Stuffed Capsicum (Bharwan Shimla Mirch)

This is a very tasty varient of a vegetarian starter dish in my home. It is very tasty when served hot and straight from the oven. Placing some shredded cheese on top of the potato mix before baking gives it an additional flavour. An easy dish with very little effort.

Ingredients

4 to 5 medium to large capsicum/green bell peppers
4 to 5 medium potatoes or about 180 to 200 gms potatoes
⅓ to ½ cup steamed or cooked peas (optional)
1 small onion, finely chopped or ¼ cup finely chopped onion
1 green chili, chopped
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp red chili powder
¼ tsp lemon juice
¼ to ½ tsp garam masala
2 tsp chopped coriander leaves
1 tbsp oil for sauteing the onions
1 or 1.5 tbsp oil for sauteing the capsicum
salt as required

Instructions

First, boil the potatoes till they ate  completely tender and cooked thoroughly. Peel and grate the potatoes. Keep aside.
Slice off the tops of the capsicum. Remove the seeds. Rinse them in water and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Keep aside.
In a small frying pan, heat oil. Fry the cumin first and then add chopped onions.
Saute the onions till translucent. Add chopped green chilies.
Stir and then add turmeric powder, red chili powder, asafoetida. Stir again.
Add the potatoes and mix everything.
Saute the potatoes for 2 mins and then add garam masala powder, lime juice and salt.
Stir well and then add chopped coriander leaves. Mix again and let this spiced potato stuffing become warm.
With a spoon or with your hands, stuff the potato mixture in the capsicum.
If baking, then brush or rub oil outside the bell peppers, before you stuff them with the spiced mashed potatoes.
Now you can bake the stuffed bell peppers in an oven or saute in a pan.

Bell Pepper Besan Fry

I  tried out this recipe just as an experiment but it came out really good. The taste is somewhat similar to a mirchi bhaji but  this one is less spicy and in my opinion, more tasty. The besan and rice flour coating makes the outer covering really crisp while the bell pepper inside will be soft and juicy. So the combination is perfect to soothe our palette. It thus becomes a spicy and tasty tea time snack.

Ingredients

2 large Bell pepper, cut into thick rounds
1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
2 pods of garlic, minced
10-12 curry leaves
1/2 tbsp dry red chilly flakes
1 green chilli
1 tbsp Rice flour+ 1 tbsp semolina
3/4 cup gram flour/besan
2 tablespoons cornflour
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method

In the mixer grind together the ginger, garlic, red chilly flakes, green chilli and curry leaves with a tablespoon of water into a coarse paste. Transfer to a bowl and set aside until required.
Heat oil for deep frying the onion rings over medium heat while you prepare the batter to coat the onion rings.
In a mixing bowl, sift together the besan, semolina, corn flour, rice flour along with salt and ginger paste.
Whisk gently to mix well. Gradually add little water at a time to make thick batter. The batter should be thick dropping consistency so it coats the bellpepper rings.
Add a few thick capsicum/ bell pepper rings into the batter and using a fork, allow them to get well-coated. Using the fork transfer them into the hot oil, fry till golden and crisp.
Transfer to a plate lined with oil absorbent paper. Similarly fry the remaining Bell pepper rings. Serve.