Colourful bell peppers turn into spooky Halloween lanterns when carved with funny faces and filled with a delicious mixture of spiced rice, paneer and vegetables. Use red, yellow and green peppers for a vibrant platter.
Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 30-35 mins | Servings: 3
Ingredients
- 3 large bell peppers, preferably red, yellow and green
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 150 g paneer, crumbled
- ½ cup finely chopped mixed vegetables
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 tomato, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp red chilli powder, or to taste
- 2 tbsp oil
- Salt, to taste
- 2 tbsp grated cheese (optional)
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Wash three large bell peppers: one red, one yellow and one green.
- Slice off the tops and remove the seeds.
- Carefully cut eyes and mouths into the sides to create spooky faces.
- Heat oil in a pan and sauté chopped onion, ginger and garlic.
- Add chopped vegetables, turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala and salt.
- Stir in cooked rice and crumbled paneer.
- Fill each pepper with the mixture.
- Add grated cheese on top, if desired.
- Place the peppers upright in a baking dish.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the peppers soften and the filling is heated through.
- Garnish with coriander and serve warm.
How to serve
Place the red, yellow and green pepper faces upright on a dark serving platter. Let their colourful faces stand out against the Halloween table décor.