Stuffed Peppers

The Quirky Foodster Team

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Servings

Ingredients

Large mild peppers (poblano or similar) — 6
Minced beef or pork — 300 g (10.6 oz)
Onion, diced — 1
Tomatoes, chopped — 2
Raisins — 40 g (1.4 oz)
Chopped almonds — 2 tbsp
Ground cinnamon — 1 tsp
Eggs, separated — 3
Flour — 3 tbsp
Oil for frying
Salt — to taste

Method

Roast the peppers over an open flame or under a hot grill until the skins blister, then peel, and carefully slit one side to remove the seeds, keeping the pepper whole.
Cook the minced meat with the onion until browned, then add the tomatoes, raisins, almonds, and cinnamon, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Season the filling with salt and stuff generously into each pepper.
Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, then fold in the yolks and flour to make a light batter.
Dip each stuffed pepper in the batter and fry in hot oil until golden on all sides.
Drain briefly and serve warm.

Introduction: Mild peppers stuffed with a savoury meat and dried fruit filling, battered and fried — a dish blending indigenous chiles with imported ingredients.

Cultural Background: Chiles rellenos exemplify the culinary fusion of the colonial period, combining native peppers with meat, dried fruit, and spices brought from Europe and Asia via Spanish trade routes, dressed in a Spanish-style egg batter.

Tips: Roast the peppers until well blistered — this makes the skins much easier to peel.

Variations: A simple tomato sauce spooned over the finished peppers is a common addition.

Nutrition: Approx. 380 kcal per serving.

FAQs:

Q: What makes this dish ‘colonial’ rather than purely indigenous?

A: The combination of native chiles with European-introduced ingredients — beef, almonds, raisins, cinnamon, and the egg batter technique — reflects the culinary blending distinctive to the colonial period.

Q: Can this be made vegetarian?

A: Yes, a cheese or bean filling makes a suitable and widely eaten alternative.