Bell Pepper

Sweetness in bell peppers varies with ripeness, offering crisp texture.

Flavor

How to use it

Grilling Bell Peppers. Heat caramelizes fructose, enhancing sweetness and adding smokiness.

Stuffed Bell Peppers. Baking steams flesh, blending flavors and softening peppers.

Common mistakes

• Overcooking leads to mushy texture.
• Improper seeding or underripe peppers taste bitter.

What goes with bell pepper

• Paneer. Charred bell pepper and paneer cubes are a staple of kadai paneer and skewers.
• Eggplant. Sweet roasted pepper balances eggplant's mild bitterness, as in ratatouille and caponata.
• Garlic. Garlic adds savory depth to sweet bell pepper as they sauté together.
• Paprika. Paprika is dried ground sweet pepper, so it deepens fresh bell pepper's own sweet flavor.
• Zucchini. Both vegetables soften and sweeten together in ratatouille.
• Palm Oil. Bell pepper's sweetness and palm oil's earthiness are the base of many West African stews.
• Black Bean. Sweet bell pepper complements black bean's earthiness in soups and stews.
• Onion. Bell pepper's sweetness softens onion's sharpness.

Try tonight

• Stir-fried bell peppers
• Bell pepper and hummus dip
• Stuffed bell peppers

Storage

Refrigerate to keep them fresh and crisp for up to a week.