AAHARAM

Polla Milagu Bajji

Palakkad is located near the western ghats. The Palakkad gap became an important geographical location thereafter. This historic region is famous for its temples and culture. The unique tiny capsicums are available during the monsoon season. Locals make the Polla Milagu Bajji and savor it along with the rains. The Polla Molagu Bajji continues to be a time favorite. One can get to eat it from the month of June. Enjoying the Polla Molagu Bajji during the monsoons is a great way to savor life. A rush for the Polla Milagu Bajjis would happen in the month of June. It is the month that celebrates the arrival of the Polla Molgu Bajjis and the opening of the schools. This mouth watering dish would steal our hearts.

Ingredients

Raw rice - 2 tumblers ( normal ones that are used at home for coffee )

Black gram ( Urad dhal ) - 1/4 of the same tumbler

Besan ( Kadalaimaavu ) - 250 grams

Chilly powder - 3 tbsps

Asafoetida ( Katti perungayam ) - 1 cm size ( powdered )

Tamarind - 2 lemon sized balls

Salt - as required

Oil - for deep frying

Polla Milagu ( miniature capsicum ) - as much that can used with the above materials

Procedure

- Soak the rice and black gram separately for half an hour. Grind them separately by using a mixie.

- Put both these ground items in a container.

- Add the chilli powder, besan and asafoetida powder to the same.

- Mix all of the above thoroughly.

- Leave it to ferment overnight.

- Next day, soak the tamarind in some water for sometime.

- Discard the water and then squeeze the tamarind to a smooth paste.

- Add salt to this.

- Wash the Molagu first.

- Make a small incision in each one of them and then stuff the tamarind paste inside.

- Dip the Molagus in the batter one by one and deep fry them in oil.

- Fry the bajjis and then keep them away in order to cool them. Thereafter follow it up with a second dip of the bajjis with besan so that it gives a thick texture feel.

- The Polla Molagu Bajji will be ready.

This snack will be tasted and relished by your near and dear.

Important points for consideration :

The Molagu will be priced at Rs.800 per kilogram during the first four weeks of the season. It will go down to Rs.400 - Rs.450 later. However it would hover around Rs.150 - Rs.200 during the last month of the season due to the shrinkage in size. The normal availability will be for about 3 months from the onset of the monsoon.

The recipe was shared by Nurani Hariharan Venkatraman on behalf of his mother N.Vasantha Hariharan.

Nurani is a heritage village in Palakkad and its Agraharam is well known. An exclusive book about this Agraharam happens to be a heritage book lover's delight.