I made these vegan stuffed peppers again recently when I had a batch of large peppers in my veg box and wanted something a bit more substantial than a quick stir-fry.
They’re filled with a spiced rice I’ve been making for years, finished with toasted nuts and sultanas for texture and sweetness. It’s simple food, but it feels complete when it comes out of the oven.
Getting the Peppers Ready
You can use any of the sweet bell peppers for this recipe. Red, yellow and orange will give you a sweet sensation while green offers up a little bitterness which offsets the sultanas in the rice really well.
A useful trick when roasting peppers is to make sure the roasting tin is a snug fit. It helps them stay upright and hold their shape during cooking.
If they are a bit wobbly, slice a sliver off the back of them and they should lie flat.
Spiced Rice Filling
This spiced rice has been with me for years. It was part of the food we served at our wedding in 1994, and I’ve made versions of it ever since.
The flavour builds in layers: slowly cooked onions form the base, spices are briefly toasted to release their aroma, and the rice is cooked separately so it stays light rather than sticky or heavy.
While the rice cooks, I fry nuts and sultanas separately so each keeps its own texture and character. They’re stirred through at the end for contrast rather than blending into the rice.
Vegan Stuffed Peppers with Spiced Rice
Ingredients
For the Peppers
- 2 large red peppers halved and deseeded
- 1 tsp sunflower oil
For the Spiced Rice Filling
- 100 g basmati rice rinsed
- 190 ml water
- 1 medium onion peeled, halved, sliced into thin half moons
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp salt
- 10 g red skinned peanuts
- 10 g unsalted cashew nuts
- 10 g flaked almonds
- 10 g sultanas
- chopped chives to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C/390F
- Gently heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan, add onions and cook gently with the lid on for 20 - 20 minutes until softened and browning. Stir occasionally.
- While onions are cooking lightly grease a roasting tin with a little oil. Place peppers cut side up in the tin and roast for 15 minutes in the preheated oven until just beginning to soften.
- Add rinsed and drained rice to the cooked onions and fry for a minute or two until toasted.
- Add garlic, ginger, garam masala to the rice and stir through. Fry for a further minute.
- Add water and salt, bring to boil, reduce to a low simmer and cook with the lid on for 10 minutes without peeping. Turn heat off and leave to stand, covered for a further 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan. Add the peanuts and cashews and fry until just browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen roll.
- Add the sultanas to the frying pan and fry for a couple of minutes until they swell. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen roll.
- Finally add the slivered almonds and fry for a few seconds until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen roll.
- Stir the fruits and nuts through the cooked rice. Taste and adjust seasoning to taste.
- Fill each pepper half generously with cooked rice and return them to the oven for 10 minutes or until the peppers are just beginning to brown at the edges and the filling is piping hot.
- Top with a few chopped chives and serve.
