Utilize Your Green Peppers – A Recipe Inspired By Aajis

BY: ERIK OBERHOLTZER

Earlier this week during one of my many TYP sessions with Aaji’s, a plant-based Marathi Indian food startup based in Philadelphia, PA, I was so inspired by a family dish. Aaji or mom in Marathi, who holds the place of the culinary heart of the young brand shared a dish that instantly got me excited. I have forever avoided cooked green peppers. I like them raw but generally find them distracting when cooked. But this dish looked and sounded so good and simple I had to try it. Well, it is great! So I am sharing it with you here as my interpretation inspired by Aaji.

Ingredients

• 4 green bell peppers, diced medium

• 1 long hot pepper, diced medium

• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced medium

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• ¼ onion, small diced

• 1 cup cilantro

• A few leaves of basil

• 1 tsp total of equal amounts of fenugreek, cumin, coriander, black pepper, turmeric freshly ground

• Sea salt to taste

• ½ lime

• 1 oz olive oil, ghee or sunflower oil depending on your preference. I used olive oil

• 1 lime

• 2 Tbsp chickpea flour (this is what makes it so unique and interesting)

Method

• In a heavy pan add oil under medium heat. Add onion, garlic to lightly toast with salt. Add peppers and saute for 1 minute to turn bright green.

• Add chickpea flour and spices and allow to toast.

• You may need to turn the heat down a bit. Add a teaspoon of water and cover for 2 minutes.

• When ready to serve add herbs and lime juice. Adjust seasoning and plate making sure to get ALL the now toasted chickpea flour from the pan and distribute evenly.

  
  This is a great side dish or as a component of something else as shown in my poached egg, potato, and arugula breakfast dish with the peppers as a feature foundation for the