THE RAVISHING RED PEPPER

Red capsicum also known as bell pepper belongs to the plant family which offers us colorful varieties of capsicums for us to add a visual appeal to our food and appease our palates creating novel ideas with a touch of creativity and a passion to present ideas that are sure to impress our guests. Red capsicum to me has been very special due to its maturity and ripe status as compared to the yellow and green variety and its taste, flavor, and aroma upon being cooked are just difficult to compare.

As we compare the nutrients in various bell peppers red capsicums have scored the highest on the charts since they are loaded with phytonutrients and have 11 times more content of beta-carotene to offer us via its use and application in our food. Besides being a good source of Iron & Vitamin-C, it is important to highlight here that red capsicums have been listed as a superfood as well out of all other bell peppers.

Red capsicums belong to the same family like cayenne peppers, jalapenos, sweet chili pepper and they have a nice mildly sweet and earthy taste. While they have been known to be native to central and South America, Mexico and were grown in Spain many decades ago. Today we find red capsicums being grown in various parts of the world and are easily available at a vegetable vendor close to us.

Let us have a look at a few Health Benefits of Red Capsicums:

1. High content of Vitamin A – great for the eyes and vision health.

2. Loaded with Vitamin C- is a great source to meet up our daily dietary requirements.

3. Great source of vitamin b-6 and magnesium- it is said that this vitamin and mineral combination helps decrease anxiety while vitamin b6 is also a natural diuretic that helps to reduce bloating and prevents hypertension.

4. Red peppers are said to help increase metabolic rate, which means it increases our metabolism without increasing our blood pressure and heart rate and also helps us to burn more calories.

5. Red capsicums are very high in anti-oxidants and it is one of the veggies with the highest levels of lycopene which helps prevent a number of complications in our body.

LET US HAVE A LOOK AT A FEW CULINARY USES OF RED CAPSICUMS:

1. We have seen green capsicums in our kitchens for a very long time now and from stuffed capsicums with mashed or boiled tempered potatoes to aloo Shimla Mirch ki subzi to adding it to curries and gravies, red capsicums can take lead in being rather more visible and vibrant in the recipes.

2. Red capsicums in the stuffed form look very presentable and add a lot of attraction on the table or in the plate and creates a great appetite and whets the taste buds. While stuffing it from the most commonly used potatoes, to mincemeat, cooked rice with spices and cheese, assorted vegetables, pasta, etc are all welcome.

3. While roasting the red peppers should be avoided at times since it reduces their vitamin c content by around 25% there are ways of doing it by pan cooking and stir-frying. The peppers are able to find their place in Indian cuisine as well as international recipes too.

4. Stir-fried red peppers with bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, assorted legumes/pulses, sprouts, baby carrots, snow peas, etc go very well not only in the visual appeal but also the crunch and texture, on the whole, do not over spice it however for best results.

5. Red peppers are great to add into salads, I like to add them slightly marinated or a little pan fry element attached to it in order to bring out the earthy flavor from them, and also the overall salad gets a new dimension, do not add very creamy or pasty dressings to red capsicum salads, preferred options are citric elements, and light dressings with lime, vinegar, mustard, etc.

6. Adding red peppers to your pasta station is a good choice as it makes the pasta more appealing and nutritionally balanced too. Do not overcook them and maintain the crunch, try adding them to your Mexican tacos, into your salsa, into burritos, tortilla wraps, etc.

7. Red capsicums in stews, curries, gravies, side dishes, mashed potatoes, tikkis, cutlets, hash browns, baked dishes, and dips too are a great option to go for, adding them to our savory quiche, tarts, and puffs, bread doughs in bakery come out great!

8. Red capsicum stuffing with soy keema and little spinach as a filling or stuffing for a multi-grain paratha or into a whole wheat wrap or sandwich is ideal too, Variety of sandwiches fresh or toasted can also include red peppers into them. Adding them to shawarma rolls and Kathi rolls with your veg or non-veg choice of ingredients work well.

9. Red capsicums with brown rice, millets, barley, and other grains work well too, and be it fried rice, pulao, stir-fried concepts, baked dishes, or even stuffing using rice for steamed cabbage parcels, etc are ideal using red peppers.

10. Sauces for continental cuisine from French to Italian to Spanish to fusion cooking can also include red capsicums to add a nice output to the recipes. Use them in combination with tomatoes, garlic, cumin, olive oil, and few mild spices to get the best flavors.

Here are a few simple- easy to make recipes with Red Peppers:

Recipe-1] BHARWAAN RED SHIMLA

Ingredients:

Red peppers- 2-3 no.

For the stuffing:

• Cooked white rice/brown rice- 1 cup

• Oil/butter-1 tbsp.

• Garlic- 1 tsp chop

• Onion-2 tbsp. chopped

• Green chilies- 1 tsp chopped.

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Tomato- 1 small chopped

• Eggs- 2 no beaten/ paneer- 100 gms grated.

• Capsicums-1/2 chopped

• Red chili powder-1/2 tsp

• Coriander powder-1 tsp

• Green coriander leaves- 2 tbsp. chopped

• Cheese- 2 tbsp.

• Sunflower seeds/ flax seeds- 1 tsp

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients for the stuffed capsicum.

2. Slit the top cover of the red capsicum and scoop out the seeds and wash them well, reserve the cover for the cooking process.

3. Heat oil/butter add in the garlic, onions, chilies, and saute it for 1 min, add in the tomato, capsicums, salt, and all powdered spices add little water to prevent burning, cook for 2 mins.

4. Add in the beaten eggs and scramble them or add in paneer or any leftover vegetables etc and cook for 2-3 mins on medium flame. Add in the cooked rice, coriander leaves and mix well.

5. Stuff the mixture into the capsicums and add little cheese and nuts/seeds etc and cover them and cook them in a non-stick pan on a low flame with a tsp of oil for 10-12 mins or bake them in an oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 15-20 mins and serve them hot.

Recipe-2] NUTTY RED PEPPER CHUTNEY

Ingredients:

• Red peppers- 2 no.

• Tomatoes- 2 no.

• Oil/ghee- 2 tsp

• Hing-1 pinch

• Curry leaves- 10-12 no

• Jeera- ½ tsp

• Garlic- 1 tsp chop

• Ginger-1 tsp chop

• Red chilies- 2 no slit

• Salt to taste

• Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp

• Red chili powder- ½ tsp

• Water- ½ cup

• Peanuts- 2-3 tbsp. roasted and crushed.

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients for the chutney recipe.

2. Heat oil/ghee in a pan and add in the hing and curry leaves and all the whole spices for tempering and splutter them for a few seconds.

3. Add in the chilies, red capsicums cut into small pieces along with tomatoes and saute it all well for a couple of mins, add in the salt and powdered spices and little water and allow to cook on a low flame for 10-12 mins.

4. Cool down the mixture and add it to a blender jar along with the crushed peanuts and add little water or oil and grind it all well, place the chutney into a serving bowl and serve it chilled with snacks or apply it on rotis, wraps, bread slices for sandwiches etc.

Recipe-3] RED PEPPER HUMMUS DIP

Ingredients:

• Red capsicum- 2 no cut into pieces and saute in 1 tsp oil in a pan for 2-3 mins, cool and keep aside.

• Olive oil-2-3 tbsp.

• Garlic- 1 tsp chopped

• Walnuts/cashews/almonds- 2 tbsp.

• Lime juice- 2 tbsp.

• Chilled water-2 tbsp.

• Boiled chickpeas- ½ cup

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Chaat masala-1/2 tsp

• White sesame seed paste- 1 tbsp./ tahini paste- 2 tbsp.

• Olives/pomegranate seeds/jalapenos etc for garnish.

• To serve with cuts of raw veggies/ savory crackers

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients for the tempting and tasty dip.

2. In a food processor jar combine together all the ingredients for the dip from chickpeas to red peppers etc and using olive oil and a little chilled water grind the mixture to a nice smooth textured dip.

3. Remove into dip bowls and garnish them as desired, serve it on a platter full of raw cuts of veggies and or with savory crackers or to go along as a relish with a starter, it tastes great with pita bread as well.

Recipe-4] REFRESHING RED PEPPER SOUP

Ingredients:

• Red capsicum- 2 no cut into small pieces.

• Oil/butter- 2 tsp

• Bayleaf-1 no

• Peppercorns-2-3 no

• Garlic- 1 tsp chopped

• Tomatoes-1 cup chopped

• Potato- 1 small chopped.

• Celery- 2 tbsp. chopped

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Mixed herbs- ½ tsp

• Chili flakes-1/2 tsp

• Fresh coriander leaves- 1 tbsp.

• Mint leaves- 1 tbsp.

• Water/veg stock- 3-4 cups.

• Sugar- ½ tsp

• Parsley/ micro-greens to garnish the soup.

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients for this refreshing soup being served cold.

2. Heat oil/butter in a pan add in the Bayleaf, peppercorns, and garlic saute for a few seconds, add in the red capsicums and potatoes and give them a nice stir followed by the tomatoes, celery and salt, sugar, seasonings, herbs and spices to taste.

3. Add in the veg stock/water and allow to come to a boil, simmer the soup for 15-20 mins and cool, add in mint and coriander leaves and using a blender puree the soup and pass through a sieve or strainer.

4. Check for seasoning adjust it to taste, add in a little fresh lime juice and mix, chill the soup for 1-2 hours and serve it in small shot glasses or soup bowls garnished with mint/parsley or micro greens.