STUFFED PEPPERS AND TOMATOES WITH A DESI (INDIAN) TASTE

My first ever taste of stuffed peppers and tomatoes was in Greece - years ago!. The peppers were drizzled in Olive oil and were stuffed with beans and cheese.  They tasted divine and I have never been able to replicate that taste - but then food always tastes great when you are hungry and you don't have much of a choice in vegetarian food.

I think my recipe is very different to the Greek recipe as my filling is very much to a Desi taste.  I have also made it  healthier by not using much oil.

Ingredients for 3-4 servings:

6 large peppers – I used red and yellow but any colour are fine
3 large tomatoes
1 cup readymade salsa
1 medium onion, chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon of grated or blended ginger
1 teaspoon of blended fresh green chillies (can use more if you like hot food)
1 cup of basmati rice
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Method

1.    Soak the basmati rice for at least 20 minutes and then cook it. Best method is to cook it with plenty of water and then drain the water and transfer the rice to a bowl.

2.   Cut a slice off the top of each pepper, remove centre core and seeds. Save the tops to cover the pepper during cooking.

3.    Cut a slice off the top of each tomato – remove the centre core juices and seeds into a cooking vessel. My tomatoes were very juicy. Save the tops to cover the pepper during cooking.

4.     Add the salsa to the tomato juices and cook them for 5-6 minutes or until the fresh tomatoes get soft and blend with the salsa. Add the onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies to the tomatoes. Add the salt and taste.

5.   Add the rice to the tomato mixture and cook until all the moisture is absorbed. Mine took less than 3 minutes.

6.      Brush each pepper and tomato on the outside with the olive oil and then stand them upright in an ovenproof dish.

7.    Transfer the mixture into the pepper and tomatoes and cover them with the tops you had sliced off.

8. Bake for 20 -25 minutes in a pre-heated oven at Gas Mark 4 (350°F/180°C) until the peppers are tender.   I like my peppers to be slightly undercooked but you can cook longer if you like them over cooked.

9. Serve hot with a salad.


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