Stuffed Peppers in Creamy Cashew Gravy
Rich, decadent, yet surprisingly simple, these Stuffed Peppers in Creamy Cashew Gravy make for an indulgent, hassle-free dinner or party dish to impress! With peppers stuffed with a bright potato, mint, raisin filling and a warm gravy with notes of cinnamon and cardamom, you can’t go wrong with this effortlessly easy crowd-pleaser!
Ingredients
- 8 pcs mini sweet peppers , or use small bell peppers
Potato-Paneer Filling:
- 2 medium potatoes , boiled
- 1/4 cup paneer , grated
- 1/4 cup peas , boiled (frozen or fresh)
- 2 tbsp cilantro , finally chopped
- 1 tbsp mint , finally chopped
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp ginger , minced
- 1 tsp green chilies , finally chopped
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp coriander seeds , crushed
- 4 pcs cashews , broken into small pieces
- 6 pcs raisins , finally chopped
- 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp chaat masala
- 1/2 tsp amchur powder
- salt , to taste
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp water
Cashew-Onion Paste:
- 20 pcs cashews , coarsely crushed
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
- 2 medium onions , roughly chopped
- 1 inch ginger , chopped
- 4 pcs garlic , chopped
- 2 small green chilies , chopped
- 2 pcs cardamom pods
- 1 inch cinnamon sticks
- 1 cup water , for boiling, as required
- 1 tsp all purpose flour , add while making the paste
Gravy:
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1/2 tsp shah jeera (cumin seeds)
- 1 pc bay leaves
- 1/4 cup water
- 11/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- pinch turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- salt , to taste
- 1 cup yogurt , whisked
- 1/2 tsp kasoori methi
- 1/4 cup milk , or cream
Garnish:
- pinch saffron , soaked in 2 tsp warm water
- microgreens
Instructions
Potato-Paneer Filling:
-
To make the pepper filling, heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, coriander seeds, ginger, and green chilies. Let saute for 1 minute.
-
Then, add in the cashews and raisins and saute for another minute.
-
Add in the peas, potatoes, paneer, mint, cilantro, water, lemon juice, and spices. Saute on medium for 5 minutes until the filling comes together. Switch off the gas, your masala is ready!
Stuffed Peppers:
-
Once your masala has cooled for approximately 10 minutes, you're ready to fill the peppers. Slit your sweet peppers down the middle and add in the filling. Keep them aside.
Cashew-Onion Paste:
-
Add all of the ingredients except the all purpose flour into another saucepan and boil on medium heat for 10-12 minutes or until your onions are translucent.
-
Strain this mixture and blend with your all purpose flour and an additional 2-3 tbsp water until smooth into a fine paste. Keep this aside.
Gravy:
-
In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat oil and ghee. Add in shah jeera and bay leaf.
-
Once crackling, add in the cashew-onion paste you blended. Add 1/4 cup of water into the blender jar and add into the gravy to get any leftover paste.
-
Add in all the spices (except kasoori methi) and cover and let simmer on low-medium heat for 6-7 minutes.
-
Once you start to see oil pooling on top, add in your yogurt and kasoori methi and let it come to a boil on high heat. Make sure to whisk continuously to prevent any curdling.
-
Now, reduce the heat to low-medium. In the middle of your gravy add in a steel ring or bowl and place a steamer on top. Then place your stuffed peppers in the steamer, cover and let cook for 7-8 minutes on low-medium heat. This will cook the gravy and steam the peppers at the same time. If you don't want to steam the sweet peppers with your gravy, you can always steam them separately.
-
Remove the steamer and steel ring/bowl. Add in your milk or cream and let simmer for a minute and switch off your gas.
-
For a smoother texture, strain the gravy using a thick mesh.
Serve:
-
To serve, make sure both the stuffed peppers and gravy are hot. Place the peppers in your serving dish and pour the piping hot gravy around the peppers. Garnish with saffron water and microgreens and enjoy!