Rajasthani Bharwan Mirch (Green Chillies stuffed with Chickpea flour)

Getting back into my Rajasthani mould 🙂 , this post presents another speciality from the desert state – Bharwan Mirch. Yes, this inadvertently continues to spread the best of Rajasthani cuisine as I simply cannot resist myself to share more and more speciality of my wonderful Rangeelo Rajasthan ;). For the benefit of all, “Bharwan” in Hindi means stuffed and “Mirch” means green chilli; essentially it is a side dish, made up of green chillies stuffed with spicy chickpea flour mix. Do note that the green chillies used are the long, thick green ones as they tend to be less spicy than the regular small,thin green chillies.

Chickpea flour (“Besan” in Hindi) plays a very important role in Rajasthani cuisine. It is sued in making numerous main dishes like Gatte ki Sabji, Patod ki Sabji, Chilade ki Sabji etc. and also side dishes like Bharwa Mirch, and Besan Shimla Mirch.

Personally I love to have this Bharwan mirch with lots of chickpea flour to enjoy the spices fully 😉

The ingredients for making Bharwa Mirch are :
1. Big Green Chilli : 4 (really big, check the picture below)
2. Chickpea Flour (Besan / Gramflour) : 1 cup
3. Cumin seeds (Jeera) : 1/2 tsp
4. Mustard seeds (Rye) : 1/2 tsp
5. Fennel seeds (Saunf) : 1/2 tsp
6. Red Chilli Powder : 1.5 tsp
7. Turmeric Powder (Haldi) : 1/4 tsp
8. Coriander Powder : 1 tsp
9. Dried Mango Powder (Amchur) : 1/2 tsp
10. Garam Masala : 1/2 tsp
11. Salt : to taste
12. Asafoetida (Hing) : a pinch
13. Oil : 2 Tbsp + 1 tsp

Method :

Firstly wipe all the green chillies with a damp cloth. Next slit the chillies lengthwise on one side while they remain stuck on the other side. I got really big size green chillies, have a look in the picture 😉 (if your green chillies are smaller than this then use 7-8 green chillies)

Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, and temper with asafoetida, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and fennel seeds. Add chickpea flour, turmeric powder, salt, red chilli powder, coriander seeds and sauté for 2 minutes on medium flame. Then add dried mango powder and garam masala; mix well and sauté it till it becomes light brown in colour. Switch off the flame, take out the stuffing in a plate and let it cool down. Your stuffing for the Bharwa Mirch is ready!

Now take a chilli in your hand and fill in the stuffing very tightly. Fill all the chillies in the same manner and keep them aside.

Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a pan on low flame; put all the stuffed chillies in this oil and cover the pan with a lid. Cook it for 2 minutes. Then open the lid, turn over all the chillies so that they get cooked evenly; cover it again and cook further for a minute.

Now throw in any remaining stuffing in the pan. Check the chillies, and turn them over so that they get evenly cooked from all side. When the chillies become soft, they are done !

You can serve these spicy Bharwan Mirch as a side dish along with any curry.  One of my hubby’s best friend simply devours them on their own, even before starting the meal ;P

You can also store it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Insider Tips / Finer Points :

• You may adjust the spices in the stuffing according to your taste buds.
• You have to cook it on a low or medium flame to prevent the chillies/chickpea flour from getting burnt.
• Keep your eyes on the green chillies while cooking, and turn them occasionally so that they get evenly cooked and do not get burn.
• You may also stuff the green chillies with boiled potato-spices mixture.

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