Stuffed Capsicum

Capsicum is my favorite vegetable. I love the spicy yet sweet taste of it. It gives a special flavor and taste to any dish. Capsicum is native to Mexico. It is high in vitamins A & C, rutin (a bioflavonoid), beta carotene, iron, calcium and potassium. Capsicum also contains magnesium, phosphorus, sulphur, B-complex vitamins, sodium and selenium.

Lets move to the tasty part now. Stuffed capsicum is a very popular dish in the northern part of India. The Capsicums are first stuffed with masala and then cooked in gravy. For stuffing we can use both potato and paneer. They can be fully cooked in the gravy. They can also be partially cooked in oven and then in the gravy. Both are equally tasty.

Servings: 5 to 6
Time: 1hr
Difficulty: Medium-High
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Ingredients :

For Stuffing:

Capsicum 4 medium
Potato /Paneer 4-5 / 250 gm
Pea 1/4 cup

Carrot cubes 1/2 cup

Onion 1/4 cup chopped

Garam masala 1 tbs

chilli powder 2 tbs

jeera powder 2 tbs

turmeric 2 pinch

Salt as per taste

For Gravy:
Tomato 3 Nos
Onion 2 Nos
Ginger 1-2 inch
Garlic 2-3 cloves( or use 2 tbs ginger garlic paste )
Onion chopped 1/2 cup
Cloves 2-3
Khas-khas 2-3
Cinnamon a pinch or two
garam masala

Method:

1) First prepare the stuffing. Boil and mash the potato. Cook the cut vegetables. Make sure that the vegetables are fully cooked.

2) Add chilli-powder, garam masala powder and jeera powder to the mashed potatos and the vegetables. Keep them aside.

3) If you are using paneer, crumble the paneer instead of mashing the potato and follow the same procedure.

4) Now prepare the gravy. Cut tomato and onions. Grind them into a fine paste with ginger & garlic. For flavour add 1 or 2 green chillies ( according to taste).

5) In a pan heat 3-4 tbs of oil. Add (shahi) jeera seeds, bayleaf, cloves and khas khas. When the jeera splatters, add the chopped onions. When the onions change colour, add the tomato onion paste and allow it to cook till it leaves oil on the sides.

6) Meanwhile prepare the capsicum. For stuffing a capsicum cut-off its stem and slowly remove the seeds without tearing the capsicum. Make a hole on the top, big enough to stuff the masala.
7) Try to get small – medium ones. Now stuff the capsicum with enough masala that u prepared.
8)Drop these stuffed capsicums in the cooked gravy. Keep the stove in mid-low and cook them with the lid on.
9) Keep checking and don’t over turn the capsicums . Let the capsicums cook in the gravy till they change color to light green.
10)Garnish them with coriander and little grated paneer and serve it with hot chapati/ tortilla or rice.