Aratikaya Bajji / Plantain Bajji ~ Indian style Plantain Fritters

Bajjis are the Indian version spicy vegetable fritters where vegetables are given a chickpea flour paste coating before the deep frying part. They make a great evening snack any given day and the most commonly used vegetables to make bajjis are onion slices, sliced potatoes, eggplants, snake gourd, ridgegourd or plantains. I make bajjis rarely but they used to be a regular fare on a rainy evening or a part of a festive meal in my mother's kitchen. I had made these last week but hardly had a minute to capture them before everyone gobbled them up. I placed them in a random bowl and took about a couple of pictures. I later realized that I forgot to even consider the perfectly round bajjis in the hurry albeit every bajji was yummy. :)

Ingredients:
3/4 cup garbanzo flour / besan
2 tbsp. rice flour
1 tsp. cumin seeds
Salt to taste
Chili powder to taste
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
2 pinches of asafoetida powder (optional)
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 small sized plantain (green colored)
Oil to deep fry (I used canola oil.) 

Method:
* Heat the oil in a deep frying pan on medium heat. Don't bring it to the point of smoking hot.
* Sieve garbanzo flour into a mixing bowl. Add all the other ingredients except the plantain and oil to the bowl and mix to combine. Next add water and make a batter of semi-thick consistency. It should be neither thick nor watery but should be able to coat when the plantain slices are dipped in it.
* Peel the plantain and slice thinly. Drop the slices either in a bowl of cold water or in the batter to prevent the slices turning brown.
* Drop a pinch of batter into the oil to test whether the oil is ready for frying. If the batter sizzles and comes to the surface immediately, it's ready to fry. If the batter sinks and doesn't rise, the oil needs some more heating. Dip the plantain slices in the batter so that it is coated well on both sides and drop it into the oil carefully. Repeat this step and drop as many slices as the pan could hold without over crowding.
* Fry until they turn golden brown. Remove them with a spatula and drain on absorbent towels. 
* Repeat the steps with the remaining plantain slices and the batter.
* These bajjis can be served as it is or with chutney on the side.

These bajji are going to be a part of
1. Blogging Marathon #52.
2. Srivalli's 'Kids' Delight' event hosted by Sandhya this month with the theme "Snacking all the Way".

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