Stuffed Peppers/ Stuffed Mirchi/ Bharwaan Mirchi...choose!!

Stuffed Peppers/ Stuffed Mirchi/ Bharwaan Mirchi...options…choices…love them or hate them? Get confused by them or thrive on them? So apparently the world is divided between “maximizers” (ones who want to find the absolute best option) and “satisficers” (ones who go for the first option that clears the sets criteria)…and if you are wondering where you stand between the two, go through this post – choose any one name, choose any one stuffing option, choose any one cooking method…and then tell me where you think you stand 😊

Stuffed Peppers/ Stuffed Mirchi/ Bharwaan Mirchi

Ingredients:

• Long fat Green Chillies/Peppers, any non hot kind would do, 6-7 (or even the small coloured sweet peppers, they make excellent appetizers)
• Stuffing, of your choice
• Oil, 1-2 tsp or Oil Spray if cooking in the oven/ Oil, 1 tbsp, if cooking in a pan
• Half a lime, optional

Stuffing

Option A

• Roasted Peanuts, ¼ cup
• Sesame Seeds, 1 tbsp
• Coriander Powder, 1 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder, ½ tsp
• Lemon/Lime juice, 1 -2 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1-2 tsp

Pulse the peanuts and sesame seeds in a mixer/blender/food processor a few times –as coarse or as fine as you’d like. Mix with rest of the stuffing ingredients in a bowl.

Option B

• Roasted Peanuts, ¼ cup
• Sesame Seeds, 1 tbsp
• Fresh Grated Coconut, 1 tbsp (or even use desiccated coconut)
• Coriander Powder, 1 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder, ½ tsp
• Turmeric powder, ¼ tsp
• Chaat Masala or Aamchur/Dried Mango Powder, ½ tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1-2 tsp

Pulse the peanuts, sesame seeds and coconut in a mixer/blender/food processor a few times –as coarse or as fine as you’d like. Mix with rest of the stuffing ingredients in a bowl.

Option C

• Roasted Peanuts, crushed to a coarse powder, ¼ cup
• Roasted Besan/ Gram flour, 2 tbsp
• Onion, very finely chopped, 2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder, ¼ tsp
• Coriander Powder, 1 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder, ½ tsp
• Saunf Powder/ Fennel Seeds Powder, ½ tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Lime/Lemon juice, 1-2 tsp or Aamchur/Dried Mango Powder, ½ tsp
• Oil, 1-2 tsp

Pulse the peanuts in a mixer/blender/food processor a few times. Mix with rest of the stuffing ingredients in a bowl.

Option D

• Roasted Besan/Gram flour, ¼ cup
• Turmeric powder, ¼ tsp
• Coriander Powder, 1 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder, ½ tsp
• Saunf Powder/ Fennel Seeds Powder, ½ tsp
• Hing/Asafoetida, 1/8 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Lime/Lemon juice, 1-2 tsp or Aamchur/Dried Mango Powder, ½ tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1-2 tsp

Mix all the stuffing ingredients in a bowl.

Notes:

• You can add Sugar, ¼ to ½ tsp to all four options if you want, I never add.

• For Option A and B – I keep the stuffing quite coarse.(this is how I grind mine for A)

• For Option C – I grind the peanuts to a fairly fine powder.

• If doing the final cooking in a pan over hob, stuffing ground to a fairly fine powder works better.

• If allergic to peanuts, use roasted cashews instead.

Instructions:

Wash the peppers and trim the stems.

With a knife make one long slit along the length of the peppers –from under the stem to about half an inch above the tail end. Please make sure that you don’t slit all the way to the end or cut through to the other side. Remove the seeds and membrane.

Pry open the slit gently and fill it with the stuffing, one teaspoon at a time –spread the filling evenly throughout the pepper. Push the pepper closed and keep aside.

Try with one pepper first – if it breaks while stuffing, keep the peppers in hot water for about ten minutes to soften and then it will be easier to stuff them without breaking.

Once all the peppers are stuffed, wipe them clean with a kitchen towel from outside to wipe away any stuffing which may have stuck to the skin outside. This will prevent the stuffing from burning and turning bitter.

Cooking options:

If using Oven:

Line up the peppers on a baking sheet.

Spray or drizzle oil all the peppers and bake at 180C for 10-12 minutes (around 15 minutes if you like them a little charred like we do).

If using Microwave:

Keep all the peppers in a microwave safe bowl. Cover with a lid and microwave for around 4 minutes.

After the initial 4 minutes, microwave for additional 2-3 minutes checking to see if done to your liking after every minute.

If cooking in a Pan:

Heat the oil in a pan/skillet on medium heat.

Lay the peppers flat in the pan. Cook covered for about a minute.

Remove cover and roll over the peppers to cook on the other side.

Repeat till the skin of the peppers looks wrinkled and cooked all over.

Cooking time for any option you choose will vary according to the kind of peppers you use and what you need to use them for, so keep an eye on them. If you are serving them as a appetizers, bake for a slightly shorter time as peppers will not hold their shape if baked for long.

Sprinkle some lime juice on top. Serve as an appetizer or as a side with rotis/paranthas.