STIR-FRIED SWEET PEPPERS WITH COCONUT AND PEANUTS

Summer comfort food at it's best! I love these stir-fried peppers - or shaak as we call it in Gujarati - with rotli, these gluten-free flatbreads, or rice. It's flavourful, healthy, fresh, and light. Try it!

Adapted from here.

Stir-Fried Sweet Peppers with Coconut and Peanuts

makes: 4 servings

- 1 lb. (~1/2 kg) sweet mini peppers, stemmed, washed and sliced into rounds

- 1/4 cup raw peanuts

- 2 dried whole cayenne chiles

- 1/4 cup desiccated coconut (unsweetened)

- 2 tsp. salt

- 1 tsp. sugar

- 2 tbsp. coconut, safflower, sunflower, or other neutral oil (not olive oil!)

- 1 tsp. cumin seeds

- 1 tbsp. caraway seeds (shah jeeru, or cumin seeds)
- 1 tsp. mustard seeds

- 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder

- 1/8 cup water

- 2 tbsp. lemon juice

1. Dry roast the peanuts, caraway seeds, and dried chiles on medium-low heat till they are fragrant and the peanuts and chiles are lightly browned in some spots. Turn the heat off and cool. Transfer the roasted peanuts, cumin, and chiles to a blender or spice grinder. Add the coconut, sugar, and salt and grind into a coarse powder.
2. Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat and add the cumin and mustard seeds. Once they sizzle and the mustard seeds start to pop, add the turmeric and sliced peppers and mix well. Add the water, cover, and cook for 4-5 minutes.
3. Uncover, add the coarsely powdered spices, and mix well. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes uncovered, stirring once.
4. Turn off the heat, add the lemon juice, stir.
5. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with the chopped cilantro. Serve with roti or rice.

LAHMACUN: SPICY TURKISH "PIZZA"

Lahmacun: Spicy Turkish "Pizza"

makes: 8-10 lahmacun

Crust:
- 2-1/2 cups AP (all-purpose) flour

- 3/4 cup milk or water (milk will make the bottom of the crust a nice golden colour)

- 2 tbsp. olive oil

- 1 tsp. salt

- 1/2 tsp sugar

- 1-1/2 tsp. active dry yeast

Topping:

- 1/2 lb. ground lamb

- 1 green chile, finely chopped (cayenne, jalapeño, serrano, any...)

- 1 tomato, finely chopped

- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 tbs. Turkish red pepper and tomato paste

  (if you can't find this, use a coarsely blended roasted red capsicum and tomato)

- 2 tsp. red chile powder

- 1 tsp. cumin powder

- 1 tsp. black pepper powder

- 2 tsp. salt

- 1 tsp. smoked red paprika

- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

- 1 tbsp. olive oil

1. In a large bowl mix the topping ingredients until everything is mixed well but don't over mix. Let everything sit in the fridge for a few hours, up to 24 hrs.
2. Combine all the ingredients for the crust in a bowl. Mix and knead for 5-7 min. into a smooth supple dough, using a bit more water or milk if needed. Transfer into a large bowl and let it rise for 1-1/2 to 2 hrs. It doesn't need to rise like pizza dough so don't worry if it hasn't doubled after rising.
3. After the dough has risen, gently deflate and divide into 8 - 10 small balls (about the size of a lemon). Cover with a kitchen towel so the dough balls don't dry out, and allow to rest for 10-15 min.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 F / 200 C.
5. Flour your work surface, and roll out one dough ball at a time into a fairly thin round, about as thick as a tortilla or a wrap or a roti. Evenly spread 1 - 1-1/2 tbsp. of the meat mixture on the dough. Don't make too thick a layer of meat otherwise it won't cook properly.
6. On a pizza stone or in a baking tray, bake each lahmacun for about 5-7 min. All ovens heat differently so keep a close eye on the oven when baking the first couple to figure out the exact time your oven takes to fully cook these.
7. Continue rolling, topping, and baking the lahmacuns and stack them as they come out of the oven.
8. Before eating, squeeze a bit of lemon on your lahmacun, top with red chile flakes and a bit of green salad if you want, roll and enjoy! Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days.