Bharwa Shimla Mirch is a delicious recipe of green bell peppers stuffed with spiced mashed potatoes filling and then further cooked.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 30 minutes
  • Cook time: 25 minutes
  • Total time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 2 · 2 to 3
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Cuisine: North Indian, Punjabi

Ingredients

  • 4 to 5 medium to large shimla mirch ((capsicum or green bell peppers))
  • 4 to 5 medium potatoes (or about 180 to 200 grams potatoes)
  • ⅓ to ½ cup steamed or cooked peas (- optional)
  • 1 small onion, (finely chopped or ¼ cup finely chopped onion)
  • 1 green chili, (chopped)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1 pinch asafoetida ((hing) - optional)
  • ½ teaspoon dry mango powder
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • 2 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves ((cilantro))
  • 1 tablespoon oil for sauteing the onions
  • 1 or 1.5 tablespoon oil for sauteing the capsicum
  • salt as required

Method

making stuffing

  1. First rinse the potatoes well. Then boil them till they completely tender and cooked thoroughly. Peel and grate the potatoes. Keep aside.
  2. Slice off the tops of the capsicum. Remove the seeds. Rinse them in water and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Keep aside.
  3. In a small frying pan, heat oil. Fry the cumin first on low heat and then add chopped onions.
  4. Saute the onions till translucent stirring often. Add chopped green chilies.
  5. Stir and then add turmeric powder, red chili powder and asafoetida. Stir again.
  6. Add the potatoes and mix everything.
  7. Saute the potatoes for 2 minutes and then add garam masala powder, dry mango powder and salt to taste.
  8. Stir well and then add chopped coriander leaves. Mix again and let this spiced potato stuffing become warm or cool down.
  9. With a spoon or with your hands, stuff the potato mixture in the capsicum.
  10. If baking, then brush or rub oil outside the capsicum, before you stuff them with the spiced mashed potatoes.
  11. Now you can bake the stuffed capsicum in an oven or saute in a pan.

for cooking stuffed capsicum in a pan

  1. Heat oil in a pan or kadai/wok and place the stuffed capsicum in the pan.
  2. Cover the pan and allow the stuffed capsicum to cook on a low flame.
  3. You will have to check often after every 5 to 6 mins and keep on changing the sides of the capsicum so that all sides are cooked well. Check, turn the sides and cover the pan again.
  4. You also have to place the open potato side touching the pan. The capsicum will get golden and wrinkled.
  5. Continue to check, change the sides and then cover again till they are cooked well. It took me about 25 minutes to cook these on a low flame.
  6. Garnish with coriander or mint leaves and serve these potato stuffed capsicum hot or warm with rotis, bread or as a side dish.
  7. It also tastes good when served with raita or curd. If you like then you can add some grated cheese or grated paneer while serving.
  8. You can also pack it in a tiffin box with chapati or plain paratha.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.