Bell Peppers with Onion Carrot Rice Stuffing

Best way to use up leftover rice and vegetable stir fries

Well, as the best time of the year is fast approaching, I am trying hard to get into shape by controlling my diet and without much exercise. So often we have leftover rice which we pop in the fridge and today as my husband isn't around, I have a little more of it! I am always against throwing away food. I was browsing through a few recipes for Christmas and I accidentally came cross a stuffed bell pepper recipe. So that is the story behind today's post.

I have done my own experiments in the filling and I referred the recipe for baking temperature and time :-)  (as I said, I am still new to baking and I need some hand holding. You can refer the link here)

I had some leftover rice and I used it with some garlic and lime flavoring. (more lime recipes to follow)

Ingredients

Bell pepper - 3 medium sized, top cut, seeds scooped out

Butter - 1 tablespoon for greasing the pan

Grated mozzarella cheese - 6 tablespoons

For the Stuffing

Butter or vegetable oil - 2 tablespoon

Cumin seeds - a pinch

Garlic cloves - 6, finely chopped

Green chili - 3 medium sized, finely chopped

Pepper - a pinch, freshly ground

Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped

Carrot - 1 medium, finely chopped

Cooked rice - 1 cup

Parmesan cheese - 1/4 cup, shredded

Lime - 1/2

Coriander leaves - 2 tablespoons, finely chopped

Salt to taste

Preparation

1. In a mortar, crush the chopped garlic and green chili

Cooking

2. Heat a pan in medium-high heat. Add butter and splutter cumin seeds. 

3. Add the crushed paste and saute for a minute.

4. Add freshly ground pepper and the onions

5. Once the onions turn transparent add the carrots and stir fry for about 3-5 min. Add salt. The whole mix will give out a nice smoky aroma.

6. Add the cooked rice, preferably in batches to ensure it is well mixed. Cook for another 2 min and switch off.

7. Immediately add the cheese, mix well to combine. Squeeze in the lemon and mix well

8. Preheat oven at 180 degree C. Scoop in the mix to the bell peppers. Place the bell peppers in a baking tray and pop in the preheat oven and cook for 25 min.

9. Take out the bell peppers and top it with mozzarella cheese and put it back in the oven at 190 degree C for the cheese to melt and brown (another 8min)

Serving

11. I ate it as it is and loved it! :-)

Ideas Improvisation

Next time I would add a few tablespoon of cream of mushroom soup to give the filling a gooey feel.