Name: Rajasthani Bharwa Mirchi
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 3 Green Bell Pepper, use large mild green chillies (Bhavnagari/thick chillies); ½ cup Gram Flour, besan, dry roasted; 2 tbsp Cooking Oil, divided (preferably mustard oil); ½ tsp Cumin Seeds; ¾ tbsp Fennel Powder, saunf powder; 1 tbsp Ground Coriander; ¼ tsp Ground Turmeric; ½ tsp Red Chilli Powder; ½ tbsp Dried Mango Powder, amchur; ¾ tsp Salt, to taste

50 mintotal

40 min hands-on10 min hands-off

Prep 15 min · Cook 25 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Medium

Add to your week

Method

Dry-roast the gram flour in a heavy-bottomed pan over low heat until it darkens slightly and smells nutty. Tip it into a bowl and let it cool completely.
Mix the fennel powder, coriander powder, turmeric, red chilli powder, amchur and salt into the cooled roasted gram flour.
Heat a small portion of the oil in a tempering pan. Introduce the cumin seeds and allow them to crackle and bloom. Pour this aromatic hot oil directly over the dry spice blend. Use your fingers to rub the oil into the spices until the mixture resembles wet, crumbly sand.
Generously and firmly stuff the prepared gram flour mixture into the cavities of the slit, deseeded chillies. Press the filling in gently to ensure it remains intact during the cooking process.
Heat the remaining cooking oil in a wide, heavy skillet or kadhai over medium heat.
With absolute care, arrange the stuffed chillies in the pan in a single, uncrowded layer. Cover the pan securely and let them sear on low heat for 5 minutes.
5 min
Uncover and gently rotate each chilli using culinary tongs to ensure they blister and cook evenly on all sides. If there is any residual spiced gram flour stuffing, scatter it beautifully over the chillies at this stage.
Cover the pan once more and cook for another 10-12 minutes on an extremely low flame until the chillies are wonderfully tender, slightly charred, and the gram flour crust has achieved a glorious golden finish. Serve warm.
10–12 min

How to tell it's done

Soft, slightly charred chilli skin breaking into a crumbly, highly spiced, tangy, and nutty roasted gram flour center.

Getting it right

Tip

Fennel powder and dry mango powder (amchur) are absolutely paramount for establishing that unmistakable Rajasthani tang. Maintaining a low cooking temperature guarantees the internal gram flour cooks thoroughly without scorching the delicate skin of the chillies.

What to serve it with

Serves brilliantly as a striking side dish or standalone main alongside rustic Parathas, a soothing Dal Tadka, and chilled Buttermilk.

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