Lentil & Peanut Stuffed Peppers

Name: Lentil & Peanut Stuffed Peppers
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 3 whole Bell pepper; 240 g Canned lentils drained; 60 g Long grain rice; 30 g Roasted peanuts; 60 g Vegetarian queso fresco; 80 g Onion; 150 g Tomato; 2 cloves Garlic; 1 tsp Ají panca paste; 0.5 tsp Ground cumin; 1 tbsp Neutral cooking oil; 225 ml Water; 0.5 tsp Salt

Red peppers hold a savory lentil, rice and peanut filling beneath a light fresh-cheese topping.

75 minutes · Medium · 2 servings

Original house recipe · Not yet kitchen-tested

Ingredients

Bell pepper3 whole
Canned lentils drained240 g
Long grain rice60 g
Roasted peanuts30 g
Vegetarian queso fresco60 g
Onion80 g
Tomato150 g
Garlic2 cloves
Ají panca paste1 tsp
Ground cumin0.5 tsp
Neutral cooking oil1 tbsp
Water225 ml
Salt0.5 tsp

Quantities describe recipe usage, not package sizes.

Allergen notes

Peanuts and milk. Check chili paste and packaged ingredients for other allergens.

Method

Soften the pepper shells

Heat a conventional oven to 200°C (400°F). Choose three large red bell peppers, about 600 g total. Halve lengthways and remove the seeds and pale ribs. Place cut-side up in a snug baking dish, brush with 0.5 tbsp oil and add 80 ml water around them. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.

Cook the rice and prepare the filling

Rinse the rice and put in a small saucepan with the remaining 145 ml water. Bring to a boil, cover and cook over the lowest heat for 15–18 minutes, until tender and absorbed. Rest covered for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, rinse and drain the lentils, weighing 240 g after draining. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic; core and finely chop the tomato. Finely chop the peanuts.

Cook a concentrated filling

Heat the remaining 0.5 tbsp oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Soften the onion for 6–7 minutes. Add garlic, ají panca and cumin for 1 minute, then tomato and salt. Cook for 5 minutes until the mixture is no longer watery. Fold in lentils, cooked rice and peanuts and heat for 2 minutes.

Fill and bake

Carefully remove the foil from the pepper dish. Spoon the filling into all six pepper halves, mounding gently, then crumble the cheese evenly over them. Bake uncovered for 20–25 minutes, until the peppers are tender, the filling is piping hot and the cheese is softened with a few lightly golden edges. Fresh cheese will not melt into long strings.

Rest briefly and serve

Let stand for 5 minutes before lifting the peppers from the dish. Serve three filled halves per person. The rice and lentils are already included, so no additional grain side is needed.

These are mild bell peppers, not rocoto chilies. Use pasteurized queso fresco made without animal rennet; the peanut-lentil filling is an explicitly vegetarian house choice.

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