If you visit my home, you'll see a lot of red and yellow. That's because I love the color combination, even, it turns out, when it's on my plate.
These stuffed red peppers, wading in a delicate curry sauce, were not only lovely to look at but easy to make, too, and delicious to eat. I served them with a scoop of brown rice, which made them healthy as well.
Even if you don't have a yellow and red-themed home, you can still make Stuffed Red Peppers with Curry Sauce for dinner. Here's how:
Stuffed Red Peppers with Curry Sauce
Stuffing ingredients:
1 1/2 cup cashews
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
juice from 1 lime (about 1 tablespoon)
1/3 cup flaked coconut
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (or other ground red chiles)
4 long red peppers
1 tablespoon canola oil or other vegetable oil
2 green chiles, minced
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
10 curry leaves
1 can coconut milk
toasted flaked coconut, for garnish
In a food processor, combine the cashews and onion. Grind to a paste, about 1 minute. Add tamari, lime juice, coconut, and the first five spices (coriander, cumin, ginger, turmeric and cayenne pepper). Whiz until combined. Add a spoonful of water or more, as needed, to loosen up the mixture.
Set aside.
Heat the oven to 375F degrees and place a piece of foil on a baking sheet. Prepare the peppers: Slit the peppers down the side, and try to remove the seeds. Then, using a small spoon or butter knife, stuff them with the cashew mixture. (They don't need to be completely full; the peppers will shrink around the stuffing while they bake.)
Place the stuffed peppers on the prepared baking sheet, and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Check to make sure they're not browning too much; you want nice roasted spots on each side.
Meanwhile, prepare the curry sauce: In a large skillet, heat the canola oil. Add the chiles, turmeric, curry leaves, and let them sizzle for 30 seconds. (Watch for splashing oil!) Then pour in the coconut milk and let the sauce simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
When the stuffed peppers are done, remove them from the baking sheet and place them in the curry sauce, or alternatively spoon the sauce into a plate and place the stuffed peppers on top. Serve with a mound of rice, and garnish with coconut if desired.
Note: Curry leaves can be found fresh or dried in Asian food stores. It's worth looking for the fresh, but dried will do.