Stuffed Bell Peppers in Peanut-Sesame Sauce

Want to color your life healthy? Then eat bright colour fruit and vegetable.  
Brightly colored bell peppers, are rich sources of some of the best nutrients available. Bell peppers, also known as sweet peppersor capsicum, are like the Christmas ornaments of the vegetable world since they are beautifully shaped, glossy in appearance and come in a variety of vivid colors such as green, red, yellow, orange, even in purple, brown and black. Bell peppers are not 'hot' like other peppers. They contain a recessive gene that eliminates capsaicin, the compound responsible for the 'hotness' found in other peppers.

Health Benefits of bell peppers/capsicum : 

Brightly colored bell peppers, whether green, red, orange or yellow, are rich sources of some of the best nutrients available. To start, peppers are excellent sources of vitamin C and vitamin A (through its concentration of carotenoids such as beta-carotene), two very powerful antioxidants. These antioxidants work together to effectively neutralize free radicals, which can travel through the body causing huge amounts of damage to cells. Free radicals are major players in the build up of cholesterol in the arteries that leads to atherosclerosis and heart disease, the nerve and blood vessel damage seen in diabetes, the cloudy lenses of cataracts, the joint pain and damage seen in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, and the wheezing and airway tightening of asthma. By providing these two potent free radical destroyers, bell peppers may help prevent or reduce some of the symptoms of these conditions by shutting down the source of the problem. So it creates Protection against Free Radicals, Cardiovascular Disease, Promote Optimal Health, Promote Lung Health, Protection against Rheumatoid Arthritis and Better Eyesight...

Vitamin A & C content in red, green and yellow bell pepper(in 1/2 cup, chopped):

RED PEPPER :          Vitamin A  45%,     Vitamin C 240%
YELLOW PEPPER :  Vitamin A 2%,        Vitamin C 230%
GREEN PEPPER :     Vitamin A  4%,       Vitamin C 60%

Now, you already know what my recipe contains today....Yes, yes, Bell peppers, I just love to add them in our diet..Because of their hollow appearance, we love to stuff bell peppers. Almost every cuisine has their own stuffed bell pepper recipes. With Rice, meat, lentils, vegetables, nuts and cheese and so many more things are used to stuff the bell peppers. I love to stuff bell peppers with potatoes. Normally, I just stuff peppers and brown them and serve them with pulao or other things. Few days back, while I was browsing thru Indira's Blog, Mahanandi, I found her stuffed bell pepper recipe and she made a peanut-sesame seed sauce with it. After seeing that colorful sauce I had to try it and I made and served my guests. They were spellbound. It was worth all the effort, it's such an unique recipe, thanks, Indira for sharing the recipe.

Stuffed bell peppers in peanut-sesame sauce

BTW, The stuffing recipe is mine. Let's move on to the recipe, it's going to be big...couldn't take a good pic, sorry , had no time..

Ingredients : 

Bell peppers(any color) : as needed( try to get smaller sized capsicums, bigger one doesn't look good for this curry)
For stuffing --------
Potato : 3 (big)
Green peas: 1/2 a cup
Onion : 1(chopped)
Ginger-garlic paste :L 1 tblsp.
Tomato : 1(small-chopped)
Green chilli : 2(finely chopped)
Cumin seeds : 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 2 tsp.
Red chilli powder : 1-2 tsp.
Cumin-coriander powder : 2tsp.
Roasted peanut (raw peanuts roast and ground) : 1/2 cup (not totally powdered, but ground into very small chunks)
Fresh coriander leaves : a bunch(chopped)

For peanut-sesame sauce : 

Sesame seed : 1/4 cup
Raw Peanuts : 1/4 cup
Cloves : 2-3
Cinnmon : 2(1" pieces)
Jaggery powder : 1 tblsp.
Tamarind juice : 1 tblsp.
Salt to taste

Oil : 4-5 tblsp.

Method : 

• Pick small sized capsicums. Wash and trim the top off, remove the seeds and membrane and make a hollow space. Dip in a bowl of salted water for 10-12 minutes.
• Boil the potatoes, mash and keep aside.
• For stuffing, take a pan, heat 1 tblsp. oil, add cumin seeds. Then add chopped onions, ginger-garlic paste, green chillies and tomatoes. Saute for a while, add all powdered spices, thena add mashed potaoes, green peas and mix well. Stir for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and add roasted peanuts. Mix well, add chopped coriander leaves, mix well with the potaoes and remove from heat. Your stuffing is ready.
• Fill bell peppers with the potato stuffing to the top. Take a big and wide frying pan, add 2 tblsp. of oil, place bell peppers neatly in a circle. Cook them covered on medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Turn them to sides in between, so they could get brown from all sides. Caution : Be careful while handing these beauties, as they are tend to break if overcooked. Just cook them until they are browned and tender to touch. Mine has also become little overcooked.

• Meantime, roast peanuts and sesame seed for the sauce. Take them in a grinder with all the other ingredients. Grind them to a smooth paste.

• Heat 2 tblsp. oil in another big and wide frying pan. Add the peanut-sesame sauce and about 2/3 cup of water. Mix well. Simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add salt and a bit of sugar to adjust your taste. Place browned capsicums directly from the other pan to this pan of cooked sauce very carefully, put little sauce over the bell peppers. Cook covered for another 8-10 minutes in medium heat.

Serve hot or in room temperature with rice, chapati, naan or with any Indian bread...I know, it's a labory, time consuming dish, but when you taste it, you will feel it's worth the effort...enjoy these beauties.....................

Sending this royal and festive dish to Sudeshna of Cook Like a Bong ,

who is celebrating upcoming Durga Puja with Durga Puja Food Festival....send her your festive recipe,too, friends......................deadline 22nd September,'09
And to EC of Simple Indian Food for her Festive Treat event