Stuffed Capsicum Rings (Bell Peppers)

Stuffed capsicum rings is an easy to make, delicious, vegetarian side dish made by stuffing hollowed capsicum (bell pepper) rings with spiced potatoes & paneer (cottage cheese). It is also a great recipe to use leftover mashed potatoes and can be made vegan too.

This flavour packed dish is a great addition to your lunch, dinner or potluck menu & if you have boiled potatoes in fridge, this recipe barely takes 15 minutes from start to finish. It can be enjoyed with flatbreads like roti, paratha along with dal / curry or as snack with dip.

You can make these stuffed bell peppers on stovetop or in air fryer. Both methods are shown in detail in this post. I like to add paneer in this stuffing to add protein to it. To make it vegan or dairy free, replace paneer with tofu or skip adding paneer altogether.

The stuffed capsicum recipe shared here is made without oven and it is:

Vegan
Vegetarian
Gluten free
No onion & No garlic
Healthy & easy side dish
Can be made on stovetop or airfryer

Capsicum Rings Ingredients:

Capsicums: They are also called ‘bell peppers‘ or ‘peppers‘. Use fresh, crunchy, firm bell peppers as they are easier to cut and do not get too soft after cooking. Its skin should not have wrinkles or dark spots. To make this recipe, you can use green or coloured bell peppers like yellow, orange or red.

Potatoes: Mashed boiled potatoes are the base of stuffing and also act as binding agent of the dish. You can use any variety of potatoes.

Paneer / Tofu: It is Indian cottage cheese, made by curdling milk with lemon or vinegar and is known to be rich source of veg protein. You can use store bought or homemade paneer. To make the recipe dairy free, it can easily be replaced with tofu or you can skip adding it altogether.

Spices & Aromatics: The potatoes and paneer stuffing is seasoned with Indian spices like red chilli powder, cumin, coriander powder etc. The addition of fresh green chillies, ginger paste, lemon juice and cilantro adds freshness and zing.

Red chilli powder can be replaced with cayenne or black pepper. I have made this bell pepper dish without onion or garlic. If you wish, you can add onion, garlic or onion/garlic powder as per liking.

Oil: Use any cooking oil like sunflower, olive, avocado or ghee (clarified butter) for cooking these stuffed bell peppers. The fat helps the potatoes in getting golden brown colour, making them crispy from outside.

Variations you can try:

Stuffed Capsicum with Paneer: To make it more protein packed, you can use only paneer in stuffing or use more paneer less potato. If you are using only paneer, I would still suggest adding one small or medium potato for binding.

Stuffed Capsicum with Gravy: This side dish can be converted into main dish by serving it over a bed of creamy tomato gravy (For this, you can follow the gravy recipe of mushroom masala).

Stuffed Capsicum with Cheese: You can add some grated cheese in potato stuffing or once the rings are cooked, you can add it on top and broil for 1-2 minutes till the cheese is melting bubbly.

Hope you would like this easy yummy capsicum rings recipe. More stuffed vegetable recipes you might like:

Ingredients:

Capsicum / Bell Peppers- 3
Mashed Potatoes*– (1+1/2) cup
Crumbled Paneer / Tofu- 1 cup
Ginger paste- 1/2 tsp
Green Chillies (finely chopped)- 1 to 2
Cilantro / Coriander (chopped)- 2 to 3 tbsp
Red Chilli Powder / Cayenne pepper- 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder- 3/4 tsp
Cumin powder (Jeera)- 1/2 tsp
Lemon Juice- 1/2 tsp
Salt- 1 tsp (to taste)
Oil- 2 tsp (for cooking)

Notes:

*Roughly 3 medium boiled potatoes.
If you wish you can add minced garlic, finely chopped onions or garlic / onion powder in stuffing mixture.

Directions:

Step 1: Add mashed potatoes, paneer, green chillies, ginger paste, spices and cilantro / coriander in a bowl. Mix well using a spoon or spatula (Onion or garlic can be added at this step). Taste and adjust salt as per your taste. Keep it aside.

Step 2: Wash the capsicum or bell peppers & pat them dry using kitchen towel.

Place a bell pepper horizontally on a chopping board and cut it into half inch thick rings using a sharp knife. Remove the centre seed part of each ring, discarding the top cap part. Repeat this for other bell peppers.

Step 3: Stuff the mashed potatoes into these rings while levelling from both the sides (You should be able to lift the ring with stuffing comfortably. If it is falling apart, stuff it more).

Step 4: Heat oil in a pan or griddle. (If you want to use less oil, brush oil on the pan using silicon brush). Carefully transfer the capsicum rings in the pan.

Step 5: Cover with a lid for initial 3-4 minutes and cook on medium-low flame (till capsicum turns slightly tender but not overcooked). Remove the lid and cook for another 2-3 minutes till the side touching the pan turns golden brown.

Step 6: Flip the rings carefully using a spatula and let them cook on other side too for 3-4 minutes. Drizzle some more oil (near the edges of capsicum rings) if required.

Delicious stuffed capsicum rings are ready. Garnish with chopped coriander or cilantro before serving. Enjoy as side dish or snack.

Air fryer

These bell pepper rings can be made in air fryer also. As my air fryer is small, it can fit 3-5 pieces at a time but if you have bigger air fryer feel free to make more at a time (just avoid overlapping). Lining the basket with parchment paper makes sure the potato filling don’t stick to it.

Step 1:
Preheat the air fryer at 200°C (400°F) for 3-4 minutes. Line it with parchment paper and brush with oil (or ghee). Brush the stuffed capsicum with oil on all sides and transfer them in air fryer basket.

Step 2:
Air fry at at 200°C (400°F) for 13-15 minutes. Flip them after half time to get colour on both sides. Brush or spray more oil after flipping to prevent the potatoes from drying.

Tips:

Any leftover stuffed capsicum can easily be stored in fridge in an airtight box for upto 2 days. Reheat them on a pan, air fryer or microwave for a 30-40 seconds.
Instead of paneer, you can use tofu or even boiled quinoa for vegan protein.
If while cutting or stuffing capsicum rings any ring is broken, do not discard it. Chop it and use it in making vegetable soup or stir fry veggies.
In case there is any leftover potato stuffing, use it to make sandwiches or stuffed paratha.

More Indian recipes you might like:

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(Disclamer: This post was originally published on 20 June, 2015 and has been updated with better images and additional tips.)

If you try this stuffed bell pepper recipe & share pics on social media, then don’t forget to tag on Facebook, Instagram or use #kuchpakrahahai.

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