Stuffed Green Bullet Chillies (Bharela marcha )

STUFFED GREEN BULLET CHILLIES

As you read this recipe, you are probably thinking that this is not for you or you are thinking - hey I can handle this!!! Let me tell you that anyone can enjoy this dish if they follow my recipe. Are you up for the challenge?

Fact: It is said that chillis can help fight off winter colds and eating them certainly releases endorphins that helps lift the spirits. Chillies are packed with vitamins, containing more Vitamin C than oranges, more Vitamin A than carrots and such high levels of Vitamin D that some athletes eat them prior to exercising to reduce the risk of injury.

The active ingredient in chillies, capsacin has been known to reduce the amount of insulin the body needs to lower blood sugar levels after a meal by up to about 60% which could be of benefit to diabetics and the overweight.

Chillies are natural anti-oxidents and can help to prevent cancer. It has long been noted that cultures that regularly consume chillies have lower than average rates of cancer. Recent tests on rats with prostrate cancer showed that large doses of capsacin caused the death of 80% of cancer cells making it a possible part of a future cure.

Ingredients (serves 2):

1 dozen green bullet chillies (You can use any chillies - I used jalapenos.   Red or Yellow thai sweet chillies can be milder. Tip: The larger the chilly - the milder it is.)
2 tablespoons cumin powder
2 tablespoons coriander powder
2 (or 3 if required!)tablespoons brown sugar or jaggery (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaggery)
2 tablespoons chickpea flour
half a teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cooking oil to add to the spices
2 tablespoons cooking oil for the curry
1 teaspoon dry mustard seeds
6 tablespoons of crushed tomato (tinned)


Method:

1. Cut and wash the green chillies. Cut the stalks and remove all the seeds from the chilly. Soak the chiilies in plenty of cold water never in warm or hot water or it will set you off coughing and sneezing - similar to when you sniff pepper!! You could wear gloves if doing this for the first time.
Tip: Removing the seeds is the only way to reduce a chilli's heat.

2. Remove the chillies from the cold water and dry the chillies on a kitchen paper.

3. Mix all the spices, the chickpea flour and oil in a saucepan.

4. Gently warm the spices for 3 to 4 minutes until you get a lovely nutty fragrance. The jaggery or sugar will start to melt. Allow the mixture to cool.

5. Gently fill each chilly with this mixture.

6. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and add in a teaspoon of dry mustard seeds.

7. Once the mustard seeds start to pop, add in the chillies one by one.

8. Gently stir them so that they are covered in the oil.

9. Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes.

10. Add the blended tomatoes on top of the chillies and allow the curry to cook on a low heat for 10 minutes. If the heat is high, the chillies will start to burn and the masala will stick to the bottom of the saucepan. The tomatoes will give it moisture to cook gently.

11. Prick a chilly to see that it has softened. Gently stir and its ready to serve the chillies. 

12. This curry is usually served as an accompanyment to other curries, rice and chappatis.

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