Stuffed Peppers with a Masala Pea Mash

Stuffed peppers are massively popular in my household, and we eat them in so many ways - stuffed with mince, brown-rice and even quinoa. My personal favourite is stuffed peppers with a masala pea mash. As you know, I love spices and find an excuse to spice up nearly every meal I eat; and this is exactly what I have done with this recipe. The masala mash is so divine and full of flavour, and super easy to make.

A whole stuffed pepper is rather filling, so I usually have half and eat it with a protein - chicken or fish. This ensures that I have a balanced, healthy meal. There are also numerous health benefits to eating peppers as part of a meal - they are an amazing source of vitamin C and A, which is great for your immune system and skin health. They are also rich in the beneficial carotenoid compound beta-carotene, which has been shown to reduce the risk of certain cancers.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

3 whole bell peppers
3 medium sized potatoes, peeled and diced
Rapeseed oil
1 white onion, sliced
4 cm fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 large red chilli, finely chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 tbsp. fresh coriander, finely chopped

Method:

Cook the peeled and diced potatoes on a high heat for 15 minutes. Once soft, drain the potatoes and place in a large bowl to cool.
Whilst the potatoes are cooking, grab a pan. Heat a glug of rapeseed oil and fry the cumin seeds. When the seeds are sizzling and aromatic, add the sliced onions.
Fry the onions on a medium-high heat, until they are translucent and slightly browned (approx 5-7 minutes).
Then add the turmeric, ground coriander, garam masala, salt, red chilli, ginger and frozen peas and cook for a further 3-4 minutes. Add a splash of water to prevent any sticking.
Once the potatoes have cooled, mash and then add the onion spice mix. Stir well. The potato will absorb the spices and turn a light orange colour.
Cut the top of the pepper, keeping the stalk intact. You can also cut in half if you prefer.
Remove the seeds and discard.
Take your potato mixture and stuff into the peppers/half peppers. If cooking whole, replace the top of each of the peppers.
Heat the oven to gas mark 4, and place the peppers on baking sheet.
Drizzle with oil, and cook for about 35-40 minutes until the peppers are soft.
Finish with a sprinkle of chopped fresh coriander.