I call this my Indian veggie hotdog! Protein-rich chickpea flour, fragrant, nutty and with a hint of spice, it is great as a side dish or to stuff in a hotdog bun, between toasted pita breads or rolled in a wrap. Accompanied with a large green salad, it is a meal by itself. Look for the varieties to stuff like: large green Turkish / Levantine chilies, the Red sweet long paprika, Cubanelle sweet peppers.

Ingredients

4 medium green peppers / long chilies/ red long paprika
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp each ajwain & cumin seeds
½ tsp asafoetida
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 ½ cup chickpea flour
½ cup desiccated coconut- lightly roasted to golden
2 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp sugar
½ tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 lime or lemon
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves or mint leaves. Anyone.

Method

1.Wash & dry the chilies. Make a vertical slit from just under the stalk to a bit before the tip.
2.Check which side the chili can lie flat in a pan, to slit the opposite side for filling. Remove some seeds & leave some in.
3.In a wide pan heat the oil for the filling.
4.When hot, add the ajwain & cumin seeds. Fry a few seconds, then add the asafoetida & sesame. Give a quick stir and add the chickpea flour.
5.Lower heat and roast the chickpea flour stirring often, till it has changed colour a bit & gives a nutty aroma. This will take about 5- 7 mins.
6.Remove the chickpea mixture from the pan into a plate.
7.Add the desiccated coconut, coriander, turmeric, sugar & salt to the hot flour and stir with a spoon to mix.
8.When the mixture has cooled add the coriander or chopped mint leaves.
9.Squeeze the lime or lemon on the mixture. Mix well with your hand so that some moisture from the coriander/ mint is released too.
10.Sprinkle some water or oil if needed to make the mixture just moist enough, so as it is not powdery, but has a crumb-like texture.
11.Divide equally and fill each portion carefully into the chili to fill the cavity evenly.
12.Heat a wide fry pan or skillet.
13.Add 2 tbsp oil, when hot, arrange the chili top to tip/ then opposite so that they sit evenly well into the pan.
14.Lower heat and allow to roast. After about 3-4 mins. Gently use a fork or tip of spatula to turn the chili onto one side. Repeat on the opposite side. (Not on the slit side, so that the filling is intact)
15.When each of the 3 sides have blistered and coloured a bit, just use a handful of water to sprinkle on the sides of the pan.
16.Cover and steam for about 5-7 minutes.
17.The tip of a knife should be able to easily enter the skin of the middle portion, then the chili is cooked.
18.Serve warm or at room temperature as a side dish or as suggested above.