Red Bell Peppers Stuffed with Spicy Minced Lamb

Qeema Bhari Mirch (Red Bell Peppers Stuffed with Spicy Minced Lamb) is a traditional Indian recipe for a classic dish of red bell peppers stuffed with spicy minced lamb that’s baked on a mix of the lamb with tomato ketchup.

Ingredients

·         8 medium bell peppers, mixture of red, yellow and green

·         4 cups cooked short grain rice, cooled (from 1 1/3 cup uncooked)

·         2 tbsp olive oil

·         1 tsp ground cinnamon

·         1/4 tsp ground allspice

·         4 cloves garlic, minced

·         1/4 cup minced fresh mint, packed

·         1 tsp salt

·         1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

·         1 lb (500 g) ground lamb

·         2 tbsp olive oil

·         6 cloves garlic, minced

·         4 1/2 cups diced tomatoes (from 1 1/2-28 oz/796 mL cans)

·         1/4 cup tomato paste

·         1/2 tsp cinnamon, or to taste

·         1/8 tsp allspice, or to taste

·         Salt and pepper, to taste

·         2 tbsp minced fresh mint, packed

·         1 tbsp minced fresh parsley, packed

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Cut the tops of each pepper leaving the stems intact. Use a paring knife to cut away the seeds and ribs inside each pepper.
3. In a large bowl, combine the cooked rice, olive oil, cinnamon, allspice, garlic, mint, salt, pepper and lamb. Stuff into pepper cavities and top with pepper "lids". Arrange peppers in a large baking dish.
4. To make the sauce, heat olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add garlic and saute until softened, about 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, spices and herbs. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding up to a total of 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp allspice if you like more intense spice. Pour around peppers, then cover dish with aluminum foil and bake 1 hour, or until lamb is cooked through and peppers are soft.