Chile Relenos

Chile Relenos means "Stuffed Pepper" in Spanish.It is actually roasted Poblano Pepper stuffed with cheese and meat or vegetables and then deep fried or shallow fried and then served with salsa.It is similar to Milagu Bajji served in India as a snack.Click here for more info about it

Ingredients:

Poblano Pepper: 2
Prepared Rice: 1/2 cup
Jack Cheese/Mexican Blend cheese:1/2 cup
Corn Meal: 2 tbsp
Salsa: 1/4 cup
Salt: as per taste

Preparation:

Roast the pepper on all sides over the gas or broil/roast it in the oven till the skin looks charred.Do not Remove the stem of the pepper.Immediately put in a brown paper/plastic(ziploc) bag and cover tightly and keep aside.This allows the steam in the hot pepper to cook the pepper completely.After you put one pepper inside the bag,make sure to close it.Then when the second one is ready,open the bag and put the second one in the same bag along with the first.After 10 minutes, the peppers may have cooled down and then take one by one and remove the charred part.You will get a dark green pepper.

Make a small slit on the pepper for stuffing.Make sure you do not cut the entire pepper into two,but it should be large enough for you to inseert your fingers/spoon.Once you make a slit,remove the seeds from inside the pepper carefully with your hands.(You can wash the pepper, insides as well, now if you want,so that the spicy juices are thoroughly removed,I did not)

Using a small spoon carefully,open the slit edge, stuff the pepper with little prepared rice,salsa of your choice and then top it with shredded/sliced cheese.Fill the pepper completely and close the slit and then keep aside.Do the same with the other pepper.

They look like this after stuffing..

In a small plate,add cornmeal.Roll each pepper in this cornmeal and roast/pan fry till the cheese melts and the edges are sealed.This takes only 1-2 minutes per side.Make sure you put the slit side on the pan first.
After rolling...

The final product:

On Opening:

Serve with dip of your choice.

You can stuff the pepper with anything of your choice,I had some broccoli and cheese flavoured rice that was leftover and used it.Also instead of serving the salsa on the side I stuffed store brought salsa as well.Cheese is a must though.

You can also make a batter of flour/cornmeal with egg/buttermilk/water rather than simply rolling in the cornmeal.But I did the rolling in cornmeal.The cornmeal/flour is sure to stick to pepper.

You can even make a casserole of this poblano pepper.Click here for such a recipe.Also see Indian Mirchi Bajji here. Hope you enjoy this Mexican style as well.It was tasty,but too hot.You can increase/decrease the heat using stuffings/cheese.I enjoyed it as I like hot n'spicy snacks.It really wakes you up.

So this Chile Relenos is going for Food In Colors: Green event to heat up the things there.SunshineMom has also posted a round up of food in red,and I am sure this green dish will make her see 'red'.