JALAPENO POPPERS

Here is a delicious and cheesy party snack for you. I had these Jalapeno poppers in USA for the first time while visiting my children. I fell in love with these as they were to my liking... spicy !!!

Ever since I had been planning to make them. 

 Finally I got an opportunity when it was the turn to make a dish with alphabet "J" in our group --- A-Z Recipe Challenge. wherein we bloggers come together and choose  key ingredients alphabetically to make and post a dish every alternate month.

Ingredients:

Jalapeno chillies - 5-6 

Cheese ................ 1 cup (or as needed)

Bacon ................. few strips (optional)

Bread crumbs ...... as needed for coating

APF / maida ......... as needed for coating

Milk ................... 1 cup 

Garlic granules ... 1 tbsps (optional)

Salt ..................... to taste

Oil ..................... to fry 

Method:

1. Wash the Jalapeno chillies or peppers well. Make a slit and discard the seeds.

2. Put them in a pot and cook for just one boil adding salt.

3. Drain and set aside.

4. Grate the cheese and set aside.

5. Fry the bacon strips until brown and crispy. Cut them into tiny pieces. Mix them with the grated cheese.

6. Take the flour in a flat plate and mix little salt.

7. Put the bread crumbs in a flat plate and mix the garlic granules.

8. Wipe the blanched chillies and stuff them with cheese and bacon mixture.

9. Dip them in the milk and roll them in the flour until well coated. Repeat this step twice and refrigerate for 10 mins.

10. Now dip them in the milk again and roll them in the bread crumbs until well coated. Refrigerate for few minutes and repeat this step again until the chillies are well coated. 

11. Refrigerate them again for 10 more minutes. This makes the coating nice and firm.

12. Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the Stuffed and coated Jalapeno peppers until crisp and golden brown.

13. Serve immediately.

See the Recipe Video of making the Jalapeno Poppers 

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Notes:

Use any cheese of your choice. You may also use cream cheese if you like.

You can skip adding bacon and add chicken instead... or skip adding any of them if you are a vegetarian.

You can prepare and store the coated Jalapenos in the refrigerator a day ahead also if you are having a party.

Recipe adapted from - HERE

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Stuffed Green Chilli Fritters / Mirchi Bajji / Mirchi ke Pakode

Baby Corn Fritters

Stuffed Spinach Roll Fritters / Palak ke Pakode

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STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

I had been wanting to make this recipe since a long time. So glad this month in our group, Shhhh Cooking Secretly the theme is " Stuffed " and I got a chance to try out this dish.  I am paired with Veena Krishna Kumar who blogs at Veena's Veg Nation  Do visit her space and check out some delicious recipes.
Veena gave me my 2 secret ingredients - Bell Peppers (Capsicums and Rajma) Usually the stuffed bell peppers are made with minced meat stuffing along with beans, rice etc. Since this is a vegetarian group I have used soya granules keema. For flavouring you can use any fresh herbs like coriander, parsley or basil. This is a complete meal by itself and so delicious. Make and enjoy the dish for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:
Bell peppers / Capsicums .... 3 or as needed (one of each colour)
Cooked rice ..... 1 cup
Boiled Rajma / kidney beans ... 1 cup
Cooked soya mince ................. 1 cup
Coriander.. 3 tbsps (finely chopped)
Onion ...... 3 tbsps (finely chopped)
Tomato ketchup .... 2 tbsps
Chilli sauce ............ 1 tbsp (optional)
Mustard sauce ........ 1 tbsp
Tomato puree .......... 1 cup
Garlic ................... 1 tsp (crushed)
Salt .. to taste
Cheese .... 3 tbsps (grated)

Rice:
Boil the rice with salt until three-fourth done. Drain it and set aside. (It gets cooked to perfection while baking the peppers)

Rajma / Kidney Beans:
Soak the kidney beans for 6-7 hours or overnight. Boil it in a pan or pressure cook it with little salt until done. Avoid making it mushy. Drain and set aside.

Soya Mince:
You need - Oil, salt, spices like coriander powder, cumin powder and 1/2 cup sliced onions to cook the soya granules.
Soak the soya mince granules for 1 hour. Heat 2 tbsps of oil in a pan and add the sliced onions. Saute to a golden brown colour. Add the salt, spice powders and 1/4 cup water. Simmer until the water is dried up.

Sauce:
Mix together all the sauces mentioned in the list. Add a little salt for flavouring.

To Make the Stuffed Bell Peppers:

 In a large bowl, mix together the cooked rice, rajma, soya mince, chopped onion and coriander leaves or any fresh herbs. Stir in a small portion of the prepared sauce to it. Keep the rest of it for later use while baking.

 Try to select the same size peppers. Wash them well.

Cut out a thin layer at the top and remove the seeds and membranes carefully. Rinse them from inside.

  In a large pan boil water and cook the peppers for 1 minute. The water should cover them

 Remove them in a plate and spoon the mixture into them.

 Take a baking dish and pour the remaining sauce into it. Place the stuffed peppers on the sauce.

 Cover the dish with a foil and bake in a pre-heated oven for 10 to 12 minutes at 250 degrees C. Remove the foil and further bake for 5 more minutes.

 Finally top them with a little grated cheese and place them in the oven for a minute or until the cheese melts.

 Serve hot immediately from the oven.

Serves 3

Tip: Select the bell peppers of the same size. If they don't stand straight you can cut a tiny portion at the bottom taking care not to make a hole.

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Recipe Inspirations from - HERE

You may also like:

Stuffed Capsicums (Indian Style)

Bean and Bell Pepper Stir Fry

Besani Shimla Mirch 

HOMEMADE SUBWAY CHICKEN SANDWICH

Fast food like burgers and subway sandwiches have become very popular these days. Making your own subway sandwich is not a difficult task. Just get all the ingredients of your choice and assemble it just the way you like it. It has a lot of stuffings and is really very filling. It is also a perfect lunch box meal.
 I have used sauteed chicken with bell pepper. You can even use ham slices or shredded meats.. choice is yours. Additional garnishings like olives, pickled jalapenos taste good too.

Ingredients:
Bread rolls ... as needed
Chicken ..... 100 gms
Bell peppers ... few strips of different colours.
Pizza seasoning ... 1 tsp
Salt ................. to taste
Oil ................... 2 tbsps
Lettuce leaves .. as needed
Cucumber slices ... few
Tomato slices ...... few
Garlic mayonnaise .. for spreading
Mustard sauce..... as needed
Tomato ketchup ... as needed
Cheese slices or grated cheese .. as needed

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan and saute the chicken strips with garlic and salt.
2. It will just take a couple of minutes to cook and now you tip in the bell pepper strips. Season with pizza spice mix.
3. Now to assemble the sandwich slit the bread roll.
4. Spread a little garlic mayonnaise, place the lettuce leaves and sprinkle some cheese if needed.
5. Spoon the prepared chicken strips. Top it up with the cucumber and tomato slices. Squeeze some mustard sauce and tomato sauce as per your liking.
6. Carefully push all the stuffing into the slit bun.
7. Serve immediately.

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Mini Fish Burger

Mexican Burger

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STIR-FRIED BROCCOLI WITH GARLIC AND HERBS

Simple stir-fried broccoli with the flavours of garlic and herbs is a perfect side dish to be served with grilled meats or sea food. To retain the fresh green colour just add a tiny pinch of baking soda to the water along with the salt while parboiling it. Take care to keep it crunchy and not overcook the broccoli.

Ingredients:
Broccoli ...... 250 gms
Garlic ......... 1 tbsp (crushed)
Mixed herbs .... 1 tsp
Spring onion .... 1 bulb with greens (optional)
Salt ................... to taste
Black pepper .... 1/8 tsp (freshly crushed)
Olive oil ........... 1 tbsp

Method:

Boil the broccoli florets with little salt and a pinch of baking soda just for one or two boils. Drain the water and immerse it in cold water. Set aside.

In a pan add olive oil or any cooking oil. Saute the garlic to a light brown colour.

Tip in the broccoli florets. Season with salt, pepper, herbs and finely chopped spring onion. Stir it a couple of times and it is ready to serve.

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Broccoli Sambar

Broccoflower and Pine nut Soup

Potato and Broccoli Cutlets

CHEESE AND VEGETABLE FRITTERS / CHEESE PAKORAS (Continental Style)

Cheese and vegetable fritters are perfect for munching at tea time or with drinks. I am sure all the kids would love them too as they have no spices or chillies. Those who enjoy hot stuff can relish them with a spicy dip / sauce. The addition of vegetables can be variated according to the availability. Non vegetarians can add one egg to the batter too..

Ingredients:
APF / maida ......... 1 & 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese ... 3/4 th cup (grated) Green capsicum .. 2 tbsps (diced) Red Capsicum ..... 2 tbsps (diced) Yellow capsicum --- 2 tbsps (diced) Onion ................... 2-3 tbsps (diced) Spring onions ...... 2 tbsps (diced) Egg .............. 1 (optional ) Baking powder .... 2 -3 pinches Dried basil........... 1/2 tsp (or few fresh leaves chopped) White or black pepper .... 1/2 tsp Salt ............ to taste (add carefully as the cheese is already salty) Oil ............ to fry.

Method:
1. Mix together all the diced vegetables, flour, cheese, salt, herbs and pepper.
2.  Make a thick batter adding sufficient water.
3. Heat oil in a pan.
4. Drop small portions of batter using a spoon or with your hand into the hot oil.
5. Reduce the flame and fry the fritters turning them occasionally until they are crisp and golden.
Serve hot with any sauce.

Check out the video

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Sindhi Sanna Pakora

Crispy Onion Pakoras

Rice Pakoras