Mirchi vada recipe with step by step photos. These are stuffed chili fritters from the Rajasthani cuisine. They make for a good tea time spicy snack served with a side of tamarind chutney or tomato ketchup.
I had made the mirchi bada on one of these days when it was raining very heavily here. Did manage to take pics and add the recipe too.
To make these mirchi vada, you need large chilies, which are not spicy and are mild. I have used bhavnagari chilies. You can also use large green chilies which are used in making stuffed chili pickle. If you live outside India, then you can use jalapeno peppers.
The stuffing is a spiced mashed potato one. Crushed fennel seeds are added in the mashed potatoes, which gives the potatoes a unique flavor, unlike other variations of stuffed mirchi pakoda. I make one more variation which is more South Indian style and if possible I will share this version too.
They are a popular street food snack in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. They are also called as stuffed chili cutlet.
These mirchi bada can be served hot with tomato ketchup or with imli chutney along with bread slices. Serve these crisp spicy vada as an evening monsoon tea time snack.
How to make Mirchi Bada
1. Rinse the bhavnagari chilies very well with 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 the pith.
3. Slit all the green chilies this way and keep them aside. If you want you can blanch the chilies also before stuffing them with the mashed potatoes.
Making stuffing
4. Steam or boil potatoes in a stovetop pressure cooker or steamer till they are cooked very well.
5. When the potatoes are still warm, peel and mash them with a potato mashed or spoon.
6. Then add the following ingredients to the mashed potatoes:
- 1 green chili, chopped
- 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon dry 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 the spice powders if required.
Making mirchi vada
8. Now stuff the potato mixture very well in the green chilies.
9. Stuff all green chilies this way. Keep aside.
10. In a bowl take 1 cup 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 tablespoon water to make a medium thick batter. Also add salt as required. Do add water as required.
The addition of water depends on the quality of the besan. Since I use home made besan, the water amount required is more than store brought one. So add about ⅓ cup water first and then add some tablespoons to get the right consistency.
12. Stir very well to get a medium thick batter without any lumps. In case the batter becomes thin, then add a few more tablespoons of besan to thicken the batter.
Frying mirchi vada
13. Heat oil in a kadai or pan. You can use any neutral flavored oil. When the oil becomes medium hot, dip the stuffed chilli in the batter.
14. Coat it very well with the batter.
15. Place it in medium hot oil gently.
16. Add more chili pakoras in the oil and fry them till they are golden. Be careful when turning or flipping the pakoras in the oil.
17. When golden and crisp, remove the mirchi vada.
18. Place mirchi vada on a kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil.
19. Serve these Rajasthani mirchi bada hot with tomato ketchup, coriander chutney, tamarind chutney and slices of bread along with ginger tea or filter coffee.
If you are looking for more Pakora recipes then do check:
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Mirchi Vada (Stuffed Mirchi Bada)
Ingredients
for stuffing mirchi vada
- 250 grams potatoes or 4 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed
- 1 green chili – chopped
- 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds – crushed
- ½ teaspoon Coriander Powder
- ½ teaspoon amchur (dry mango powder) or add as per taste
- ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 pinch asafoetida
- salt as required
for mirchi vada batter
- 1 cup besan (gram flour or chickpea flour)
- ½ cup water + 2 tablespoon, do add water as required
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 pinch baking soda (optional)
- salt as required
other ingredients
- 200 to 250 grams or 8 to 9 bhavnagri chilies or large mild chilies or jalapeno peppers
- oil for deep frying
Instructions
preparation for mirchi vada
- Rinse the bhavnagari chilies very well with water. Then pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Remove the chili crowns.
- 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.
- Slit all the green chilies this way and keep aside.
making stuffing for mirchi vada
- Steam or boil potatoes in a pressure cooker or steamer till they are cooked very well.
- When the potatoes are still warm, peel and mash them.
- Add 1 green chili, chopped, 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves, 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed, 1/2 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp dry mango powder, 1/4 tsp cumin powder and 1/4 tsp red chili powder. Mix very well.
making mirchi vada
- Now stuff the potato mixture very well in the green chilies.
- Stuff all green chilies this way. Keep aside.
- In a bowl take 1 cup besan along with 1/4 tsp red chili powder and a pinch of asafoetida.
- Add 1/2 cup water + 2 tbsp to make a medium thick batter. Also add salt. Add water as required.
- The addition of water depends on the quality of besan. Since I use home made besan, the water amount required is more than store brought one. So add about 1/3 cup water first and then add some tablespoons to get the right consistency.
frying mirchi vada
- Dip the stuffed chilli in the batter and coat it very well with the batter.
- Place it in medium hot oil gently.
- Add more chili pakora in the oil and fry them till they are golden. Be careful when turning or flipping the pakoras in the oil.
- When golden and crisp, remove the mirchi vada.
- Place them on a kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil.
- Serve Rajasthani Mirchi Bada hot with tomato ketchup, coriander chutney with evening chai.
Notes
1/2 tsp dry mango powder – 1/2 tsp lemon juice or add as per taste.
Bhavnagri chilies – large chilies used for pickling or jalapeno peppers
This Mirchi Bada post from the archives first published in June 2015 has been updated and republished on January 2023.
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.