Bharwan Mirch (Stuffed Chilli Peppers)

Bharwan Mirch (Stuffed Chilli Peppers) are a spicy food lover's dream. So you lit the fire in the fireplace, put on a few sweaters, sipped some tea but can't shake off the cold. Well, its time to prepare some of these fiery and mouth-wateringly delicious peppers. Remember those cartoons of Donald Duck running around with his mouth on fire & smoke coming out of his ears - I bet its because he took a bite of one of these bad boys :)

Stuffed Chilli Peppers are quick & easy to prepare with really basic ingredients, and I also really like that they are not deep-fried. A lesser-known known fact of Jalapeno peppers is their tremendous health benefits - these peppers are loaded with Vitamin C, fight migraines and sinus headaches, prevent sinusitis and relieve congestion, help to burn fat, lower blood pressure, help protect the heart, and even prevent prostate cancer. Wow, they seem to be more medicinal than a prescription drug.

Stuffed Chilli Peppers are a great side dish for accompanying the main dish along with roti or steamed rice, or (if you are feeling lazy) you can serve them as a complete meal along with paratha (Indian flatbread) & yogurt. Still shivering from the cold? Time to get up & make some Stuffed Chilli Peppers ... oh, & keep a lot of yogurt on the side to douse those flames inside your system :)

Bharwan Mirch (Stuffed Chilli Peppers) Recipe

Makes : 6 pcs

Ingredients:

6 Large Jalapeno Peppers

2 medium-size Onions; peeled & grated

1 1/2 tbsp Coriander powder

1 tbsp Dry Mango Powder (Amchur)

1/8 tsp Asafoetida

2 tsp Fennel Powder

1 tsp Garam Masala Powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

Salt to taste

1 tbsp + 1 tbsp Oil

How to make Stuffed Chilli Peppers

1. Wash & pat the Jalapeno Peppers dry. Slit the peppers on one side & remove its seeds and membrane. Keep aside.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan on medium heat. Add grated onions & saute till light brown in color.
3. Add all the spices & saute for another 2 minutes.
4. Remove the onion mixture from heat & set aside to cool.
5. Stuff the onion mixture into the peppers carefully. Make sure that you don’t break  the peppers while stuffing.
6. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan. Carefully place the peppers in the pan. Cover & cook on low heat till the outer skin of the peppers is blistered while turning over occasionally on all sides.  Takes about 10-12 minutes to cook.
7. Serve with parathas or as a side dish with roti or rice.