Grilled Peppers

After owning and using several small charcoal grills, and doing plenty of BBQ parties...we think we are ready for a big charcoal grill. My husband has had his eye on this charcoal grill since past 4 years now. The fun part of this grill is a handle to crank up the charcoal tray. A new toy for him! :) But on a serious note: it indeed is a useful and a fun appliance for my backyard kitchen.  The pictures below are self explanatory.

So we spent last weekend not only setting up our new grill and grill gazebo, but also BBQing. And the first recipe that sizzled with taste, flavor, and aroma were my grilled peppers.

We love grilled peppers: sweet peppers stuffed with cream cheese is my husband's favorite. I have made them ample number of times cooked either in a pan or baked in an oven or deep fried with a batter.  They just taste delicious in all combinations. Check out various pictures and recipes below.

Stuffed with Paneer and Cashews

Stuffed with Cheese and Onions

Stuffed with purple potato and deep fried

Sweet peppers stuffed with potatoes and pan fried with little oil and cumin seeds.

Ingredients to make Grilled peppers:

10-15 colorful sweet peppers

1 cup boiled, peeled, and mashed potato

1 cup grated paneer

1/2 cup cream cheese

1 tsp. salt

Finely chopped green chili (as per your spice level)

chopped cilantro

• In a bowl mix mashed potatoes, grated paneer, cream cheese, salt, chopped green chilies, and chopped cilantro. Mix all ingredients well till it comes together like a dough. The mixture should be cold. If not, stuff the peppers and refrigerate it for some time.
• Slit sweet peppers, remove seeds if any, and keep them aside.
• Stuff each pepper with the stuffing. The stuffing needs t be cold and not room temperature. The reason here is that while grilling you do not want the cheesy stuffing to ooze out of peppers. Cold stuffing will turn soft and creamy after grilling, but if your stuffing is already room temperature and soft, it might ooze out and create a mess on the grill. If grilling after few hours, it is a good idea to keep stuffed peppers in a plate, cover them, and refrigerate till ready to use.
• Use double bar skewer to secure peppers. If using bamboo skewers, it would be a good idea to to use 2 secures parallel to each other to secure peppers so that then are easy to flip on the grill.
• Grill on high temperature. till it chars on both sides.
• Serve immediately while the stuffing is soft and warm.

Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

In a bowl mix mashed potatoes, grated paneer, cream cheese, salt, chopped green chilies, and chopped cilantro. Mix all ingredients well till it comes together like a dough. The mixture should be cold. If not, stuff the peppers and refrigerate it for some time.

Slit sweet peppers, remove seeds if any, and keep them aside.

Stuff each pepper with the stuffing. The stuffing needs t be cold and not room temperature. The reason here is that while grilling you do not want the cheesy stuffing to ooze out of peppers. Cold stuffing will turn soft and creamy after grilling, but if your stuffing is already room temperature and soft, it might ooze out and create a mess on the grill. If grilling after few hours, it is a good idea to keep stuffed peppers in a plate, cover them, and refrigerate till ready to use.

Use double bar skewer to secure peppers. If using bamboo skewers, it would be a good idea to to use 2 secures parallel to each other to secure peppers so that then are easy to flip on the grill.

Here is the link to buy double bar skewers.

Grill on high temperature. till it chars on both sides.

Serve immediately while the stuffing is soft and smooth from warm cheese.

Let's Get Grilling!!!