Stuffed peppers in tomato gravy (bharena marcha nu shaak)

I love sweet peppers in a salad, sandwich or a curry.  The lovely colours and the flavours also look appealing.   They are an easy vegetable to prepare and cook.  My recipe for masala stuffed peppers is here.  This dish is a lot similar but cooked in a tomato gravy.

Ingredients for 4 servings

10 Baby bell peppers

1 medium red onion

½ cup mixture of cumin and coriander powder (often called dhana jeeru)

½ cup porridge oats  (grind these in a coffee grinder)

½ cup  chickpea flour (also called gram flour)

½ cup roasted and ground peanuts (for those who are allergic-leave out the nuts)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chili powder

2-3 cloves of fresh garlic

2 tbs cooking oil to add to the spices

2 tbs cooking oil for the curry

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 cup of  passata

Method:

To prepare the stuffing:

1.  Grind the roasted peanuts and oats in a coffee grinder.

2.  Prepare the stuffing by adding the chick pea flour, cumin powder, coriander, ground peanuts, freshly blended garlic, salt and chili powder into a small non stick frying fan.

3.  Add the two tablespoons of oil to the mixture and lightly toast the mixture so that all the flavours blend together.

4.  Allow the mixture to cool.

Prepare the peppers:

5.  Slice the peppers lengthwise and soak them in cold water so that all the peppers seeds get washed away.

6.   Stuff the peppers with the spices and arrange them in a small saucepan.

7.  Slice the onion into fairly big chunks and spread on top of the peppers 

8.  In a second saucepan, heat the oil and add the mustard seeds to it.  Once the mustard seeds start popping, add in the half the  Passata and allow to cook for a couple of minute and spread this on top of the stuffed peppers.

9.  Also spread any left over masala on top of the tomatoes.

10. Add the rest of the passata and one cup of hot water to the curry and allow the peppers to cook - turning the occasionally using a spoon or metal tongs.

11. Once the peppers feel soft – the curry is ready to serve.

12.  Serve the peppers as a main dish or a side dish with hot chappatis and rice.

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