Indian Style Stuffed Bell Peppers aka Bharwan Capsicum is another childhood recipe that spells nostalgia for me. Dad’s favourite and it takes me back to the many times I ate this with him. The post also talks about metabolism, Olive Oil in Indian cooking and more. So this is a post you don’t want to miss !
I love all things stuffed, errr I am talking only about food. And probably the Stuffed Bell Peppers top the list. The ones with kheema and cheese or with olives and couscous and last week when I found these tiny little bell peppers at the grocers, I picked up two boxes without thinking what will I do with them. And then I remembered the bharwan capsicum and how much dad used to love them and I knew this is what I have to make with it.
I remember yet again the gentle arguments mum and dad used to have on this dish. Mum avoiding to make it since it was so much work and also since it used a lot more oil than her 1 tsp sabji quota. And before I give you a little modified healthier recipe of this let me tell you about something else that has been on my mind.
I have been overweight for the better part of my life right from teenage. Even after working out 3-4 times a day the weight sits on my without budging and as I read more and more I realise part of the problem is the screwed up metabolism. If there is a way to measure metabolic health mine will be in negative. And I was surprised when I read that I am not alone in this, majority of Indians face this problem as problem as well.
In layman’s terms, metabolism is how well your body converts the food you eat in energy you spent and how much it stores that as fat. And as fat increases in your body, it effects as in more ways than one. One puts on weight as a direct result which can lead to many problems including Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and much more. Did you know 90% of Type 2 diabetes cases are tied to being overweight !
So what can be done to fix this? The advice is actually pretty simple, follow what your grandmother told you! Listen to the age old wisdom of that our elders passed to us but we somewhere missed it on the way in our lives. I saw these 5IVE measures for good metabolic health on Leonardo Olive Oil site and I think it matches so much to what my granny and doctor suggested.
Here is what they say
- Keep your sugars in check. This is not rocket science, we all know sugar is not good for health but do we know where all we are eating sugar from. Read labels and cut down on sugar not just in the form of direct sugar but so much of the sugar we eat comes from packaged and processed food. Cut that out. Also do you know all carbs finally convert to sugar at blood level, so keep in check the amount of carbs you eat specially the processed kinds. Eat whole grains like whole wheat, brown rice as much as possible.
- Grazing or snacking like they call it is supposed to be a sure shot way of keeping healthy. Though the jury is still divided on whether it is really 100% good for your body, most doctors recommend 5 small meals a day instead of 3 large ones.
- Consume less salt. Did you know Indians on an average eat 10-12 grams of salt a day which is double the recommended intake and I feel it has increased in the past 20-30 years owning to so many processed food in our life which are full of salt and sugar. Cut down on salt and see your metabolic health improve
- Look at the fats you eat. What I mean is what oil you use in your cooking. When it comes to oil we have done a 180 degree turn in the last 50 years. From ghee being ba to refined oils like sunflower being good for you to back to saying eat ghee. It is thoroughly confusing for a person in the kitchen. But one oil which has remained unscathed through this all is “Olive Oil”. It is touted to be one of the best oils to include in one’s diet. It has a good amount of MUFA (Mono unsaturated Fatty Acids) which is also known as the anti-diabetes fat. It is also easier to digest than your normal cooking oil. In my house, I have completely moved away from sunflower oils and now use a lot of Leonardo Olive Oil. And yes Olive Oil is ok with cooking just cook it at low flame.
Leonardo Olive Oil comes in three kinds.
Pomace Olive Oil – Olive Pomace Oil is the main cooking grade oil. It is a light oil with neutral taste and flavour. Personally not my favourite though.
Olive Oil Extra Light – Olive Oil Extra Light is a naturally refined oil infused with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Olive Oil-Extra Light is intermediate grade oil with mild aroma and flavour. This is the oil I mostly use for my Indian style cooking.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the highest-grade olive oil with excellent aroma and flavour. Extra virgin oil results from the first cold pressing of the olive fruit within 24 hours of harvesting. This is my favourite one too.
So don’t wait, make the first move towards your health and move to Leonardo Olive Oil. #IchooseHealth , join me and say #IchooseHealth as well !
And start with this fantastic recipe of Indian Style Stuffed bell peppers made with Leonardo Olive Oil
Indian Style Stuffed Bell Peppers | Bharwan Capsicum
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 8-10 small bell peppers
For the Stuffing
- 2 medium potatoes boiled and roughly mashed
- 1 large onion sliced
- 1 cup cabbage sliced thin
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder optional
Instructions
- Clean and chop the top stem part of the bell peppers. Deseed them and keep aside.
- In a kadhai, heat the 1 tsp oil and sauté the sliced onions till translucent and pink.
- Add the ginger and garlic paste and sauté further for a minute before adding cabbage.
- Sauté till cabbage is almost cooked and add all the dry spices. Add boiled and mashed potatoes and mix well. Let the filling cool for about 5 minutes.
- Once the filling is cool, stuff it into the prepared bell peppers.
- In the same kadhai, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil and fry all the stuff bell peppers till they are nicely browned on all sides and cooked well.
- Serve as a starter or with dal and rotis for main course ! Taste bhi health bhi 🙂
Disclaimer – This post has been brought to you in association with Leonardo Olive Oil but thoughts, recipes and words are mine.
Leave a Reply