Bell Peppers with Spicy Pork Stuffing

I had been longing to try my hand at making stuffed bell peppers, but I kept putting it off until recently (actually, not that recent, come to think of it; just didn't get the time to post this sooner).  Bell peppers were on sale (thanks to the bountiful Summer), and I thought that it would be just the right time to have a go at this. 

 

Anyone that knows me, knows I'm a big fan of spicy food, and fortunately for me, my son is too!  Therefore, I knew what my stuffing would be - a spicy meat filling.  

I had originally wanted to make the filling with lamb, but since luck didn't favour me that day, I didn't find ground lamb at the supermarket.  I'm not very fond of ground beef or chicken, so my only other option was to settle for pork.

I made this recipe up as I went along, and you can pretty much use any kind of meat for the filling.  I like to use a lot of onions, ginger and garlic, but you can always adapt the measurements to your taste.

I do plan to retry this recipe with crumbled Indian cottage cheese, called paneer, and mixed veggies sometime in the future.  I will be starting to get ready for my cooking classes again, so I have a sneaking feeling it won't be anytime soon.  If you try it ahead of me, please drop me a line to let me know how that came along.

Here's the recipe that serves four!

Bell Peppers Stuffed with Spicy Pork

Ingredients

Bell peppers - 4 large (any kind will do; I used orange and yellow)

Ground pork: 250 gms

Onion, sliced - 1 medium

Green peas (frozen or fresh) - 1 cup

Potato, cubed - 1 medium

Croutons - 1 cup

Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Ginger paste - 1 tsp

Cinnamon - 1/2 stick

Cloves - 2

Green cardamom - 2

Peppercorns - 10

Cumin powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder - to taste (remember we're adding peppercorns)

Salt - to taste

Fresh coriander, chopped - 1/2 cup

Olive oil - 3 tbsp

Method

For the stuffing:

1. In a grinder, add cinnamon, cloves, green cardamom and peppercorns and grind to a fine powder.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large saucepan on medium heat, and add the ginger and garlic paste.  
3. Saute for a minute and then add the sliced onion.
4. Add the salt, and let the onions cook until they become translucent.
5. Make a paste of all the spice powders with a couple of tablespoons of water and add to the onions.
6. Let the spices cook for a few minutes, till they are nice and aromatic.
7. While the spices are cooking, microwave the small potato cubes in 2 cups of water, so they are half-cooked (oven settings vary, but about 2 minutes on high in a 1000w oven).  Drain the potatoes and set aside.
8. Once the spices look nicely cooked and you see the oil starting to leave the onion, add the ground pork. Cook well, breaking up any lumps with a spatula.
9. Add the potatoes at this stage, cover the saucepan and let cook for about 10 mins, stirring frequently.
10. When the potatoes are almost cooked, add the green peas, and cook covered for an additional 5 mins. 
11. Add the croutons and fresh coriander, and mix them in well.
12. The filling needs to be really dry, so if you see any moisture, cook uncovered for a few more minutes until completely dry. 

For the bell peppers:

1. Wash the bell peppers very thoroughly under warm running water and pat dry with a paper towel.
2. Slice off the tops of the peppers and retain.
3. Pass a knife very carefully around the insides of the peppers to remove the seeds and the white pith. Be careful not to puncture the flesh on the sides or the bottom.
4. Wipe down the insides of the peppers with a paper towel, making sure it's completely dry. 
5. Take a few drops of the remaining oil on your fingertips and rub the insides and outsides of the peppers.  
6. Stuff the peppers generously with the pork filling, and put the tops back on.
7. Preheat oven to 350 deg.
8. Line a baking sheet/tray with foil sprayed or rubbed with oil.
9. Place the peppers on the tray and bake for about 45 mins to an hour (time could vary with different ovens). Make sure that the peppers are cooked, but not completely mushy.  They won't hold their shape, otherwise.
10. Take the peppers out and gently brush them down with a little more oil.
11. Put the oven to the highest temperature setting, and put the peppers back in for another 5- 7 minutes, till the skin starts to char a little. 
12. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes, as they will be too hot to handle. 
13. Carefully remove the peppers to a serving plate, and serve immediately.  Remember that the peppers will be a little soft and will need really careful handling to ensure they retain their shape.

Enjoy!  My son loved it, as you can tell from his plate! :)