VelvetGrilled Kofta-Stuffed Peppers
Inspired by techniques from Bon Appétit.
Spiced ground beef kofta, bulked out with hydrated couscous, pistachios and cilantro, is packed into charred bell pepper halves and finished on the grill until the peppers are smoky-sweet and the filling is cooked through. A bright lemon yogurt sauce poured over the top cuts through the richness of the meat and nuts.
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Method
- 1
Hydrate the couscous. Stir the couscous, baharat and 0.75 tsp of the fine salt together in a large heatproof bowl. Pour in the boiling water, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let stand for 5 min until the water is absorbed.
- 2
Mix the filling. Break up the couscous with a fork - it will be a little less fluffy than usual. Add the shallot, garlic, ground beef, cilantro, finely chopped pistachios, the remaining 0.75 tsp fine salt and the black pepper. Mix gently with your hands just until combined, then set aside.
- 3
Char the peppers. Heat a grill to medium and oil the grate. Arrange the pepper halves on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with the vegetable oil, season all over with the ¼ tsp salt and ⅛ tsp pepper and turn to coat. Grill cut side down until just starting to char, about 3 min, then move back to the baking sheet skin side down and let cool slightly.
- 4
Stuff and grill. Lightly pack each pepper half with about 120 g of the meat mixture, without pressing it tight. Set the peppers skin side down on the grate, cover the grill and cook until the peppers are tender and charred underneath and an instant-read thermometer pushed into the centre of the filling reads at least 74°C, about 20 min. Transfer to a platter.
- 5
Make the lemon yogurt. While the peppers grill, whisk the yogurt (or labneh), lemon zest, lemon juice and the remaining ¼ tsp fine salt together in a small bowl.
- 6
Finish and serve. Scatter the coarsely chopped pistachios over the stuffed peppers and serve with the lemon yogurt alongside.
Storage
Best eaten hot off the grill with the lemon yogurt fresh. Refrigerate leftover stuffed peppers and the yogurt sauce separately, covered, for up to 3 days; reheat the peppers until piping hot and serve the sauce cold. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Why it's healthy
34.7 g protein for 654 kcal = 5.3 g per 100 kcal, so protein gives about 21% of the energy. High Protein needs at least 20% (5 g per 100 kcal), the EU condition. How we decide
Free sugars
0.2 g per serving
0.4 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 0.8 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g (WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- charcoal or gas grill
- grill brush
- fine grater
- large heatproof bowl
- kitchen towel
- fork
- rimmed baking sheet
- mixing bowl
- small bowl
- whisk
- tongs
- instant-read thermometer
- platter
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 654 kcal |
| Protein | 34.7 g |
| Carbohydrate | 43.2 g |
| of which sugars | 13.5 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.2 g |
| Fat | 39.6 g |
| of which saturates | 11.7 g |
| Fibre | 8.3 g |
| Salt | 3.39 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
5.3 g meets High Protein (≥ 5 g, 20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
