Chickpea Stuffed Peppers Recipe

ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 large handfuls spinach, torn into small pieces and washed
1 teaspoon mild curry powder (commercially-bought is fine)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup canned chopped tomatoes, including juice
2 tablespoons tomato puree
2 ounces wholemeal breadcrumbs
1 can (14 ounce size) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and roughly hand-chopped
4 tablespoons chopped roasted red bell peppers (optional)
3 medium bell peppers, halved and hollowed out for stuffing

directions

Heat a wide heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add the oil and heat for 10 seconds or so, then add the onion and fry, stirring occasionally, until well-softened.

Tip in the damp spinach, sprinkle over the curry powder, raise the heat and stir, toss and fry until the liquid has mostly cooked out of the spinach and it is collapsed but still moist. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add the garlic, tomatoes, vegetable or tomato puree, breadcrumbs, chickpeas and peppers. Season with salt and black pepper and mix well; it should be reasonably moist but not dripping. Stuff the filling firmly into the pepper halves, mounding up on top.

Bake in a low-sided dish at 400 degrees F for about an hour, turning the dish around once and lowering the heat towards the end if the peppers are getting too browned. This length of time makes the peppers deliciously soft; if you like them firmer, reduce the time.

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