Spicy Chilli Bites
I know when we say Chilli Bites to a foreigner I don’t think they quite understand what we are referring to. Here in South Africa our Spicy Chilli Bites are similar to Pakoras.
Spicy Chilli Bites
It’s a delicious spicy Indian snack. It is usually made with Onion, Fresh Coriander and Chilli. But you can grate a potato into the mixture if you wish.
There are some people that add the potato to bulk it up and that too tastes delicious. Although this is a recipe for a small quantity of Spicy Chilli Bites. The recipe can be doubled.
My mum also makes Chilli Bites with some spinach. Although I am not a fan they don’t taste bad. I am a plain Jane so I prefer plain old chilli bites.
We prefer our onion sliced a little longer but you can also cut your onion finer if you wish. It is all about personal preference.
South African Spicy Chilli Bites is made with chickpea flour or gram flour and spices, it’s crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. We also refer to them as Bhajias here in South Africa.
I know I always refer to myself as a lazy cook but trust me there are some things that are worth a little more effort. Making these chilli bites are actually so easy to make from scratch.
Even for lazy cooks like me, it’s why I don’t use the store bought chilli bite mix. Besides; nothing beats freshly ground spices when cooking.
Trust me after you make these Homemade Spicy Chilli Bites you will never go back to the store-bought mix.
My mother-in-law is a pretty amazing cook but my father-in-law says I make the best chilli bites; even better than hers, that must mean something.
I don’t normally brag about things I cook but even I will admit that I do make pretty amazing Spicy Chilli Bites, anyone that’s eaten ones made by me has always complimented them.
Whenever my friends visit it’s the most requested recipe. I am a pro at making them in a jiffy and it always puts a smile on their faces. I always have requests for the recipe so I thought it was time I posted one.
There’s no rocket science to making chilli bites, it’s a few simple spices with some fresh herbs and chilli. I use pea/gram flour to make them mixed with some cake wheat flour.
When adding your water to the batter please don’t add all at once, it could be too much. Add a little water at a time until your batter is a dropping consistency.
These Chilli Bites are best eaten straight after they are fried. It loses that crispness once it’s stored.
We love eating them with a mint chutney although sometimes it’s just a chilli sauce or dip. Depends on the mood I guess.
You can also make a batch of the premix and store it in an airtight jar or a sealed bag and use it when you require. Makes life simple this way.
I will try and post a recipe for a large quantity of the premix soon.
More Snack recipes to try:
Spicy Chilli Bites (South African Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup chickpea flour
- 2 tbsp cake wheat flour
- 1 tspn baking powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1 tspn chilli flakes
- 1 tspn coarsely ground cumin
- 1 tspn coarsely ground coriander
- 1/2 tspn salt
- 1/4 cup coriander leaves chopped
- 2 green chillies use less if you prefer
- 1 small onion
- 100ml water
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Mix all the dry ingredients together
- Add in the coriander, chilli and onion
- Add a little water at a time until your batter is a dropping consistency. Add more water if required
- Deep Fry in hot oil on a medium temperature until golden brown. Do not let it brown too quickly or the insides won't be cooked
Video
Notes
- I was confident that a 100ml water worked for me so I added it before adding my onion and herbs. You can add it after depending on how thick you require your batter
- This makes a small batch but you can double the recipe if you're feeding a family
Hi
I like your cook style your recipes are very easy to follow.
I am going to make spicy rice chicken this weekend.
Thanks for the recipes
Thank you so much Anesh. So glad the recipes seem easy. Hope you enjoy cooking them 🙂
Best chillie bite recipe I’ve tried.
I Lived in the Natal Midlands on a sugar cane farm in the mid 60’s and early 70’s. We used to travel the coast road to go through Stanger where there was a huge Indian community. The sole purpose of the stop was to enjoy the Indian Cusine, especially the Chili bites and the samoosas – not to mention the curries and the Bryanis.
I cook curries the Indian way and style and everyone goes crazy for it.
At one stage in my youth I had a fast food restaurant and made Indian curries and the customers couldn’t get enough. The secret is in the fresh herbs and spices ground and mixed just before you cook, fry them in the oil with the onions and then add the other ingredients. Leving the curry to stand for a day before serving further enhances the flavours. The final addition of garam Marsala and the fresh dunya leaves makes a diffrence
Thank you for your message Ian. I am happy to hear that you love Indian food and I am sure you are doing a great job cooking it. Wishing you many more happy days in the kitchen:-)
@Ian, hi Ian… I live in Australia now but your mention of Stanger brought back memories for me too… I grew up in Darnell between from the 70s to the 80s and have fond memories of the amazing food in Stanger as well..
@Lesley, I remember Darnell. As a child I lived on the Gledhow sugar mill in the late 60s. The Stanger filling station had the best chilli bites and samoosas.
Hits the right spot!
These are the best chili bites I have ever eaten. Thanks for sharing your awesome recipe 😋
Hi I want yo try the chilli bite recipe should the water be warm, hot, room temperature or cold
Hi Mahlithy! I use normal filtered water or if your tap water is fine you can use that. Take Care:-)
Best chilli bite recipe ever. Reminds me of growing up in Tongaat. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you so much Mary! I am so happy you found the perfect chilli bite recipe. It’s always a winner in our home too:-)
I can’t wait to make these. Can you suggest a gluten free replacement flour in place of the normal wheat flour?
PS: I came across your blog whilst looking for recipes using chickpea flour as my husband needs to eat gluten free. I is so nice to finally find Indian recipes we all grew up with and love. Thanks for sharing yours!
Hi Debi! Thank you. You can perhaps try some gluten free flour. I must be honest I have never tried making them totally gluten free but I will give it a try soon and let you know what works. I hope you get to enjoy some of the recipes:-)
Thanks for all the delicious recipes and tempting pictures.
You’re welcome:-)
Hi Lorraine, I really do not like the store bought pre-mix hence never used to eat bhajia. But since finding your recipe, I have made it countless times, every time a winner. I love this recipe! The taste is sooo much better than the pre-mix. My hubby never eats bhajia but he has now started eating the ones I make with your recipe. I like the addition of spinach. I have saved your recipe in a very safe place 😁. Thanks a ton.
Absolutely delicious 😋 Best I’ve ever tasted..and so easy to make.
Super recipe..love it..🥰👌💯❤️
I love all your recipes