Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa and Paneer
These stuffed peppers are a delicious way to combine ready-cooked red and white quinoa with grated paneer, spring onions and Indian spices. A little passata keeps the filling moist and flavourful, while the peppers make colourful little edible bowls.This is a simple vegetarian recipe, perfect for a light lunch or dinner. Using ready-cooked quinoa and packaged paneer saves time without compromising on taste.
Servings: 2
Cost: 5
Ingredients
- 3-4 bell peppers any colour
- 1 pack ready-cooked red and white quinoa approximately 250 g
- ½ Pack ready-to-eat paneer- All The Aunties – Cumin Chilli & Turmeric paneer (approximately 200 g), grated
- 1 bunch spring onions finely chopped
- 3-4 tablespoons passata or as needed
- 1-2 tbls oil
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder to taste
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp garam masala
- Salt to taste
- Fresh coriander chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the peppers: Wash the colourful peppers and carefully cut off the tops, keeping each top intact to use as a lid. Remove the seeds and white membranes from inside the peppers. Keep the lids aside.
- Air-fry the peppers: Lightly coat the colourful peppers with oil, inside and outside. Place them in the air fryer and cook for 5–6 minutes at 180°C. This quick step helps soften the peppers slightly and brings out their natural sweetness. Remove and set aside while you prepare the filling.
- Stir-fry the spring onions: Heat the oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a few seconds. Add the chopped spring onions and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until softened.
- Add the spices: Stir in the turmeric, chilli powder and ground coriander. Mix well and cook briefly to release the flavours.
- Add the quinoa and paneer: Add the ready-cooked red and white quinoa and the grated paneer. Stir everything together until evenly combined.
- Keep the filling moist: Add the passata and mix well. The passata gives the filling a lovely tomato flavour and stops it from becoming too dry. Add a little more if needed.
- Season: Add salt and garam masala. Stir well, taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Add fresh coriander if using.
- Stuff the peppers: Spoon the quinoa and paneer mixture into the prepared peppers, pressing the filling down gently. Place the reserved tops back on each pepper to use as lids.
- Bake: Place the stuffed peppers back in the silicone tray in a lightly oiled baking dish. I added a few cherry tomatoes with the peppers as I like the taste. Cook the peppers in the airfryer at 180°C for about 10 minutes, or until the peppers are tender.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot, either on their own or with a fresh salad and some yoghurt or raita.
Notes
Mina's Tips: You can also add sweetcorn, peas, finely chopped carrots or leftover vegetables to the filling. You can make the filling spicy by adding chilli powder or chopped green chillies. For Vegans replace the paneer with firm tofu, grated or crumbled. Stuffed peppers can be made using leftover cooked quinoa and vegetables. The left over quinoa and paneer filling can be eaten as a side dish with yogurt.
