stuffed chillies with roasted eggplants and olives – mediterranean style

I have this penchant for hot and spicy foods, so it is natural that I have affiliation towards chilies, I admire them in all sizes, colors, flavors and taste. And the thing which I loves about them most is that they can be a great appetizer. Feeling the heat already ? Well, not before you tried this delectable Indian curry of chillies which we fondly called mirchi ka salan or curried chillies.

The red, yellow, orange and shades of green, chilies looks very appetizing at least to me, and this gives ample scope to play with their heat, flavor and taste. On one of my recent venture with the chilies, I stuffed them with coconut and raisin filling, which turn out to be truly lip smacking, the stuffed chilli appetizer and this time I brought little sweet peppers which has very mild flavor and stuffed it with roasted eggplants and olives in truly Mediterranean style.

Mediterranean is a region consisting many countries and equally distinct cultures defined by colorful and vibrant foods and it is said that the beautiful landscapes of Mediterranean region can be almost defined by the cultivation of olive trees. Eggplant is another favorite among the Mediterranean cuisine, where it is also known as aubergines. Stuffing the peppers with meat, nuts, raisins is a favorite way to enjoy the many flavors of the peppers. So, here I am with the stuffed chilies with roasted eggplants and olives in truly Mediterranean style whereby eggplants are first roasted or you can char grilled them and then mashed along with garlic and olives, I have used few green and black kalamata olives which are then stuffed in chilies and roasted in oven.

This post is part of Day 1 of the 10th edition of blogging marathon under the theme  “Guilt Free Snacks“.

Ingredients :

Chilies (sweet Italian ) : 4
Eggplants (roasted, peeled and mashed) : 1 cup
Garlic minced : 1 tbsp
Olives (pitted and chopped ) : 8-10
Crumbled feta cheese : 1/2 cup
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh herbs (parsely or cilantro ) : few twigs

Method :

Preparing the chillies : leave the stalk intact and cut (lengthwise) the chili in half with a knife, take extra care while handling the chilies. Discard the seed and membrane with the help of a knife or spoon. Do not touch the seeds and membrane with your hand.

Preparing the filling:  In a mixer, add the roasted eggplants, chopped olives and minced garlic and mix them until it looks like a paste. Do not add water while mixing it.

Add the crumbled feta cheese, chopped fresh cilantro or parseley and check the seasonings.

Mix them well and spoon the mixture into the halved chillies.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 F for 15-20 minute or until done.

Serve the stuffed chili pepper immediately.

This post is linked to Vardhini’s Bake fest , Valli’s Snacks Mela and Serve it – Savory Baked by Krithi and Denny.

Enjoy !!!