Sri Lankan Ginger-Scallion Coconut Rice Stuffed Peppers

About This Recipe

Stuffed peppers aren't a classic Sri Lankan dish, but this recipe builds its filling from genuinely Sri Lankan techniques and ingredients — coconut milk rice, a curry leaf and mustard seed tempering, and a generous hand with fresh ginger and scallion — giving the format real Sri Lankan character even though the presentation itself is a modern adaptation rather than a heritage recipe. The rice is partially cooked in coconut milk before mixing with sauteed ginger, scallion and tempered curry leaves, so the filling carries the same aromatic base found throughout Sri Lankan rice cooking. A quick tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves in coconut oil, stirred directly into the rice mixture, infuses the filling with the distinctive nutty, herbal aroma that defines so many Sri Lankan vegetable and rice dishes. Once packed into halved or whole bell peppers and baked until tender, the peppers finish with a scatter of extra scallion and a squeeze of lime, echoing the fresh, bright garnishes common on Sri Lankan tables.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4bell peppers(tops cut off and cored)
• 1 cupbasmati or white rice(rinsed)
• 1 cupcoconut milk
• 0.75 cupwater
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 3 tbspcoconut oil
• 1 tspblack mustard seeds
• 10fresh curry leaves
• 2 tbspfresh ginger(minced)
• 4scallions(chopped, plus extra for garnish)
• 1green chile(minced)
• 0.5 cupvegetable stock(for the baking dish)
• 1lime(cut into wedges)

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the coconut rice

   Combine rice, coconut milk, water and salt in a pot. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 12 minutes — the rice should be partially cooked, still slightly firm.

2. 2

   Temper the aromatics

   Heat coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add mustard seeds until they pop, then add curry leaves, ginger, scallions and green chile, and saute 3-4 minutes until fragrant.

3. 3

   Combine the filling

   Fold the tempered aromatics into the partially cooked rice, mixing well.

4. 4

   Stuff the peppers

   Preheat oven to 190C (375F). Fill the hollowed peppers loosely with the rice mixture and arrange in a baking dish.

5. 5

   Bake covered

   Pour the vegetable stock into the bottom of the dish, cover with foil, and bake 25 minutes.

6. 6

   Finish uncovered

   Remove the foil and bake 10-15 minutes more until the peppers are tender and lightly browned on top.

7. 7

   Serve

   Scatter with extra scallion and serve with lime wedges.

Variations

• •

  Protein-added: stir in cooked lentils or shredded chicken to the rice mixture for a heartier filling.

• •

  Extra heat: add a second green chile or a pinch of dried chile flakes to the tempering step.

• •

  Different peppers: use smaller, sweeter mini peppers for a starter-sized portion instead of full-sized bell peppers.

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days. Reheat covered in a 180C oven until warmed through, or in the microwave with a splash of water or coconut milk.

Frequently Asked Questions