Ridge gourd bajji

This is an very traditional and old dish. this i have learnt from my mother and have tried to maintain the same taste.bajjis can be prepared with different varieties of vegetables as fillings such as potatoes, onion, green chillies, brinjal, gobi,capsicum and even with slices of paneer,egg and cheese. bajjis are very famous in all parts of karnataka and mostly prepared as an evening snack.

Ingredients: 1 medium sized ridge gourd
                  1cup gram flour
                  1tsp ajwain
                  1/2tsp jeera powder
                  1/2tsp red chilly powder
                  a pinch of asafoetida(hing)
                  a pinch of cooking soda
                  salt to taste
                  oil for deep frying

Method: peel the skin of ridge gourd and slice it into thin circles.
             in a bowl mix all the ingredients(except oil) using required amount of water to form a thick batter.
             heat oil in a pan. dip each of the ridge gourd slices in the batter and deep fry them in the oil until it
              turns golden brown.
             serve hot with tomato sauce or coconut chutney.