Sri Lankan Stuffed Chillies (aka stuffed peppers) is a very unique and tasty dish you can find in the island. Recipe and the filling varies in different parts of the island and they all are second to none. These fresh peppers are loaded with a spicy filling, aromatic Sri Lankan spices and lightly stir-fried before cooked in a creamy coconut cream base. These delectable little colourful peppers add robust flavours to your ordinary meal.
Don’t be scared of this recipe if spicy food is not your thing. Typically in the island, we use sweet chillies (banana peppers) in this recipe but I used baby capsicums which are even less spicer than the sweet chillis. We are also removing their seeds in the preparation, so the spicy heat level is substantially lower. Usually, spicy tuna/ mackerel or scrambled eggs are used as the filling in this recipe but ever since I started having a plant-based diet, I wanted to try out the same recipe with a plant-friendly filling.
Only lately I found this pre-marinated green jackfruit pieces at the supermarket and suddenly this recipe popped up in my head. This green jackfruit stuffing paired so well with the peppers and made a perfect lip-smacking side dish for rice so here I am sharing this delicious recipe with you. You do not need to be on a plant-based diet to try out this recipe and you will surely love it.
If you cannot find this particular green jackfruit pieces at the supermarket, then feel free to use the tinned green jackfruit pieces in brine and marinate with the spices that you like. Cook the jackfruit with spices before stuffing them into the peppers. There is a few steps to follow, however, once you get familiar with this recipe, you can whip up this dish in no time. Now let’s see how to make stuffed peppers in Sri Lankan style.
Ingredients;
For the filling;
1 Bean Supreme marinated chilli & lime jackfruit packet (250g)
1 medium onion chopped
1 tbsp freshly minced garlic ginger paste
1 heaped tsp coriander powder
1 tbsp olive oil (or any cooking oil)
salt to taste
For the curry;
10 -13 baby capsicum (or 6-8 sweet chillies)
1 medium onion sliced
1 big tomato thickly sliced
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
a spring of curry leaves
2 inch pandan leave
1 tbsp freshly minced garlic ginger paste
1 – 2 tbsp oil
2/3 cup coconut cream
1/3 cup water
salt to taste
Method
Filling;
1. Remove the jackfruit from the packed and add them into a large bowl.
2. Using two forks pull the jackfruit pieces apart into small pieces. Add all the spices and mix well. Set aside.
3. Set a pan on medium heat, add oil followed by onion and garlic ginger mince. Cook until the onion starts changing their colour.
4. Now add the pulled jackfruit and cook for about 8 – 10 mins until the spices release their aroma.
Stuffing the peppers;
1. Wash and dry the peppers.
2. Using a sharp small knife, carefully remove the stem of each pepper by cutting towards inside the pepper. By doing this you can de-seed them at the same time. Refer to the photo to see how I have removed the head/ stem of the peppers.
Tip: Try not to cut too big at the top of the peppers as the filling might lately come out of them while cooking.
3. Carefully stuff each pepper till it is full. I usually use a tablespoon handle to stuff them in tightly. You can even use a chopstick so the filling is stuffed tightly into the peppers.
Preparing the curry;
1. Heat up a pan on high heat. Add oil and lightly stir fry the stuffed peppers until the skins start to char. Set the peppers aside. Do not fully cook the peppers in this step as we are cooking the pepper with all the spices and coconut cream later.
2. Turn the heat to medium. Add onion, curry leaves, pandan leave and garlic ginger mince into the same pan and cook until onion starts changing its colour.
3. Now add all the spices and slightly roast them in the pan. When the spices start changing the colour add the peppers and mix well.
4. Add coconut cream and water. Add tomato and salt to taste, then cover the pan. Let it simmer for few minutes until the peppers are cooked and oil is separated from the curry.
5. Serve it with steam rice.