Mirchi vada
Photo: Amit154 · CC BY-SA 4.0

History

Wikipedia calls mirchi bada a vegetarian fast food native to Jodhpur: a green chilli stuffed with spices and mashed potato, wrapped in gram-flour batter, fried until golden and served hot, occasionally with mint and tamarind chutney, and eaten most in the rainy season. In Jaipur, Curly Tales describes Samrat's as huge green chillies stuffed with masala potato and fried golden, and Slurrp lists mirchi bada among the snacks at the Masala Chowk food court.

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Make it at home

Yield Makes 8Hands-on 40 minTotal 50 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 8 large, mild, thick-skinned green chillies
  • 2 boiled potatoes, mashed (about 250g)
  • 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds and a pinch of asafoetida
  • 1 teaspoon dried mango powder and 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
  • Salt and a handful of chopped coriander
  • 150g gram flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon carom seeds and a pinch of bicarbonate of soda
  • About 150ml water
  • Oil for deep frying

Method

  1. Slit each chilli lengthwise on one side and scrape out the seeds, keeping the stem on.
  2. Heat the tablespoon of oil, add the fennel, cumin and asafoetida, then the potato, dried mango powder, chilli powder and salt, and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the coriander and cool.
  3. Stuff each chilli with the potato mixture.
  4. Whisk the gram flour with the carom seeds, bicarbonate of soda, a pinch of salt and enough water for a thick pouring batter.
  5. Heat the frying oil to 180C. Dip each chilli in the batter and fry for 3 to 4 minutes until golden.
  6. Drain and serve hot with mint and tamarind chutneys.

Tip from the editors. Choose mild, thick-skinned chillies and scrape out the seeds to keep the heat bearable.

Where to eat mirchi vada

Mirchi vada in Jaipur

Samrat Restaurant ★ 4.2

$ Street foodOld City

Samrat Restaurant at 273 Chaura Rasta in Jaipur sells pyaaz kachori, samosas and poha, and a crowd gathers for them early each morning in the old city.

OrderThe pyaaz ki kachori with tamarind and coriander chutneys, or bedmi poori with aloo sabzi.

TipGo early, before the morning crowd builds; the Chaura Rasta shop is the one Outlook Traveller's local writer recommends.

Directions

Masala Chowk ★ 4.1

$ MarketJln Marg

Masala Chowk is a food court in Ram Niwas Bagh, Jaipur, where stalls selling pyaaz kachori, chaat, pav bhaji and kulfi share a single entry ticket.

OrderPyaaz kachori, a plate of chaat and a kulfi to finish, each from its own stall.

TipThe entry ticket was ₹13 a head in August 2025; Times of India puts the court between Albert Hall and Ram Niwas Bagh, so pair it with Albert Hall.

Directions

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