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bharwa shimla mirch on a wooden block
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Bharwa Shimla Mirch (Stuffed Green Bell Peppers)

Bharwa shimla mirch is a healthy vegan Indian recipe that's very popular in the northern parts of the country. Small green bell peppers are filled with a spicy potato filling and baked in the oven. Serve with flat Indian breads like roti or paratha.
Course Brunch/Dinner
Cuisine Indian
Keyword bharwa shimla mirch, Indian stuffed peppers, stuffed and baked capsicum
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6 peppers
Calories 249.8kcal
Author Saima Zaidi

Equipment

  • Small frypan
  • Spice grinder or coffee grinder
  • Saucepan
  • Oven

Ingredients

  • 6 small green bell peppers
  • 1 medium red onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1.5 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 0.5 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 5 small russet potatoes
  • 2 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
  • 0.5 teaspoon amchur or mango powder optional
  • 0.25 teaspoon garam masala powder
  • salt to taste

Instructions

Prep the ingredients

  • Cut off the tops of the green peppers and scoop out the seeds to make a hollow in each. Reserve the tops.
  • Chop the onion and garlic.
  • Put the coriander and cumin seeds in a small frypan and roast over medium heat until the spices are fragrant and change color slightly. When cool, grind coarsely in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and keep aside.
  • Boil the potatoes until soft. Peel and mash them roughly. 

Make the potato filling

  • Heat the cooking oil in a frypan or skillet and add the chopped onions and garlic. Fry on medium heat until the onions just start browning.
  • Add the coriander and cumin mix, followed by the red chilli powder, amchur, garam masala, and salt. Fry for a couple of seconds only making sure the spices don't burn.
  • Add the potatoes and mix well with the spices. Fry for 4-5 minutes and remove from the hob. Let the potato mixture cool down. 

Stuff and bake the peppers

  • Preheat the oven to 400 Fahrenheit.
  • Fill each pepper with the potatoes and replace the tops. Arrange the peppers on a baking tray and brush the tops and sides with oil. 
  • Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 20 minutes. 
  • Optional: if you want the tops of the peppers to brown, press 'broil' (high) and allow the peppers to acquire a slight char. Remove from the oven after two minutes. 
  • The bell peppers are ready to be served with some bread of your choice. 

Notes

  1. The green, small peppers found in Indian groceries are ideal for this recipe. However, if this is not an option, go for the smallest green peppers you can find, not the large ones.
  2. If you have an instant pot, you can can use it to prep the potatoes. I set it to 8 minutes pressure cooking on high with quick pressure release. It's easier than boiling the potatoes on the stovetop. 
  3. Amchur (mango powder) and garam masala are available easily in any Indian grocery. 
  4. If you are not strictly vegan, add some crumbled paneer or even shredded cheddar or mozzarella to the potato mix once it cools down. This is totally optional, of course. 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1bell pepper | Calories: 249.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 46.7g | Protein: 6.5g | Fat: 5.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4.3g | Sodium: 116.2mg | Fiber: 7.2g | Sugar: 5.2g