Bell Pepper stuffed with potatoes (Capsicum, Shimla Mirch)

Stuffed Bell pepper with potatoes
(Bharwa Capsicum (Shimla mirch)

Stuffed Bell Pepper is also known as, bharwan capsicum, Bharwan Shimla mirch or stuffed capsicum. This is a flavorful and exotic side dish prepared
with stuffing capsicum with spicy potato and onion filling. This is one of those dishes that look like they take a lot of time and effort to make but in truth it is very easy to prepare and taste delicious.

Bell peppers are beautiful bell shaped vegetable. They have glossy exterior they come in yellow, red and green color. Generally for preparing the Stuffed capsicum dish, green capsicum is used. There are many variations both veg and non-veg to the stuffing masala. The stuffing used in making the stuffed capsicum enhances the flavors by giving a distinct taste of its own. So cook and experiment with different kind of stuffing.

Ingredients:

4     Medium green bell peppers
4     Medium size potatoes
2     Medium size onions – chopped
       length wise
2     Teaspoons coriander powder
1     Teaspoon red chili powder
2     Teaspoons mango powder
       (Amchoor powder)
2½ Teaspoons salt or to your taste
3     Tablespoons vegetable oil

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Bell peppers
(capsicum, shimla mirch)

Directions: 

1. Wash and boil the potatoes.

Wash the Potatoes

Boil Potatoes

Potatoes are boiled, check if they are tender

Drain the water & let potatoes cool down

2. Once potatoes cool down peel and mash them coarsely either by hand or with a spoon or fork or a potato masher. (do not make a potato paste)

Boiled and peeled Potatoes

Coarsely mash the Potatoes

3. Wash the peppers. Take one pepper at a time and with a knife cut the stem.

Wash the Bell Peppers

Cut the stem of the Bell pepper

4. With a sharp knife gently slice the top off the bell pepper and save it for the
cap.

Slice the top of Bell Pepper

Inner part of Bell Pepper

5. Run a knife around the Bell Pepper and cut its inner part.

6 . Remove all the white part and the seeds to make the Bell peppers hollow.
   Keep the peppers aside.

7. It is important that the Bell Peppers are able to balance upright on their own.
     Slice off a little off the bottom so that the peppers can stand without rolling
  over.

Run the knife around & cut inside

Remove inside seeds & membrane

Hollow Bell pepper

Bottom of the Bell Peppers are sliced

Slice the bottom off the pepper

Scooped out capsicum shells

8. On medium high heat add 2 tablespoons of oil in a nonstick frying pan or
heavy bottom stainless steel pan, add sliced onions and sauté them for 5 to 6
minutes or until they become light brown.

In a pan add oil, sliced onions & fry

Onions become light brown

9. Add mashed potatoes, sprinkle salt, coriander powder, red chili powder and
    mango powder and mix with onions, drizzle 1 tablespoon oil over the potatoes,
    and fry them for 5 to 6 minutes. while potatoes are frying flip them upside
    down few times, so that they get fried evenly. Turn the stove off, let the
    potatoes cool down.

Mashed Potatoes

Add Potatoes into fried onions

Sprinkle Coriander powder, Red chili powder & Mango powder

Mix Spices with Potatoes

Sprinkle Oil over Potatoes

Potatoes are cooked

10 .Grease a baking dish.

Potato stuffing

Grease a baking dish

11. Grease your hand and rub them around the bell peppers.

12. Now stuff each pepper with the potatoes. With the fingers press down the
potatoes to ensure they are well filled.

Rub the Oil on the Bell Peppers

Stuff the Bell pepper with stuffing

13. Place the stuffed pepper in the baking dish and place the top of bell
peppers on the stuffed peppers to secure the cap insert a tooth pick.

Bell peppers stuffed with potato filling

Insert the tooth pick

14. Turn the oven on at 350 degree, place the baking dish uncovered in the oven
and bake it for 15 to 20 minutes or until the peppers become tender. Poke the
peppers with a fork or a knife to determine whether they are tender.

Place the dish in the Oven

Stuffed bell peppers are baked

15.   Once the peppers become tender turn the oven to broil for 7 to 8 minutes so
      that the skin of peppers become crispy. If you wish to make the top surface
      of stuffing crunchy then with the  thongs remove the top cap of the peppers
      and place the dish back in the oven and bake it on the  broil for few minutes.
    Turn the oven off and take the dish out from the oven.

Remove the cap of the peppers and place them in the oven

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Tips:

1. Sprinkle plain bread crumbs or paneer on the top of the stuffed potatoes before
    baking.

2. You could add onion slices on the top of potatoes before baking.

3.   For variations add crumbled paneer with the potato stuffing.

4.   Masala khema could be stuffed in the bell peppers.

5. If you do not have oven then you can cook the peppers in the frying pan.

* In a pan heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Add stuffed Capsicum and cook on low
     flame.
* Flip the Capsicum every 1 min. to avoid burning or extra cooking Capsicum.
* Make sure that each corner (up, down, sides) of the Capsicum has to be
    cooked. Else, there will be uncooked portion
*  Once you see that all the corners of the Capsicum are properly cooked, switch
     of the stove. Your Bharwa shimla Mirch is ready to serve.

Place the Pepper in the pan

Cook the pepper from all sides

Please take the time to let me know what you think about my recipe. Your comments would be helpful to me to improve the recipe.

Thank you.

Geeta Seth

Other recipes:

Bell peppers with onions & potatoes           Karela stuffed with masala
(Capsicum, shimla mirch)

Eggplant stuffed with masala                     Stuffed okra (Bhindi)

Stuffed potatoes                                           Stuffed banana peppers

Stuffed cabbage rolls (Bandh gobi)           Stuffed paneer kofta balls

Stuffed Bell pepper with potatoes (Bharwa Capsicum (Shimla mirch)

Stuffed Bell pepper with potatoes
(Bharwa Capsicum (Shimla mirch)