Stuffed chili pepper pakoras

Ingredients

• 6
  
  Italian long hot peppers , preferably straight one, OR hungarian wax pepperss
  
• 6
  
  sticks mozzarella string cheese (soft, at room temp)
  
• 1
  
  cup bread crumbs
  
• 1/2
  
  teaspoon dried mint leaves, crushed
  
• 1 cup
  
  chickpea flour (besan)
  
• 1/2
  
  teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1
  
  teaspoon Chipotle pepper powder
  
• 
  
  Salt to taste
  
• 
  
  Plain seltzer water as required
  
• 2
  
  cups Canola oil for deep frying
  

Directions

1. Cut the top & the tail of the long pepper to create a tube and make a vertical slit.
2. Combine the bread crumbs,1/2 tsp Chipotle powder, 1/2 tsp table Salt, and crushed mint and pour the crumb mixture onto a tray. ( Adjust the amount of Chipotle chile powder & salt as per your personal preference). Roll the mozzarella stick in this blend to coat well. Stuff the sticks into the chili pepper cavity. and cut each piece of the stuffed pepper into 4 pieces. Repeat with the remaining mozzarella sticks.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the chickpea flour, salt, the remaining chipotle pepper and baking powder, combine to mix evenly using a whisk, eliminating any lumps. Add a cup of seltzer & whisk well. add the bread crumb mixture to the batter and combine (with extra seltzer as required) to get the consistency of thick pancake batter.
4. Gently add the stuffed long pepper pieces in the batter, immersing it to completely coat the bite sized pieces. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Just as it begins to smoke, add the pepper pieces in batches & fry till the batter turns a golden brown. remove from oil & place on paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
5. There will be extra batter left over, simply dice an onion finely, add it to the batter & add spoonfuls of this mix to deep fry.
6. Serve hot with a sweet and sour tamarind sauce (http://www.food52.com/recipes/10460_sweet_sour_tamarind_sauce)..