Bharwan Mirchi Stuffed Chilli
Ingredients
The Chilli Stuffing
- 8-10 Whole Chillies (slit in the middle and de-seeded)
- 1 cup Besan/Chickpea/Gram Flour
- 2 tbsp Fresh Grated Coconut
- 1 pinch Turmeric Powder
- 1 tsp Coriander Seeds (toasted and roughly pounded)
- ¼ tsp Amchur/Dry Mango Powder
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup Water (as required)
The Sauce/Curry
- 1 cup Red Onion (finely chopped)
- ½ tsp Garlic (finely minced)
- ½ tsp Ginger (finely minced)
- 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 2 tbsp Ghee/Vegetable/Canola oil (use oil if vegan)
- ¼ tsp Mustard Seeds
- ¼ tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- ½ tsp Cumin/Jeera Powder
- ½ tsp Coriander/Dhania Powder
- ½ cup Hot Water
- ¼ tsp Sugar (to balance)
- Salt (to taste)
Instructions
- In a dry pan, toast the coriander seeds until fragrant. Transfer to mortar pestle and crush roughly. To the same dry pan, add the besan/chickpea flour and toast on a low flame until nutty, fragrant and develops just a hint of colour. Transfer to a mixing bowl, add all the remaining stuffing ingredients except water.
- Add the water in batches (you might not need it all) to make a thick paste/batter consistency (not runny). You want it to be able to stay within the stuffed chilli.
- Slit the chillies in the middle leaving the top and bottom still connected. De-seed completely. Add the besan flour mix and stuff into the opening.
- In a pan, heat half the ghee/oil (1 tbsp) and add the chillies skin side down and let them fry well. You want to sear them on all sides until they develop a nice golden charred crust. The steam generated also helps to cook the besan flour batter inside them. Set aside.
- In the same pan, add the remaining ghee. Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the onions and fry until their edges start to turn golden.
- Add the ginger and garlic and fry them until fragrant and no longer smell raw. Add the chilli, coriander and cumin powders and fry for a bit without burning on low heat. Add the tomato paste and let it caramelise well. Dont rush this step, cooking out the tomato paste adds a lot of flavour to the dish.
- Adjust the salt and sugar till you get a well balanced sauce. Add the hot water and mix nicely. Add the chillies on top of the sauce and cover and let it cook on low heat for a couple of minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. Serve hot with flatbreads or as a side with a simple steamed rice and dal.
Notes
If you don't have access to fresh grated coconut, feel free to replace with dry desiccated coconut (unsweetened) and adjust the water accordingly.