Spicy Stuffed Chilies

Spicy stuffed chilies are very easy to make and a great accompaniment to any Indian meal. The stuffing is made of gram flour mixed with some Indian spices. You may add other ingredients in the stuffing. The combination of hot chilies and mild tangy stuffing is extremely flavorful and makes for a great side dish. The best chilies for stuffing are Bhavnagari chilies, but they are unavailable in the US. So, we will use big long green chilies (or whatever is available). The selected chilies should be fresh and wrinkle-free.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 8 pieces of spicy long chilies
• 2 tablespoons roasted gram flour
• 2 teaspoons dhanajeera/ cumin, coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• Pinch of hing/ asafoetida 
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon amachur/ mango powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon whole fennel
• 4 tablespoons of oil plus 1 tablespoon for masala
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Wash the chilies, pat dry and remove the stalks (optional - I kept the stalks). Make a slit lengthwise keeping it joined on the other side. Cut all chilies similarly and then cut them in two inches long pieces. 
2. Roast gram flour on low flame in a non-stick pan until it gets fragrant. Remove the flour from the pan into bowl. Then, add salt, garam masala, dhanajeera powder, turmeric powder, mango powder, garam masala and one teaspoon oil. Mix well .
3. Stuff the slit chilies with masala. Press gently and likewise stuff all the chilies.
4. Add oil in a pan/ kadai at medium-low heat. Allow it to get hot. Add mustard seeds and when they started to crackle, add cumin seeds and fennel seeds. Then, add hing and place the stuffed chilies in the pan and cover. Cook for 2-3 minutes on low flame.
5. Keep tossing and flipping the sides until fully cooked. Take them out onto a plate.
6. Serve these stuffed chilies with your meal and relish eating.