Mini Pepper Salan; Mirchi ka (Stuffed) Salan

 

A routine trip to grocery store, while picking produce that were in my list, saw these organic Mini Peppers..those multi color mini peppers were so cute that I grabbed them too. It is not that I saw these Mini Sweet Peppers for the first time, but this time they caught my fancy and I already visualized how I was going to cook them.

Colorful peppers on a bed of thick tomato gravy...my initial thought, then I planned to stuff them like stuffed bell pepper I make and then place them on Baghare Baingan gravy...kind of mirchi ka stuffed Salan! It turned out super yum!

Ingredients: 

1. Mini peppers-7
2. Boiled potato-1
3. Onion-1
4. Garlic-4 cloves
5. Coriander seeds-1 tsp.
6. Cumin seeds-1 tsp.
7. Whole red chili-1
8. Peanuts-1 tsp.
9. White sesame seeds-1 tsp.
10. Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp.
11. Red chili powder-3 tsp.
12. Tomato-1
13. Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp.
14. Salt
15. Tamarind-1/2 tsp. soaked in water
16. Curry leaves-3-4
17. Garam masala powder-1 tsp.
18. Kalonji or Karela masala-1 tsp.
19. Water for gravy

 

Procedure:

• Dry roast items from number 5- 9.
• Cool and grind.
• In a blender, make a paste of onion-garlic and tomato.
• Also mix dry roasted spices.
• Now wash and slit peppers.
• Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan and add half finely chopped onion, when it becomes translucent, add boiled and mashed potato, garam masala, kalonji masala, salt, red chili powder.
• Cook for about 2 minutes mixing everything.
• Set aside and cool it, then stuff into mini peppers.
• Now heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, then add curry leaves.
• Now add blended masala, red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt.
• Bhuno properly.
• After 10 minutes, add tamarind and keep bhunoing till oil starts separating.
• While masala is bhunoing on slow medium flame, in another pan heat 1 tsp. oil and add stuffed peppers.
• Cover and cook for about 5 minutes and then turn them, cook till they are done, there should not be dark or charred spot on their bodies.
• When masala is properly bhun gaya, add 1/2 cup water and place stuffed peppers.
• Keep aside 2-3 for garnishing.
• Cover and turn off the heat after  a couple of minutes.
• Serve with chapatis, dal and rice.