Stuffed Banana Peppers

This recipe is the first in this blog that comes from The Indian Vegan Kitchen - a great cookbook that I recently got with lots of authentic, flavourful recipes. Banana peppers are mild, but the filling used in this recipe is very spicy, so beware ;)

Stuffed Banana Peppers

8 banana peppers
2/3 cup besan (chickpea flour)
1/3 cup dry-roasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely ground
1/8 asefetida powder (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon & 1 teaspoon oil, seperated
1/3 cup water

Wash and dry the peppers. Make a slit on one side from the stem end to the tip of the peppers, making an opening. Do not cut through the peppers. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together besan and ground peanuts. Add asefetida/garlic powder, cumin seeds, turmeric, salt, coriander, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice. Mix well. Add 1 teaspoon of the oil and the 1/3 cup water into the mixture, making it crumbly. The mix will be thick and sticky.

Fill the peppers with batter. Using your thumbs to pry them open, add the batter, and with a finger spread the batter evenly into the opening. Fill the peppers about half full with batter. (Besan batter is sticky and hard to work with - some of it might stick to the outside of the pepper, but try to avoid it.)

Heating the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a largey nonstick fry pan on medium-high heat. Add the stuffed banana peppers in a single layer, filled side up. Cover up with lid and cook for 5-6 minutes until the peppers are tender (they change colour and appear transparent; the besan filling will harden and fill the peppers). Turn the peppers occasionally using tongs, making sure to evenly brown all sides. Remove the lid and cook for another 2 minutes, turning occasionally.

Using tongs, transfer peppers to a serving dish. Discard any remaining oil.

Serve with a stew or lentil curry.