Simla Mirch Poppers

My mother makes Bharwa Simla Mirch at home, which is mini green peppers stuffed with spiced potato mix, cooked on a low flame in a wok. It’s a simple yet intricate cooking method. Where cooking with patience is mandatory and controlling the heat is vital throughout the time. Mom makes amazing stuffed bitter gourd in a similar way. 

But the bharwa simla mirch is one of my preferred ones. The flavourful aura of capsicum seeps into the potato mix during the cooking process and make it deliciously unique. I love eating it with white rice. 

My kids however will scoop out the potato filling and will leave the capsicum muffing on the plate. I get a bit intolerant about food left on the plate and a usual low-key quarrel takes place at home. These baked stuffed peppers however were loved and gobbled very quickly. Another way to please the kids and make them eat the whole thing.

If you are looking for a good over for a nuclear family, this is the best.

I have made these with leftover Szechwan rice and fresh chenna. Fresh chenna is soft, moist and carries a melt in the mouth texture. If you make it wrong it can be chewy rubbery and not very delicious. 

Channa is curdled milk, it is made by adding an acidic ingredient (lemon or vinegar) into hot milk, which separates the whey. 

Chenna is never pressed, unlike Paneer. It’s the right amount of whey retained in the chenna that makes it ultimate, unique and very soft. Use full-fat milk to make soft chenna. 

My Cheena turns out extremely creamy because I learnt this trick. 

Tip: Once you boil the milk, turn off the flame and give it a few stirs for 5 minutes. Then add the diluted vinegar (half vinegar and half water mixed) gradually to the milk, while stirring. As you see the curdled of Cheena starts to form, don’t add any more vinegar and stain it through the muslin cloth. Don’t let the prepared Cheena sit in that hot whey because it will keep cooking and will turn chewy. 

I also have an amazing recipe for homemade Szechwan sauce. You will also find a link to the Jain Szechwan sauce if you click here 

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