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Epicurious

Paneer-Stuffed Peppers

4.9

(7)

A plate of Paneer Stuffed Peppers.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

Spiced tomato sauce with bits of creamy paneer fills delicious stuffed peppers here, but it can also be simply served with flatbread, over quinoa, or in a quesadilla. Searing the paneer adds a slight smokiness to the sauce. This creamy cheese is ideal because it does not melt completely—crumbling it ensure a satisfying texture. Sach is my go-to brand. The flavorful tomato sauce is spiced with jalapeño, fresh ginger, ground coriander, and cumin and mustard seeds. 

This recipe uses the same sauce as the Toasted Tomato-Paneer Sandwiches, so feel free to double it to make both recipes.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    1 hour 15 minutes

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

Sauce

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 (6-oz.) packages paneer
1 medium onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ jalapeño, seeds removed, finely chopped
1 (1") piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
1 tsp. cumin seeds
½ tsp. mustard seeds
2 tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. ground turmeric
1 (15-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt

Peppers and assembly

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
4 red or yellow bell peppers, halved through stem end, ribs and seeds removed
Chopped cilantro (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Sauce

    Step 1

    Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium. Cook paneer in a single layer, undisturbed, until golden brown underneath, about 2 minutes. Turn over and cook on other side until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl; let cool slightly, then crumble into bite-size pieces. Set aside.

    Step 2

    Add onion, garlic, jalapeño, ginger, cumin seeds, and mustard seeds to same pot and cook (still over medium), stirring often, until onion is softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add coriander, cayenne, and turmeric and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, salt, and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and stir in reserved paneer. Cover pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, 15–20 minutes.

  2. Peppers and assembly

    Step 3

    Place a rack in middle of the oven; preheat to 400°. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Place peppers, cut side up, on baking sheet. Spoon ⅓ cup sauce into each pepper half. Bake until peppers are tender and top is lightly browned, 25–30 minutes.

    Step 4

    Transfer stuffed peppers to plates and top with cilantro.

TagsPaneerCheeseDairyJalapeñoChileVegetableBell PepperCanned TomatoTomatoMainSideDinnerNut FreeVegetarianGluten FreeDutch OvenEpicurious

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