Stuffed bell peppers is of those dishes which people tend to overlook. It is so versatile and so easy to make. It is also one of the oldest recipes in the world, and most cuisines have their own version. My mom used to make an excellent potato stuffed bell pepper dry curry. I’ve also eaten the traditional meat stuffed American version. I’ve made several different versions of these over the years, but this one is my favorite. It’s vibrant, packed with flavor and vegan!
Servings: 2 Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour, including the time to release pressure
Ingredients
- Dry rice 1 cup
- Water 1.5 cups
- Tomato 1 medium
- Tomato paste 2 tbsp
- Sugar 1 tbsp
- Cumin powder 1 tbsp
- Green chili 1 whole
- Black beans 1 can
- Canola oil 2 tbsp divided
- Bell peppers 4 medium
- Salt and pepper as needed
- Breadcrumbs 1/2 cup
Instructions
- Wash the rice 2-3 times until water runs clear and set aside
- Finely chop the tomato and chili
- Add 1 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker and add the chopped tomato and chili. Cook for 3-4 minutes
- Add the tomato paste, cumin powder and sugar. Cook for another 3-4 minutes
- Add the washed rice, salt and water. Close the lid and set heat on high till first whistle.
- Reduce temperature to low and cook for 10 minutes. Wait for the pressure to release naturally before opening the lid
- Once the lid is open, fluff the rice with a fork and mix in the canned beans. The beans will need to be drained first.
- In the meantime, halve the bell peppers and remove seeds
- Arrange bell pepper halves cut side up on an oven safe tray which has been lightly brushed with oil.
- Drizzle 1 tbsp oil over the peppers and sprinkle salt and pepper according to taste
- Bake in a 350 F (180 C) oven for 12-15 minutes, until a knife slides in easily
- Remove bell pepper from the oven and fill the halves with the prepared tomato rice mix.
- Top with breadcrumbs and bake for another 5 minutes. Then switch to broil for 2-3 minutes.
Tips
- Any color bell pepper can be used here, but the more the colors, the more vibrant the dish
- The rice can be cooked in advance and frozen. In fact, I gave frozen the whole dish in portions. Then all you need to do is pop it in a microwave or oven for a few minutes!
- The rice can be eaten all on its own as a meal too.
- Herbs like parsley and coriander can be a nice fragrant addition to the dish
- If you don’t need this to be vegan and you’re not watching your fat intake, add a bunch of cheese instead of breadcrumbs. Of course, vegan cheese can also be added, but I haven’t found one which tastes amazing in this dish
- I used a stove top pressure cooker for the rice, but an instant pot or a plain old pan with a lid will work as well. Cook the rice on the rice setting in the instant pot with the recommended amount of water. For the pot version, cook the rice with lid on till it’s done. Add more water if required.
Bell peppers are a favorite with people of all ages. This dish is also a fun way to eat a balanced vegan meal for picky eaters. I hope you give this a try, and as always let me know how it goes! 🙂
Everything and Nothing 