Vazhakka Bajji / Fried Raw Banana Snack

I love vazhakka in any form. Be it stir-fried, as a thoran, in kaalan, even podimas or better still, as a steaming bajji dipped in tomato ketchup on a rainy day. Bliss! TH loves them too so this time his parents visited, we made vazhakka bajji. We just used 2 raw bananas and still there was more than enough for the four of us and we weren't hungry at all for dinner.


This is a great party snack for kids and adults alike. Who can resist the golden, crispy goodness of bajjis?!.

What I Used:

Vazhakka / Raw bananas - 2
Besan / Kadala mavu / Chickpea flour - 2 cups
Whole jeera / jeerakam / cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Hing / Asafoetida / kaayam - 2 pinches
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Water - enough to make a thick batter
Oil - to deep fry

How I Made It:

1. Cut the banana midway and then slice them length-wise. The idea is to get thin (really thin!) slices of them about 4 inches long.

2. Mix the chilli, salt, hing, jeera and besan well in a bowl and make a thick batter with just enough water. Make sure the consistency is a bit thicker than pancake / dosa batter, but not too thick that it doesn't leave your hand when you raise it above the bowl.

3. Heat oil until nice and warm. Dip the banana slices in the batter and make sure its coated on all sides. Drop gently into the hot oil and wait for 2 mins before turning them over.

4. When the bajjis turn golden brown, transfer to a tissue-lined container and serve immediately with some steaming tea.

Goes well with tomato sauce / ketchup and the monsoon rains. Enjoy!