My Mother’s traditional Gujarati Bharela Marcha nu Shaak translates to stuffed Peppers. Spicy peppers stuffed with toasted chickpea flour, coconut, sesame seeds, and Indian spices with a touch of sweet jaggery and lemon juice, cooked to perfection. Served with Indian millet bread(Rotlo) or Roti and raw onions on the side.
Traditionally, Bharela Marcha is cooked with hot small peppers. Every household in Gujarat has its recipe for Bharela Marcha. Though the recipes and method might be slightly different, the main Ingredients are hot peppers, roasted chickpea flour, and jaggery remain the same. Jaggery and lemon juice cuts the heat of the peppers and roasted chickpea flour makes the dish earthy and filling. The combination of flavors here is magical.
Stuffing Ingredients
My recipe contains GF and Vegan friendly ingredients. These ingredients are easily found at any Indian grocery. Also find the listed ingredients in my Amazon storefront. Click here to shop the Ingredients.
- Desiccated Coconut
- Sesame Seeds
- Chickpea Flour
- Jaggery or Cane Sugar
- Ginger-Garlic Paste
- Lemon Juice
- Turmeric Powder
- Kashmiri Chili Powder or Sweet Paprika
- Cumin Powder
- Coriander Powder
- Oil
- Salt
Using Milder Peppers
It is so difficult to find the same spicy peppers I grew up eating in the US. Jalapenos seem more manageable and close to the peppers we get back home in India. The heat of jalapenos is perfect and you can enjoy the meal without blowing hot dragon breath. I have thought about making this recipe with Habanero peppers but I better hold on to that only for my thought.
If jalapenos aren’t for you then try small sweet peppers or Anaheim peppers. I love the texture of Anaheim peppers with Indian millet bread or roti bread. Sweet peppers are great for an appetizer or a side dish.
My husband and kids love Anaheim and Sweet pepper ‘Bharela Marcha’. Although this isn’t a curry and usually served as a side dish, I sometimes like to create a curry-like texture to have it as a main meal.
Curry Up
Add a tablespoon and a half of extra chickpea flour while making the stuffing mixture.
1. Reserve tablespoons of mixtures and add about ¼ cup water to it.
2. Once the peppers are cooked add the extra stuffing and water. Cook on low until thick.
I have instructions on cooking these delicious peppers in the oven as well. I like to roast chickpea flour, coconut, and sesame seeds in advance. Once you have these three things ready, you can whip up and get this recipe ready in no time.
Also try my GF and Vegetarian Recipes
- Eggplant Paneer Masala
- Gujarati Bhindi Kadhi-Okra Curry
- Bhindi Sabzi-Okra Stir Fry
- One-Pot Vegetable Spicy Rice
- Masala Potatoes-Rai Wale Aloo
Baking Instructions
Cook Bharela Marcha on Stovetop or Bake them. Either way, the nutty flavors of coconut and sesame seeds along with chickpea flour, jaggery, and lemon complements the hot peppers so well.
- Although I prefer stovetop cooking for Bharela Marcha. They also turn out great if you decide to bake them. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
- Place stuffed peppers on a large greased baking sheet. Drizzle the cooking oil generously on the peppers. Bake them at 425 F for 20 to 25 minutes. Broil for a minute.
STUFFED PEPPERS-BHARELA MARCHA
Ingredients
- 8 jalapenos or sweet peppers
- ½ cup chickpea flour
- 4 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon desicatted coconut , unsweetened
- 1 tablespoon sesame seed
- 2 tablespoon jaggery
- ½ large lemon juiced
- â…“ cup cilantro , chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste , or grated ginger-garlic
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin-coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon kashmiri chili powder or paparika
- salt to taste
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
1. PREPARE THE PEPPERS
- -Wash and dry the peppers. Trim the top crown of the peppers and create a cut lengthwise halfway through. I like to keep the core but you may remove the seeds if using spicy peppers.
2. MAKE STUFFING
- -Heat skillet on low-medium heat and roast the chickpea flour for 2 to 3 minutes while stirring continuously to prevent it from burning. Set the chickpea flour aside in a medium bowl.-Roast coconut and sesame seeds in the skillet on low heat for a minute and transfer them into the bowl with chickpea flour. Add ginger-garlic paste, 1 tablespoon oil, all the spices and mix it with a hand.
3. STUFF THE PEPPERS
- -Stuff about a teaspoon to a teaspoon and half chickpea stuffing in each pepper. Do not overstuff. Leave the extra mixture aside.
4. COOKING
- -Heat 3 tablespoon oil on medium heat in a large wok or a skillet. Add the stuffed peppers to the skillet. Cook it on medium heat until peppers are nicely charred. -Add any leftover chickpea mixture on top and cook for a minute. Bring the heat down to low-medium and add water. Cover and cook for 15 minutes without opening. Uncover and stir gently. -Cook an additional minute or two until dry. Serve it hot as an appetizer or with Indian flatbread, millet bread.
Nutrition
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Hi there! I'm Safiya. I'm an author, food photographer, recipe developer and the creator behind Feast with Safiya. So glad you stopped by! I share Modern & Authentic Indian recipes that I usually cook for my family. I am a firm believer in cooking meals with lots of vegetables, little meat, and generous spices. My recipes are easy, tested and perfected.
Lauren says
I love all of these strong flavours - makes the peppers much more interesting than regular stuffed peppers. A winner recipe for sure 🙂
Claudia Lamascolo says
Great recipe, easy to follow we loved it!
Natalie says
Oh wow, such a lovely flavors are in these peppers. Yummy! I can’t wait to give this a try. Sounds so delicious!
Tavo says
Delicious. I really enjoyed these peppers.
Wajeeha Nadeem says
This is such a beautiful looking dish, and I absolutely love all the ingredients in the stuffing. This is on my list to try ASAP!