Stuffed Capsicum | Bharwa Shimla Mirch
Stuffed capsicum recipe with step by step photos. This is a Punjabi style delicious bharwa shimla mirch preparation in which capsicum (bell pepper) are stuffed with spiced mashed potatoes filling and then further cooked. It makes for a comforting side dish to go with any North Indian meal.
This Punjabi bharwa shimla mirch recipe is how I make this dish at home and is liked by everyone. Sometimes I also add green peas to the potato stuffing. There are many variations of making the stuffing and even with different ingredients like paneer (cottage cheese) or besan (gram flour).
Stuffed vegetable dishes are quite popular in India. A few more bharwa (meaning stuffed) recipes on the blog are:
Most of the times I bake the stuffed capsicum. But in this post, I have mentioned on how to cook the capsicum in a pan, as I do get a lot of requests for making stuff without an oven.
However, if you do have an oven, then bake or air fry the capsicum. Baking is easy and effortless, then sauteing and cooking them in a pan. This dish can be made with any variety of bell peppers – red, orange, yellow or green.
For a colorful dish you can also use 2 to 3 different kinds of bell peppers.
Try to use small to medium-sized bell peppers as they are easy to fill and saute. The large sized capsicums may not cook evenly unless you bake them.
The bharwa shimla mirch goes best with rotis accompanied by raita. You can also serve these stuffed capsicum as a side dish.
This dish also makes for a good tiffin box lunch paired with a roti or paratha.
How to make Stuffed Capsicum
1. First, Rinse 4 to 5 medium-sized potatoes very well in fresh water. Then boil the potatoes till they are completely tender and cooked thoroughly. Peel and grate the potatoes. Keep aside.
2. Slice off the tops of 4 to 5 medium to large sized capsicum. Remove the seeds. Rinse them in water and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Keep aside.
3. In a small frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Fry ½ teaspoon cumin first on low heat. Then add ¼ cup finely chopped onion.
4. Saute the onions stirring often till translucent. Add 1 chopped green chili (approx ½ to 1 teaspoon).
5. Stir and then add the following ingredients:
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 pinch of asafoetida (hing) – optional
Stir and mix again.
6. Add the potatoes and mix everything.
7. Saute the potatoes for 2 minutes and then add the following ingredients:
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- ½ teaspoon dry mango powder – You can substitute it with ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- salt to taste
8. Stir well and then add 2 teaspoons of chopped coriander leaves. Mix again and let this spiced potato stuffing become warm or cool down.
9. With a spoon or with your hands, stuff the potato mixture in the capsicum.
Cooking Stuffed Capsicum
10. Now you can bake them or saute in a pan. I have mentioned the baking instructions in the recipe card details below.
For Sauteing: Heat 1 to 1.5 tablespoon oil in a pan or kadai (wok) and place the stuffed capsicum in the pan. You can use any neutral-flavored oil.
11. Cover the pan with its lid and allow the stuffed capsicum to cook on a low heat.
12. You will have to check often after every 5 to 6 minutes and keep on changing the sides of the capsicum so that all sides are cooked well. Check, turn the sides and cover the pan again.
You also have to place the open potato side touching the pan. In the below pic, you will see the various sides getting cooked. The capsicum will get golden and wrinkled. I usually cook the bell peppers thoroughly.
13. Continue to check, change the sides and then cover again till the capsicum are cooked well. It took me about 25 minutes to cook these on a low heat.
14. Garnish with coriander or mint leaves and Serve these potato stuffed capsicum hot or warm with rotis, bread or as a side dish. Also pair a vegetable salad or raita or yogurt.
While serving you can add some grated paneer or grated cheese.
For more veggie recipes
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 medium to large shimla mirch (capsicum or green bell peppers)
- 4 to 5 medium potatoes or about 180 to 200 grams potatoes
- ⅓ to ½ cup steamed or cooked peas – optional
- 1 small onion, finely chopped or ¼ cup finely chopped onion
- 1 green chili, chopped
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon Red Chili Powder
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) – optional
- ½ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder) or as required. – (substitute with ¼ teaspoon lemon juice if dry mango powder is not available. you can also increase the quantity of lemon juice as per your taste)
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
- 2 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
- 1 tablespoon oil for sauteing the onions
- 1 or 1.5 tablespoon oil for sauteing the capsicum
- salt as required
Instructions
making stuffing
- First rinse the potatoes well. Then boil them till they completely tender and cooked thoroughly. Peel and grate the potatoes. Keep aside.
- Slice off the tops of the capsicum. Remove the seeds. Rinse them in water and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Keep aside.
- In a small frying pan, heat oil. Fry the cumin first on low heat and then add chopped onions.
- Saute the onions till translucent stirring often. Add chopped green chilies.
- Stir and then add turmeric powder, red chili powder and asafoetida. Stir again.
- Add the potatoes and mix everything.
- Saute the potatoes for 2 minutes and then add garam masala powder, dry mango powder and salt to taste.
- Stir well and then add chopped coriander leaves. Mix again and let this spiced potato stuffing become warm or cool down.
- With a spoon or with your hands, stuff the potato mixture in the capsicum.
- If baking, then brush or rub oil outside the capsicum, before you stuff them with the spiced mashed potatoes.
- Now you can bake the stuffed capsicum in an oven or saute in a pan.
for cooking stuffed capsicum in a pan
- Heat oil in a pan or kadai/wok and place the stuffed capsicum in the pan.
- Cover the pan and allow the stuffed capsicum to cook on a low flame.
- You will have to check often after every 5 to 6 mins and keep on changing the sides of the capsicum so that all sides are cooked well. Check, turn the sides and cover the pan again.
- You also have to place the open potato side touching the pan. The capsicum will get golden and wrinkled.
- Continue to check, change the sides and then cover again till they are cooked well. It took me about 25 minutes to cook these on a low flame.
- Garnish with coriander or mint leaves and serve these potato stuffed capsicum hot or warm with rotis, bread or as a side dish.
- It also tastes good when served with raita or curd. If you like then you can add some grated cheese or grated paneer while serving.
- You can also pack it in a tiffin box with chapati or plain paratha.
Notes
- This recipe can be easily scaled to make a big batch.
- You can use any neutral flavored oil.
- You can use any color bell pepper – red, green, yellow or orange. Or you can use 2 to 3 color bell peppers to make a colorful dish.
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees c.
- Place the stuffed capsicum on a baking tray and bake at 200 degrees c for 20 to 30 minutes (oven temperatures vary, so keep an eye) till the capsicum has become golden and wrinkled. You can also top some grated cheese on the potatoes and then bake.
Nutrition
This Stuffed Capsicum Post from the blog archives, first published in June 2014 has been republished and updated on December 2022.
Can I add some moong dal in the stuffing mixture?
Yes, you can definitely add cooked moong dal to the stuffing. It adds a nice texture and a bit of protein. Just make sure the dal is cooked but not mushy, so it blends well with the rest of the filling.
I always check only your recipes as you make them easily understandable. Even a difficult dish becomes so easy to understand and make.
Thank you for making me try new things all the time ❤️
Thank you so much for your kind words. It truly means a lot to know the recipes are helping you try new dishes with confidence. Glad to be part of your cooking journey! ❤️
Hii dassana, I really like your recipes.. I wanted to ask you one thing.. Whenever I make stuffed capsicum.. Capsicums are not cooked properly … Because masala is already cooked but capsicums are totally raw and very hard.. When I try to cook them it turns more brown..
Hi Heer, you can blanch the capsicum first before stuffing and the cook them. Just blanch them for 1 to 2 minutes in hot boiling water and then drain the water. While cooking, you can also sprinkle some water in the pan and cover with lid. This will cause some steaming in the pan which will cook the capsicum. Also cook on low heat so that they do not become brown or get burnt. Turn often for even cooking. I hope this helps.
Hi Dasana, am a big fan of all your recipes. They are delicious.I have a doubt here. Can I make these stuffed capsicums without onions? Or in place of that, do you recommend something?? Thanks for your help. And please keep up the good work!
Oh yes, you can skip onions easily. Sometimes I also skip onions in the potato stuffing. Do add one to two pinches of hing (asafoetida) when chillies are added. Thanks for the feedback and most welcome.
very nice and yummy receipe
thanks yasin
hi dassana ur recipestation r wondering and I always prefer them first.same I did it with this and it was awesome.
thank kayanat for sharing this feedback. glad to know.
Hi, I’ve been following your recipes for a few months now and they are scrumptious each time. Never have I come across a recipe that has failed to impress. They have a distinct home-cooked flavour which chefs like Sanjeev Kapoor and Pankaj Bhadauria miss. This is the type of cooking that leaves you content and full. Just like eating out of mom’s hands. I appreciate the hard work and heart you put in your recipes and it shows. Thank you.
Welcome Amandeep. Thanks for your kind words and appreciation. Glad to know that you like the recipes and their presentation.
nicee one
Luking very delicious will try it tonight, I had tried ur other recipes like dal makhani etc. N it was awesome Thanku fr sharing recipes in this pic style it is really very helpful
Thanks Malkeet. Glad to know that you liked the recipes presentation.
Looks tasty.But to make it healthy, what other veggies can i add instead of potato?
Sruthi, you can add grated carrot, green peas or corn.
Hi Dasaana
gr8 recipe, wud like to try out for dinner 2nite, need help, in microwave can we use the grill mode or grill+convention mode,
what is the difference between grill and convention, plz help
thanks sunita
sunita, in microwave oven, use the microwave mode. you just need to cook for 4 to 5 minutes. thats it. grill and convection both use dry heat for cooking. in grill its just that the food is touching the heat source, whereas in convection the food is not touching the heat source.
Lovely recipe as usual..love your blog and the fact that all recipes are so easy to follow. Your photographs are amazing.
Thanks for making cooking so easy and fun!!
pleased to know this shubhda 🙂 thankyou for your kind and encouraging words. you are always welcome.
Hello,It is an absolutely sumptuous dish..Thanks a lot for sharing..i added some paneer as well,turned out great..Thanks once again.
glad you liked the stuffed capsicum adding paneer would taste great. you are always welcome radha and thankyou 🙂
Very easy steps of receipe.
thankyou varsha 🙂
Hi Dassana,
Thank you for this recipe. I want to serve it to a large group at work, and I wanted your advice on reheating (baking option).
Thanks,
Nidhi
to reheat, you can bake for some minutes at 180 degrees celsius before serving or you can microwave for some seconds.
Hi… Stuffed capsicum was awsome. i like it its amazing. i think only one part which taking longer is cocking of capsicum on low heat it took almost 30 minutes. I am very happy, i have pre pared it today.
Thanks. Yes cooking of capsicum takes time. You can also bake instead of cooking.
I loved this recipe! I used baby peppers instead of normal-sized peppers hence I only needed to bake it for ~12 minutes. It’s so great! I also added a little cheese right at the top of the stuffed pepper and I added 1/4th teaspoon tamarind paste to my potato stuffing and it turned out SO GOOD. Thank you for the great recipe, totally reminded me of my mom’s own recipe!
welcome urjitha. nice to know this. thanks for sharing your variation and positive feedback.
Very nice recipe and very very testy
nice and easy
Really a good recipe..
thanks anuradha
I made this stuffed bellpeppers today. It turned out good, but the bell pepper itself lacked any taste. Is that because there was no salt added to the peppers ?
Or is it supposed to taste this way ?
hi sharmilee, salt is sprinkled on the bell peppers. i forgot to mention this point. but even if salt is added, taste wise they taste the way bell peppers taste 🙂
Gorgeous recipe. Very tasty and available for cooking at home.
Elegant photos and wonderful description.
Nowhere have I seen such beautiful descriptions of recipes. Gratitude and respect to the author.
thanks lika for your generous and kind words. humbled and touched.
Hi…, the presentation looks awesome. M gonna try today as i am not a big fan of capsicum. This recipe has inspired me to cook capsicum &taste it. Hopefully it turns out well …. 🙂
Thank in advance
welcome runa. good to know this.
Hi, and thanks for these lovely recipes and photographs.
Can I use paneer instead of potato and follow exactly the same recipe?
welcome stuti. yes you can but add grated or crumbled paneer right towards the end and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Hi..having found your food blogs, I m very relaxed now, as I dnt hv to search and keep brainstorming various sites for various recipes. U have so much in store where I can find all at one place..good going!
thanks pooja for sharing positive feedback on recipes. glad to know this. do try some recipes and feel free to ask any query.
Dear Dassana, thank you very much for this recipe. Tried it…and loved it!
Finally, I love capsicums!!
welcome radhika
Hi Dassana… I have been a regular visitor to your food blog and love it for the simple instructions and beautiful pics. I am not a regular in the kitchen, howerver,I have tried a few recipes and they turned out to be good. I would love to try out the home-made breads and have been pondering over purchasing a good Oven/OTG. Could you suggest one please?
Thanks…
hi amruta. firstly thanks. i have a philips basic OTG which is some years now and still working good. i am not sure about the other brands as i have never tried them. you can read some online reviews and then decide on which brand and model you want to purchase. happy shopping.
Thank you so much for your simple indian recipies. Being a guy, even i can follow them step by step with awesome results.
Please post more dishes from northern india like UP, Bihar.
Thanks again!
welcome vik. thanks for sharing your encouraging feedback. yes, we will post more recipes from north india.
I try every dishes made from this site .
It’s the fantastic experience
U make the khana pakana is so simple for me.
Thank u so………much.
welcome yogita. thanks for sharing your positive feedback.
Hey there, I live in Texas n cooking is my passion. And I love to experiment with my food. Ur recipes are really simple n amazing. Instead of aaloo in bharwan shimla mirch, I used soya granules n peas n it turned out awesome. Hv tried lots of ur recipes recent one was dabeli. Thanks for sharing ur recipes in such a beautiful way. Good Luck.
welcome nisha. good to know this. thanks for sharing your positive feedback on recipes and your variation on stuffed capsicum recipe.
Very nice dish….. Thank u
welcome anuradha
I made this for dinner last week. I have just moved to the US and I didn’t know how to use the oven. I tried this dish it came out fantastic! Thank you so much. Every recipe of yours that I have tried so far have come out great!
welcome sneha. thanks for sharing positive feedback on recipes.
I made this for dinner last week and my husband loved it! Thanks for the tips on making it in the oven. This was my first experience of using an oven so I was really reassured and happy with the result. 🙂
thanks sneha. so now you will be able to use the oven comfortably. in fact not only stuffed capsicum, but also stuffed tomatoes and potatoes can also be made in the oven.
For tomatoes and potatoes would the filling be the same?
for tomatoes, its either potatoes or paneer. for bharwan aloo, its paneer or a mixture of paneer and khoya. peas also can be added.
Thank you!
welcome sneha
Hey,
I moved to Leeds a month back and was only surviving on take away for a fortnight, and eventually started missing home food. Then I came across your website and the result is I now have 5 people coming to my place for dinner everyday. Thanks a lot.. I feel at home in U.K. now…at least on the dinner table.
Glad to know this. Now you are having indian home cooked and the oleasure of being a good chef and a host. Your friends must be thanking you 🙂
Hi,
I really love your recipes. they are simply good and you have done a great job in presenting the recipes with pictures. Just love your website. This has inspired me to cook.
thank you.
thanks sneha. good to know that the website has inspired you to cook. do cook often and try new recipes. its creative as well as relaxing.
Hi,
Looks yummy. I was wondering if I can add grated cheddar cheese in the potato mixture. Or whether I should just sprinkle the cheese on top? I would add it without any hesitation if there was no Mango Powder. Since you are the expert and you might have cooked this dish many times, do you think adding cheddar cheese at all is recommended here. If yes than which would be the best way? In the mixture or sprinkling a little on top. I can’t predict cheddar cheese combination with mango powder. Pls guide.
Thanks Zo, add the cheddar cheese from top. cheese goes well with mango powder.
Hi..cooking is my biggest fear.. i dont know wht i think when i cook but I tried this recipe..n my husband likes it.thanks for generating my confidence in cooking through ur recipes..thanks alot
thanks a lot rinku. just don’t get scared while cooking. its an art and with practice you will be able to master it.
Nice recipe… Its too good… Whenever I m cooking I choose recipes from ur website… I also made coconut barfi, gajar ka halwa, and they were awesome… Thanx…
welcome zil and thanks for the positive feedback on recipes.
Hello !
Your recipes are very nice !! Thanks a lot for posting them. I have been able to improve a lot in my cooking because of your recipes.
I had a small query not directly related to your page. I wanted to buy an otg for baking purpose, but mostly people these days suggest buying a microwave with convection mode as it serves the purpose of an otg also. But there is another group that says that microwave is not good for health and food is not baked evenly in it as compared to Otg.
What would your suggestion be for some one who is new to baking and cooking as well. I am not asking you to suggest any particular model or brand.
Request you to clear my doubts as you are so experienced in the field of cooking.
Thanks in Advance !
Regards.
thanks. if you want to bake a lot, then i would suggest an OTG. in oven there is even baking. microwave oven is also good for baking. but the temperature for a standard recipe using oven, needs to be brought down in the microwave oven. in a microwave oven, due to the fan the heating is quick and rapid. so what happens is the top of a loaf gets browned quickly in microwave oven. personally i prefer to bake in an OTG. i have also heard the side effects of microwave rays. i used to cook food in microwave, but now i just use it for reheating. for cooking i use the stove top. i have got so many requests for microwave recipes, but still considering whether to add them or not. i would suggest to go for an OTG since i bake often. i have used both OTG and microwave oven and i feel baking is better in an OTG.
cooked it for the first time with your recipe.. was too good!
thanks aditi
hi…
the recipe was awesome….tooooooo good……..
thanks aarthee
hey, i just love all the recipes at vegrecipesofindia.com and the most lovely part is that each recipe is available with photographs which is very helpful for those who are new to cooking.
thanks lekha for sharing this positive feedback.
dear dassana
thank u for the recipe….i just need your advice can the potatos be cooked in the microwave and how to grate them after cooking since they will be tender and soft
hi grishma, potatoes can be cooked in the microwave. either you halve them and place in a bowl of water. cover the bowl and microwave. check the doneness with a knife. if the knife is able to pass easily through the potatoes, they are cooked. then drain them well. peel and grate or mash them directly with a fork or potato masher.
Hi Dassana,
This site is really boon for me as i am newly married n my in laws are very foody.Initially i was scared of cooking bcoz i am not good in cooking but this site is helping me out n my in laws are happy by my curlinary skills…..Thanksssss to u….Stay Blessed 🙂
welcome ritika. good to know that the site is making your life easier in kitchen. enjoy the cooking.
Hi Dasanna,
Can i make the shimla mirch in a microwave? if yes, what is the mode used and temperature settings.
sweta, i have done it many years back. now i rarely use microwave for cooking as many internet article says its not good for health. i only use microwave to reheat food which also is not healthy. you can microwave on a high power for some minutes. i have forgotten how many minutes i used to keep. you have to keep on checking capsicum after every 2-3 minutes. you can also bake shimla mirch in the convection mode of the microwave. bake at 180 degree for same amount of time. time you have to check accordingly.
I am a big fan of ur recipes.Keep cooking great dishes and love to try all the new ones that u post.
welcome sunita. thanks for appreciating the recipes.
I’ve been looking for a good vegetarian stuffed green bell Pepper recipe for some time, and I think this is it. The recipe sounds great, with the added caveat that my 91 year old mother loves a good stuffed green pepper. Thanks!
welcome susan. nice to know that you liked the recipe.
Tried the recipe…loooooved it 🙂 love your blog has helped me so much to try out new dishes 🙂 keep rocking 🙂
thanks swathi for appreciating the recipe and blog. happy cooking.
Hello Dassana,
This is a long pending comment that i wanted to post have been trying your recipes since past few months and every single recipe has turned out great.
Few of my favorites are Rajma Masala, Gobhi Manchurian, Tawa Paneer, Fried rice, Veg Biryani, daal Makhani, Banana Bread, Cabbage kofta…I think I should stop now else it will be a long list
I totally love your blog and it is the only reference I am following these days. Your recipes and the way you post those recipes is completely awesome.
I have not tried this stuffed shimla mirch ever in Oven but I read your note and I am ready to try this on coming weekend.
A request for you is- if it is possible may you also post the pictures of onions or tomatoes used in recipe.
Sometimes it is confusing for me to understand medium size tomato or onions as the size vary in India and US.
I am giving you five stars for rest of the recipes I have tried 🙂
Ritu
thanks ritu for your genuinely encouraging and motivating comment. fine, i have taken your suggestion into consideration and will add the pics for some recipes. now i have started giving the measurements in cups and grams also, as i know the small to medium can vary from country to country.
Thanks Dassana 🙂
I did try this recipe in Oven and result was great. I am going to use only oven for this recipe going forward as its a healthier and equally tasty version.
Thank you so much for this.
I am ready to try mawa cake recipe this week as I have some mawa in the refrigerator and was not sure what to do with it.
Ritu
thanks ritu for the positive feedback on stuffed capsicum and sharing your inputs. do try the mawa cake recipe, its nice. i will also be posting today khoya matar makhana recipe. its a rich gravy dish from north india.
Hello Dassana Ji,
I m a big fan of your recipes. I found your site when I was looking for a way to make samosas. I am not much into cooking, but my husband likes to invite friends at dinners etc. So I have become a cook by default and internet has helped me a lot.
The samosas were a great hit among guests and since then you have become my favouritest reference source.
Coming to the stuffed capsicum, my mum used to make it when we were kids. She used to make it in a cooker. And we never liked it. May be because it always got cooked too much and potatoes seemed gooey. But the pics here have inspired me enough to try my hands on this recipe. I will try baking method first and see what happens.
Thanks a lot for such wonderful and easy to understand recipes.
welcome sheetal. good to know that you liked the blog. you are right, in cooker it can become mushy or too soft.
Hey i am a great fan of ur website…have been following ur blog since so long…i am facing problems in one of ur recipes ie. BIRYANI RICE….it did not come like the picture posted by you…dont know wether i am making any mistakes? can u post step by step pics in the post if possible….it would be a great help….
thanks. you can let me know what happened. i will try to add step by step pics if possible.
The Biryani rice turned out oily and stuck to each other due to the oil. Also the colour and texture did not come as in the pic posted by you.The taste was also not good.Please help….
firstly did you use the exact tbsp and cup measurements. 2 tbsp ghee or oil for 2 cups of rice, won’t make it oily. with the spices that have gone into the biryani rice, the taste and flavor is aromatic. if you add salt in the right amount, the taste comes through, otherwise the taste will be bland. just like the case with any dish. when you stay stuck, it means the rice has been cooked too much. the grains have to be separate and yet cooked. with practice, you will be able to cook rice perfectly. apart from the rice, i am not sure what has gone wrong. i will try to update this post with step by step, if possible.
I did this very long time ago.. you r tempting me to do it soon.. Looks yummy
Super yummy…I personally don’t like capsicum, but this recipe is superb !!!
thanks ipsita
I love the idea of frying them in a pan instead of baking. I make these the same way, except that before baking, I add some grated cheese on top.
I really like your photos. Simple and clean with natural light. No hundreds of food props to distract. The focus is on food – the way I prefer 🙂
thanks preeti. you are very observant. i shoot photographs in natural light and try to focus on food only and use food props only when they are needed.