Stuffed Capsicums/Bell Peppers Recipe | Spicy Potato Stuffed Bell Peppers

Stuffed Capsicums/Bell Peppers

Sometimes I wonder how I managed to cook 3-4 dishes using complex cooking techniques on same day! Those were pre-Lil Dumpling days where I had few responsibilities and more ‘me’ times! It’s true that I can hardly remember the days before Lil Dumpling came in to our life. I wonder what I used to do in those days! The picture is getting blurry with each passing days and I wonder if I’ll remember those days at all in few years time!

Yes I had wonderful time, reading my favourite books or watching favourite documentaries or movies on telly, snuggled under a cosy run in front of roaring fireplace with HD on winter days. On nice, sunny summer days we would pack our back packs and go for long walks or trek to one of the beautiful, scenic places right on our door steps. Come weekend, a stroll on farmer’s market, lunch at local pubs and then a dinner with friends was on books. It didn’t matter what time we went to bed on Saturday nights as we could wake up as late as we wanted! Sunday mornings and afternoons were spent usually by watching the movie with a large bucket of popcorns and tall glass of fizzy drink. It was a life of parties, shopping, late nights, sleep ins, long days, long walks, long drives, friends, movies, theatres, concerts, and much more… Lazy and carefree days…

Now, it is different…much different… I call them post-LD days. The fact is they are so much better than the pre-LD days! Winters were for building a snowman with carrot nose, sliding on snows and throwing snow balls, snuggling under the thick blanket and drinking hot soups, letting LD experience his first encounter with snow, watching his delight when the snow slowly melts in his fist, cook his first ever solids and get teary when he relished every spoonful of pureed fruits and vegetables, watch him become independent and mobile while he crawled around the house faster than we could run!

Stuffed Capsicums/Bell Peppers

In summer, we spent most of our time in our garden either lying on the green grass and reading books to LD or chasing butterflies with him. While LD got tiered and slept under the shades of cherry blossom tree, we both worked on our tiny vegetable patch growing fruits and vegetables for the family. Evenings were much better, playing peek-a-boos and cooking in the kitchen while LD sat on the floor with different vegetables and fruits, feeling their shape and texture with a wonder in his eyes! While I cooked some quick and simple food, LD would sit on his high chair, looking at me stirring pots and pans and chopping vegetables. These days he mimics my action by stirring wooden ladle on empty plastic bowls and containers, calling me in between to show off his cooking skill :)

There are no more late night parties and waking up in the mid mornings! Instead three of us would snuggle on a cosy sofa, smelling the sweet smell of soft curls tickling our nose while the sun goes down! Some weekends are spent going to parks or a stroll in botanical gardens, pointing different flowers and fruits, and wild life to LD. Some are spent visiting zoo, petting animal farms and some at soft play gyms. Yes, most of our weekends revolve around child friendly activities! Yes, all of weekdays are busy with teaching and involving LD in day to day activities. Our fun times means giving bath to Lil Dumpling who likes to splash water till the ceiling and drenching his parents from top to toe… Our fun time is dancing with LD in our arm… Our fun time is when LD comes running to us, to be held close to our heart and inhale that special baby smell… Our fun time is to watch different emotions on LD’s face when he sees something new… Our fun time is to become a kid with LD… and our fun time is re-living our childhood through LD…

Stuffed Capsicums/Bell Peppers

With so much happening, I don’t like to spend too much time cooking. Don’t get me wrong. I still love cooking but I have been cooking the foods which don’t take too much time. All I cook these days are something simple and yet flavourful which takes under thirty minutes from preparation to cooking time. This means doing all the preparation well in advance so that I don’t waste much time tied to gas cooker! These preparations involving chopping the veggies and freezing them, preparing basic onion-tomato gravies that goes with most of curries and freezing them in separate containers, cooking the lentils, rice and most of the vegetables in pressure cooker which halves the total cooking time, etc.

One other thing I usually prepare well in advance and have in my fridge is boiled potatoes. Never underestimate the importance of simple boiled potatoes! Starting from quick and simple stir fry to dunking in delicious spicy gravy, boiled potatoes just blends with any herbs and spices and marries the flavours of any other vegetables. I frequently use potatoes in cooking, adding them with beans or lentils or by simply mashing them to thicken the gravy! This time, I mashed the potatoes and added selected few spices and then simply used it as a spicy stuffing for Bell Peppers. Since I already had boiled potatoes in fridge which I cooked on previous day, the whole preparation of this delicious Stuffed Capsicums/Bell Peppers took under ten minutes. While the bell peppers were roasting nicely in an oven, I quickly heated the frozen chapattis and made simple Tadka Dal using pre-cooked lentils. A complete meal was ready under 30 minutes and I was happy to spend rest of the day playing and reading to Lil Dumpling and just watching him growing!

Bell Peppers and Potato for Stuffed Capsicums/Bell Peppers

Stuffed Capsicums/Bell Peppers

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Stuffed Capsicums/Bell Peppers (Bell Peppers stuffed with spicy potato mash and topped with cheese)

Prep Time: 5-10 mins

Cooking Time: Around 30 mins (includes time for cooking the potatoes)

Recipe Level: Easy/Beginner

Spice Level: Medium

Serves: 6-8 people 

Shelf Life: Tastes best when served fresh but can be refrigerated for 2-3 days

Serving Suggestion: As a side dish with Basmati rice or Indian flat breads and some gravy or lentil based dish

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Ingredients:
4 medium Capsicums/Bell Peppers

For the Stuffing:
2 large Potato, cooked, peeled and mashed
1 tsp Garam Masala (Adjust acc to taste)
¼ tsp Jeera/Cumin Powder
½ tsp Dhania/Coriander Powder
¼ tsp Haldi/Turmeric Powder
½ tsp Red Chilli Powder/Paprika (Optional, adjust acc to taste)
½ tsp Amchur/Dry Mango Powder
¼ cup grated Cheese of your choice (I used mature Cheddar)
Salt to taste

Spicy potato filling for Stuffed Capsicums/Bell Peppers

Stuffed Capsicums/Bell Peppers

Stuffed Capsicums/Bell Peppers

Method:

1. Pre heat the oven to 200 deg C or 400 deg F. Line the baking tray with parchment or aluminium foil.
2. Mix in all the spice powders listed above along with salt to taste to smoothly mashed potatoes. Make sure that all the spices are mixed well and no lumps are formed.
3. Halve the capsicums/bell peppers vertically and remove the seeds.
4. Stuff the halved, deseeded bell peppers with spiced potato mash. Make sure that you stuff them evenly.
5. Once all the bell peppers are stuffed, arrange them on lined baking tray.
6. Sprinkle little grated cheese on top and bake them in middle rack for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese melts and the skin of bell pepper wrinkles and browns.
7. Serve the Stuffed Capsicums/Bell Peppers hot with flavoured Basmati rice or any Indian flat breads and gravy based dish. Alternatively you can serve them with toast and soup.

Stuffed Capsicums/Bell Peppers

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Sia’s Notes:

• Add as little or as many spices as you like. You can also add a tsp of crushed Kasuri Methi or dried fenugreek leaves for earthy flavour.
• The cooking time varies depending on the size of bell peppers used. I have used medium sized bell peppers here.
• I used mature Cheddar cheese as that’s what I had in my fridge. You can use mozzarella or any other cheese of your liking or simply leave it out!