River Cottage

Spicy stuffed chillies for the perfect starter or hearty veggie main from River Cottage Veg

Serves 6 as a starter, 2-3 as a main course

• 6 large, fresh poblano,
• Beaver Dam or Hungarian hot wax chillies
• 1 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
• 2–3 shallots, or 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 150–200g tomatoes
• 400g tin beans, such as borlotti, pinto or butter beans, drained and rinsed
• Bunch of coriander, chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp hot smoked paprika
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the garlicky yoghurt (optional)

• 6 tbsp plain (full-fat) yoghurt or soured cream
• ½ garlic clove, crushed

1. Preheat the grill to high. Lay the chillies on a baking tray and grill, turning from time to time, until the skins begin to char. Leave until cool enough to handle, then carefully peel away the skins, taking care to keep the chillies whole. Cut around and remove the stalks and

2. a flap of flesh to form a ‘lid’. Carefully scrape out all the seeds and membranes from inside the chillies and lids, and tip out any juice.

3. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat, then gently sauté the shallots or onion and garlic until soft, about 10 minutes. Slice the tomatoes in half and grate their flesh straight into the pan, holding back the skin. Simmer for a minute or two to reduce slightly. Remove from the heat.

4. Add the drained beans to the pan and roughly mash some of them with a fork, so they break up a little – don’t overdo it, you want plenty of them to stay whole. Add the chopped coriander, cumin and paprika, mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stuff the mixture carefully into the chillies and top with the ‘lids’. Lay them in

5. a lightly oiled ovenproof dish and bake for 20 minutes.

6. While the chillies are in the oven, combine the yoghurt with the crushed garlic and some salt and pepper, if serving, and set aside.

7. Serve the stuffed chillies hot, with a spoonful of garlicky yoghurt if you like, and a crisp, green salad.