Stuffed Bell peppers

There are few days that we have a one dish filling meal for dinner. I get innovative with stuffing peppers. I had watched my sister stuffing green capsicums with vegetables and saute’ them in a non-stick pan. Her husband used to prepare the peppers, carefully without tearing them and with not a single seed left within. Then she would fill the prepared stuffing and tie the top of the pepper in place before cooking it. I used to think it was too much work. Later, I knew that my husband loved these stuffed peppers and started cooking them at home. One thing led to another and I was making different fillings. Sometimes with fried rice, other times with sprouts and so on. This recipe is with paruppu usli filled in the peppers. Needless to say, that was our dinner one night when I had baked some barley buns, that weren’t great.

On to the recipe,
Ingredients:
3 medium coloured bell peppers
1 teaspoon oil to brush on the surface
For the filling:
¼ cup thuvar dhal
2 teaspoons urad dhal
2 table spoons channa dhal
A fist full of finely chopped beans/cabbage
1 dry red chilli
1 green chilli
1’’ piece of ginger
2 teaspoons oil
Salt to taste.
Wash and pat dry the bell peppers. With a sharp knife, slit an opening on the top.
Insert the knife and gently scoop out the seeds from inside.
Keep the peppers turned upside down and prod the seeds out.
Keep them in a bowl of very warm water and allow to come to a boil. Switch the heat off and let the peppers stand in the water for two more minutes.
Remove from the water and let the water drain well.
Wash and soak the dhals together for an hour. Drain and grind to a coarse paste adding the chillis and the ginger.
Remove from blender and add the salt.
Steam this paste for 8 minutes on stove top or in a microwave steamer for 5 minutes.
Remove, crumble the mass. Microwave the chopped vegetables until soft.
Heat oil in a pan and cook the mass and vegetables until they blend well and are almost dry. There should be enough moisture to hold the mass in your fist to a shape.
Spoon this filling into the prepared bell peppers. Brush some oil on the surface of the peppers.
Place the peppers in a microwave proof bowl. Cover with a lid and cook on 100% power for 4 minutes. Allow to stand for 5 minutes.
Remove from the microwave and cut a cross section and serve hot.

I have not been keeping normal health for the past week. Kindly bear with me for not reading posts. I shall be full on soon, God willing and then my participation and interaction will certainly improve. Till then, please bear with my absence and continue dishing out lovely dishes.