Ridge Gourd Bajji | Peerkangai bajji

Deep fried savory

These bajjis make the best snack during winter season or rainy season with a cup of hot tea and a bowl of chutney.

Introduction

About this Recipe

Ridge Gourd or Turai/Heerekai/Peerkangai Bajji (Ridge Gourd Savory Fritter) is one of the many famous Indian snacks. It is usually prepared with gram flour popularly called besan in India. Bajji is like a pakoda, i.e. it mainly refers to deep fried fritter and can include a vegetable which is dunked in the besan batter before deep frying. Ridge gourd bajji is similarly made, by dunking ridge gourd in a spicy besan batter and deep fried in oil.

It is served as a savory for lunch or as an evening snack. These bajjis make the best snack during winter season or rainy season with a cup of hot tea and a bowl of chutney. These bajjis are famous in the states of Karnataka and Andhra/Telangana. They are sometimes served at weddings as well. This bajji is also served as naivedyam during Ugadi, Sankranti and Dasara.

Ridge gourd, scientific name being Luffa, is a watery vegetable. It usually refers to the fruits of the species Luffa aegyptiaca and Luffa acutangula. To be edible as a vegetable, the ridge gourd should be harvested at a young stage of development. When the fruit is fully ripened, it becomes fibrous and is not edible. This fully developed fruit is the source of the loofah scrubbing sponge which is used in bathrooms and kitchens. The vegetable is popular in India, China, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, etc.

The tender ridge gourd can be bitter to taste. So it is always a good idea to taste a slice of the ridge gourd before cooking it or making these bajjis.

Preparation time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 5 mins

Total time: 15 mins

Servings : 2-3

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: South Indian dish

Ingredients

Ridge gourd 6 palam 210 gms
Powdered salt 1/8 palam 4 gms
Chilli powder 1/8 palam 4 gms
Pure water 3/16 padi 280 ml
besan flour 1/4 padi 375 gms
Powdered salt 1/4 palam 9 gms
Red chillies 2 palam 70 gms
Coriander leaves 1 palam 35 gms
Lemon – 2
Oil 700 ml

Bhaga shastra gives ingredient measurements in measurement systems used in the olden days. Hence please use the conversion guidelines below to convert it into modern measurement systems.

Bhaga Shastra Units Conversion

1 Padi – 1500 gms approx

1 Palam – 35 gm approx

1 R.e (Rupee Equivalent) – 4.8 gm approx

Cooking Method

Select a tender ridge gourd and cut the edges off of it.
Peel the skin and wash it thoroughly.
Slice into ½ inch round slices.
Place the slices on a leaf plate or regular plate and add chilli powder and salt over the slides.
In another vessel take besan flour/bengal gram flour and add water.
Add powdered salt, cut red chillies, and finely cut coriander leaves to the flour and mix well.
The batter should be slightly thick enough for dipping consistency, but not thin and runny.
Squeeze the juice of a lemon into the flour mixture.
Take the cut ridge gourd slice, dip it in the flour mixture and fry it in oil or ghee until slightly red and cooked.
Then take it out of the oil and drain it on a sieve or kitchen towel to remove excess oil.
Now it is ready to serve! Serve hot! Enjoy it with your family.

Note: Wheat flour can be used in place of chana dal flour. Bajjis can be made with raw banana, brinjal, cucumber, bottle gourd too. The plain flour mixture can also be made into bajjis by simply dropping it into hot oil/ghee and fried.

Step by step instructions

1

Select a tender ridge gourd and cut the edges off of it.

2

Peel the skin and wash it thoroughly.

3

Slice into ½ inch round slices.

4

Place the slices on a leaf plate (or regular plate) and add chilli powder and salt over the slices.

5

In another vessel take besan flour/bengal gram flour.

6

Add water, powdered salt, cut red chillies, and finely cut coriander leaves to the flour and mix well. Squeeze the juice of a lemon into the flour mixture.