Stuffed Capsicum or Bharwan Shimla Mirch as called in North India is an interesting dish. You can use pretty much anything as filling from Paneer (cottage cheese), potato to onion masala. I have tried to replicate my mother's way of making it with spicy coconut filling. She uses small spicy variety of capsicum. It tastes heavenly with Chapathi or Jawar roti. It's very difficult to find them in Singapore so I have used the regular capsicum, I tried hard to pick the smaller ones :-) You can make it with any color or size of capsicum.
Ingredients:
Small capsicum/bell peppers: 4
Onion: 2
Garlic: 4-5 cloves
Fresh coconut: 1/2 cup
Sesame seeds: 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
Cumin powder: 1 tsp
Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Dry mango powder: 1/2 tsp
Sugar : 1/2 tsp (optional)
Salt to taste
Oil: 2 tbsp
Coriander leaves: 2 tbsp
Method:
1. Wash and dry the bell peppers and carefully remove the seeds and pith and empty the peppers.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a deep pan and sauté the bell peppers until the skin withers and peppers turn soft for 3-4 minutes. Keep turning the peppers.
3. Remove the peppers and add another tbsp of oil in the same pan and add mustard seeds, when it splutters add cumin seeds and asafoetida. Sauté for 30 seconds.
4. Add finely chopped garlic and onion and sauté until onions turn translucent.
5. Mix in grated fresh coconut and sesame seeds and sauté until it turns golden brown in color.
6. Next add in all spice powders - red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, dry mango powder, garam masala powder and stir well.
7. Mix in salt and freshly chopped coriander leaves and let it cool for a minute.
8. Fill this mixture into the peppers and arrange them in a microwave/oven safe dish and cook them in microwave for 3-5 minutes on high or grill in oven for 10 minutes
9. Alternatively you can saute them in a nonstick pan and cook on all sides for 7-8 minutes.
10. Serve hot with chapathi or any Indian flat breads. It also be served as a side dish.
