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.
| 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. |
| 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. |