RAW BANANA FRITTERS/ VAZHAKKA BAJJI

Raw banana or plantain is commonly used in Indian cooking much like the potatoes. It is versatile and can be used to cook curries, stir fries, snacks, etc. Raw banana fritters orVazhakka bajji is a very popular snack in Tamil Nadu. It can be served with chutney or tomato sauce and is best served as an evening snack with tea.


Ingredients

1 raw banana
½ tsp salt
Water for soaking the banana slices

For the batter
10 tbsps of besan
1 tbsp red chilli powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp cumin powder
¼ tsp asafoetida powder
Pinch of soda
Water

Method

Take a raw banana, remove its skin and cut it into thin slices. The slices should neither be too thin nor too thick. (Depending on the way you cut, you get circular, oval or rectangular shaped slices.) Add salt to a bowl of water and soak the slices in it for 15 minutes. This is done to prevent discolouration of the raw banana slices

Now take a bowl, add besan, red chilli powder, salt, asafoetida powder, cumin powder and soda. Mix well and add water little by little to form a thick batter. Check for taste and adjust the quantity of ingredients. The batter should not be of running consistency. Heat oil in a pan and when oil is hot, add a few drops of batter to it. When it comes directly to the surface, then oil is ready. Now dip one slice into the batter, make sure it covers the slices completely and deep fry till golden brown in colour. Fry 4 or 5 at a time and adjust the heat of the oil as necessary. Transfer to a tissue paper to remove excess oil and serve hot with coconut chutney or sambar or tomato sauce along with tea.