Paneer-Stuffed Peppers with Creamy Tomatillo Sauce

A vegetarian delight celebrating Mexican and Indian flavors.

A few weeks ago, I posted a poll on Instagram featuring two recipes—Tangy Coconut Chicken & Dumplings and paneer-stuffed peppers—that were inspired by my childhood nostalgia as a South Asian adoptee. The results were razor thin (it was almost 50/50), but chicken and dumplings ended up being the winner. Of course, I’m not going to leave the other half of you hanging, so say hello to Paneer-Stuffed Peppers with Creamy Tomatillo Sauce.

These pull flavors and techniques from another favorite of mine growing up in California: Chile Relleno—plus South Asian spices and ingredients. When I make chile relleno at home, I often skip the frying step and just roast, peel, and stuff the peppers, then drizzle them with crema and bake them in ranchero sauce until the cheese is ooey-gooey.

In place of the Oaxaca cheese is a paneer filling. It’s a textural wonderland of sautéed spring onions, lime zest, cilantro, and whole spices, like black mustard, cumin, and crushed coriander seeds, along with byadgi chilies, smoked chili powder, and turmeric. Then, for the sauce, tomatillos and other aromatics are broiled and blended with cilantro, lime juice, and soaked cashews. This recipe is for paid subscribers only.

IT’S A STUFFED PEPPER RENAISSANCE.