Ohhhh, I love this dish. I make this dish regularly when I have an over-abundant crop of bell peppers in the backyard, and when I feel like eating something spicy and crunchy without having to eat carbs to accompany it. Like so many of my recipes, I have modified this dish to suit our tastes over the years and to use whatever is available at home at that time. I rarely make this dish exactly the same way twice; l use a different set of herbs, vegetables and seasoning depending on what strikes my fancy while looking through the spice cabinet and the refrigerator’s crisper section.
Stuffed Bell Pepper Ingredients
What Peppers to Use?
Red, orange and yellow bell peppers have a very different flavor than green bell peppers. The red ones especially are much sweeter. Any bell pepper can be used for this recipe; use the type you like the best. Or better yet, use all the colors to encourage your children and picky family members to try them. Make sure the peppers are fresh and firm to touch.
And the Stuffing?
I’ve used all kinds of stuffing right from cooked brown jeera rice with chopped veggies, to cooked tri-color quinoa salad (that was left over from another meal), to potato-peas curry (again a left-over). Top with shredded parmesan cheese for a nice browned look. Add coriander-cumin powder to the mix before baking. Dashes of ground white or black pepper, dried oregano and thyme add a mild but delicious flavor to the stuffing. Other stuffings that will work fantastic are:
- Raw Banana-Potato Sauté
- Cabbage and Carrot Masala
- Aloo Gobi
- Eggplant Potato Spicy Medley
- Spicy Bell Pepper Potato
- Cabbage & Beans Poriyal
- Crispy Air-Fried Masala Okra
- Yummy Green Beans Potato Curry
- Aloo Palak
- Delish Bell Pepper & Eggplant Sauté
The whole recipe is quite forgiving so you can add an extra ingredient here or leave out another there and it’ll still be delicious. So, go ahead and get creative on what you want to stuff your peppers with. I’d love to know the variations you have tried.
Raita Accompaniments
I love to eat this dish with raita! Here are a few suggestions:
- Mooli (Daikon Radish) Raita
- Tomato Onion Tadka Raita
- Doddapatre Tambuli (Karpooravalli Thayir Pachadi)
Can I Freeze the Stuffed Bell Peppers?
Of course, you can!! These Stuffed Bell Peppers can be stored for up to a week in the fridge and will reheat perfectly. If you’re interested in meal prepping for the week, these stuffed bell peppers are a GREAT option. Freezing these babies is an awesome way to make sure you have quick meals on busy weeknights. They’ll last up to 3 months in the freezer, too.
To freeze them well, cover them up in aluminum foil and store in an air-tight container. You can freeze them either baked (in which case, it will need just about 20 mins in the oven to reheat) or fresh. When you’re ready to enjoy these stuffed bell peppers for a tasty dinner, just remove all the wrapping and bake, frozen, at 350 degrees F until they are thawed and heated through, about 45 minutes to one hour. If you’d prefer, you can also thaw them in the refrigerator before cooking and they will heat through faster.
Note: The calorie information is for a snack (half a stuffed bell pepper per person).
Hope you enjoy this dish, dear readers!
This grain-free, low calorie dish packs in many nutrients including high doses of Vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium and healthy fiber from the stuffing. Bell Peppers also contain a healthy dose of fiber, folate and iron.
Do you love our posts and recipes? We’d LOVE to see your creations so click a photo and tag us on Instagram with the hashtag #healthyindian3 and please give a star (★) rating below. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube & Tumblr for healthy, easy and delicious recipes and lifestyle tips.
*There could be affiliate links in this blog. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Avocado Oil - Cold Pressed
- 1/4 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1/4 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds - Jeera seeds
- 1/4 Teaspoon Urad Dal - Split black gram
- 1/4 Teaspoon Chana Dal - Split Bengal gram
- 2 Cloves Garlic - Minced
- 1/2 Inch Ginger - Fresh, Grated
- 2 Medium Green Chili Pepper - Or to taste
- 1/4 Cup Onion - Sweet, Finely Chopped
- 2 Whole Green Bell Peppers - Cut lengthwise, de-stalked, de-seeded
- 1/2 Cup Sweet Potato - Finely Chopped
- 1/2 Cup Zucchini - Finely Chopped
- 1/2 Cup Yellow Squash - Finely Chopped
- 1/4 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt - Or to taste
- 1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
Instructions
- Heat oil in a thick bottom pan on medium flame. Splutter mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Add chana dal, urad dal and saute for 15 seconds. Add chopped green chilies, grated ginger and minced garlic and saute for 20-30 seconds.
- Add chopped onions, saute until onions are translucent. Add chopped sweet potatoes and saute for 6 minutes or until lightly cooked. Add chopped green zucchini, yellow squash and salt and continue to saute for another 3-5 mins. Keep the vegetables on the raw side and don't let them overcook because you will bake them in the oven after this.
- Halve the green bell peppers lengthwise, remove their stalk and seeds and brush a little oil inside and outside the peppers. Place each pepper in an oven-safe baking dish, cut side up. Stuff the bell peppers with the filling mix. If there is extra stuffing, you can spread it around the peppers in the baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the peppers are crunchy-soft but not over-cooked - about 5 to 15 minutes. Oven temperatures vary, so keep an eye.
- Remove from oven and serve piping hot with yogurt mixed with crushed dried mint leaves
Love this dish! Tastes great by itself or with flat bread (roti)
Thanks CA.