin.
  • In the meantime, heat oil in a shallow pan for deep frying.
  • When oil gets hot (323 degree F), dip the banana slices in the batter and make sure it is coated well on both sides.
  • Carefully drop the slices one by one into the oil, cook them until it turns golden brown color on both sides.
  • Transfer them to a paper towel(Tissue paper) lined container to absorb oil.
  • Serve immediately with tea and coconut chutney or peanut chutney. 



     Tips

  • Addition of asafoetida is for digestion.
  • You can add pinch of orange food color, to get colorful bajji.
  • Adjust the amount of red chilly powder and salt accoeding to your taste.
  • Always cook in a medium high flame.


    Health Benefits of Vazhakkai / Raw Banana

  • Good source of resistant starch, a type of starch that cannot be broken down by enzymes in our digestive system, acts like fiber than starch, good for diabetes. 
  • High in potassium and vitamin B6.
  • High in fiber content.



Peanut Chaat Recipe / Peanut Salad


          Chaats are Indian snack, which are so addictive. There are so many varities of chaat can be made. One among them is Peanuts chaat, they are yummy snack made with peanuts, onion, carrot, salt and pepper. In India, you can see this kind of chaat in beach stalls, street side stalls and food cart, sold in cones made of newspaper. This peanut chaat is delicious, rich in protein and low in fat. This can be served as an evening snack. Also check the recipe for boiled peanuts.


      Ingredients

         1 Cup of Boiled Peanuts
         1 Medium Size Carrot, Grated
         1 Medium Size Red Onion, Chopped
         1/2 Cup of Cucumber, Diced
         1 Medium Size Tomato, Chopped
         1 Green Onion (Spring Onion), Chopped
         1 Tbsp of Lemon Juice
         1/4 Tsp of Black Pepper
         1/4 Tsp of Chaat Masala
         Pinch of Black Salt
         Coriander Leaves (Cilantro), Finely Chopped
         Salt to taste


      Method

  • In a bowl, add boiled peanuts, chopped onion, chopped tomato, diced cucumber, black pepper, chaat masala, lemon juice, black salt and salt. Toss well with a spoon.
  • Finally garnish it with chopped coriander leaves, grated carrot and chopped green onion.


     


     Tips

  • If you don’t have chaat masala, just add salt and pepper.
  • You can add chopped green chillies and red chilly powder to this snack for more spicy taste.
  • Add any vegetables or fruits of your choice like grated beetroot or cabbage or mango.
  • Be careful while adding salt because boiled peanuts has already salt in it.




How to Boil Peanuts in Pressure Cooker


       Boiled peanuts are popular in places where peanuts are common. Fully mature peanuts do not make good quality boiled peanuts rather the  raw or green ones are used. Boiling the peanuts are very easy at home. You can cook raw peanuts in different ways like stockpot method or in pressure cooker or crock pot. I prefer pressure cooker method which makes my work easier. Cooking time vary greatly depending on how fresh the peanuts are. The fresher the peanuts, less time it takes to cook. You can make so many Indian recipes with peanuts like burfi, laddu, rice and chat. But I love to eat the fresh boiled peanuts for evening snack as it has no extra calories in it like no oil or sugar. Try this recipe at home and enjoy !!!!!!


     Ingredients

        3 cups of Raw, Fresh Peanuts
        5 cups of Water
        3.5 tsp of Salt
        Pressure Cooker

     Method

  • Wash and rinse the raw peanuts several times in water to remove the dirt and debris.
  •  Soak the washed raw peanuts in a big bowl of water for 2 hrs or overnight. Again, wash it in cold water.
  • After that, add the soaked, washed peanuts to a pressure cooker.
  • Add salt and enough water to a pressure cooker containing peanuts.
  • Now close the lid of pressure cooker, turn on the flame and wait for 2 whistles and then simmer it for 45 mins. Turn off the flame and let the pressure release on its own.
  • Pour the cooked peanuts to a colander and drain the water. Cool for few mins.
  • Break open the fresh peanuts and enjoy the tasty boiled peanuts.


     Tips

  • You can cook the peanuts either in pressure cooker or stockpot or crock pot.
  • Adjust the amount of salt according to your taste.
  • You can store boiled peanuts in refrigerator for 2-3 days. Store it in a airtight container and enjoy cold peanuts.

     Health Benefits of Peanuts

  • Rich in energy.
  • Good source of monounsaturated fat, niacin, folate, vitamin E and anti-oxidants.
  • Prevent gall stones  and good for heart.
  • Good source of resveratrol which reduces the risk of stroke.