Both sweet and hot peppers can be prepared using similar methods and techniques, but there are a few key differences regarding cooking time and pre-preparation. Each method produces a unique flavor and texture, so try several options to determine which one you like best.
Ingredients
For about 1 cup (250 milliliters)
- 1 medium bell pepper or 2-3 small chili peppers
- Olive oil or cooking spray
- Water
Steps
Method 1 of 6: Bake
Step 1. Preheat the oven
You can bake or fry any kind of pepper. As a rule, large bell peppers should be baked in an oven preheated to 220 ºС, and smaller ones on a wire rack that has been preheated for 5–10 minutes.
- Either way, prepare a baking sheet and line it with aluminum foil.
- If your oven has high and low temperatures, use the High temperature setting for preheating.
Step 2. Cut the pepper or leave it intact
Small peppers should be cooked whole. Large peppers such as bell peppers can be cut into halves or quarters to speed up the cooking process.
Place the chopped peppers on a prepared baking sheet, cut side down
Step 3. Spray the peppers with cooking spray
Sprinkle cooking spray on each pepper, or brush the peel with a little olive oil. This is to prevent the pepper from sticking to the foil or baking sheet.
Step 4. Cook the peppers until they are baked
The time depends on the size of the peppers and the method of preparation: as a rule, bell peppers should be cooked in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, while small hot peppers should be baked for 5-10 minutes on each side.
- Turn the peppers periodically so that the peel is evenly fried on all sides.
- When the pepper is cooked, the rind will be dark and bubbly.
Step 5. Serve warm
Wrap the peppers in aluminum foil for 10-15 minutes and wait for them to cool and not too hot to touch. Remove the foil. After that, the pepper can be eaten or added to other dishes.
Peel the peppers by hand before serving. This will not be difficult if the pepper has cooled in foil
Method 2 of 6: Grilling
Step 1. Preheat the grill
Turn on a medium heat regardless of whether you are using a charcoal or gas grill.
- Add some charcoal to the charcoal grill, light it and wait until the fire is out and the coals are covered with white ash. Place the pepper over hot coals.
- If you have a gas grill, heat it over high heat, then reduce to medium. In this case, it is also necessary to place the pepper over the hot spot.
Step 2. Spread butter on the pepper
Brush each pepper with olive oil or spray with cooking spray on all sides. This is to prevent the pepper from sticking to the wire rack. Plus, the olive oil will give the pepper a pleasant aroma. Note that you need to grill whole peppers, not chopped peppers.
Step 3. Cook the peppers by frying them on all sides
Place the prepared peppers on the grill and turn them periodically so that they are evenly fried on all sides. The large bell peppers will take about 25-30 minutes. Small peppers usually take 8-12 minutes.
If you are using a charcoal grill, do not cover it. If you are grilling peppers on a gas grill, cover them
Step 4. Let the pepper brew a little before serving
Remove the peppers from the grill and wrap in aluminum foil. Let it cool slowly for about 15 minutes, until you can grab it with your hands.
If you've cooked the peppers in aluminum foil, you can easily peel off the charred peel with your fingers after it's cool to reveal the tender, aromatic flesh
Method 3 of 6: Frying
Step 1. Heat some oil in a skillet
Pour 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 milliliters) of vegetable oil into a large skillet. Preheat a skillet over medium heat for a couple of minutes.
Step 2. Cut the peppers into small pieces
Peppers should be cut into rings, strips or small pieces before frying. Usually hot peppers are cut into rings, and sweet peppers are cut into strips or small slices.
Note that the size of the slices determines the cooking time. Thick rings, straws or slices of sweet peppers larger than 2–3 centimeters should be roasted 1–2 minutes longer than thin rings or small slices less than 2 centimeters
Step 3. Fry the peppers in hot oil
Place the chopped peppers in hot oil and cook, stirring frequently, for about 4-7 minutes, or until the peppers are browned.
Stir the pepper frequently so that the peel and flesh do not burn. If you do not stir the pepper for a long time, it can stick to the pan and burn
Step 4. Eat pepper separately or add to other dishes
Roasted peppers are usually prepared with other ingredients, although they can be eaten alone or added to various dishes.
For a quick side dish or light lunch, you can add pepper to boiled rice and drizzle with your favorite soy sauce, Italian dressing, or something else
Method 4 of 6: Boil
Step 1. Boil a small amount of water
Pour water into a large skillet with high edges so that it covers the bottom by 3 to 5 centimeters and heat over medium-high heat. After the water has boiled, add about 1 tablespoon (20 grams) of salt.
The salt will enhance the flavor of the pepper, but if you add it before boiling, you will have to wait longer for the water to boil
Step 2. Cut the peppers into rings or strips
If you are preparing a small hot pepper, then cut it into rings, and the larger one into rings or strips.
Keep in mind that larger pieces take longer to cook than smaller pieces. Try to cut the peppers into roughly equal slices
Step 3. Cook the peppers in boiling water
Place the peppers in boiling water and cook, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes, or until slightly tender.
Try to crunch the pepper slightly, but the core is much softer than it was before boiling
Step 4. Serve the peppers warm
It can be eaten alone or added to any dish.
Method 5 of 6: Steaming
Step 1. Boil water in a double boiler
Pour water into the steamer so that it covers the bottom by 2-3 centimeters. Place a bowl on top (make sure the bottom does not touch the water) and boil the water over high heat.
If you don't have a steamer, you can use a large saucepan and a metal colander instead. The colander should fit snugly on the pot and not touch the bottom of the pot. Also make sure you can cover the colander with a lid
Step 2. Cut the pepper into small pieces
Slice small peppers into rings and large peppers into rings or strips.
Make sure that the pieces are about the same size and shape - in this case, they will cook evenly
Step 3. Steam the peppers until tender
Place the peppers in the steamer basket. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.
During cooking, the pan should be covered with a lid to prevent steam from escaping. Lifting the lid too often will release steam and take longer to cook
Step 4. Serve the peppers warm
Remove the peppers from the steamer and eat by themselves, or add to any dish that requires pre-cooked peppers.
Method 6 of 6: Microwave Cooking
Step 1. Cut the peppers into small pieces
Cut the peppers into rings, strips, or small pieces. Small hot peppers are usually cut into rings, while large bell peppers can be chopped using either method.
Make sure the pieces are about the same size. Otherwise, larger pieces will take longer to cook, while smaller pieces may take longer to digest
Step 2. Place the chopped peppers in a microwave-safe plate and add some water
Pour the pepper chunks into a microwave-safe dish and add 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) of water - that's enough to cover the bottom and not completely cover the pepper.
Step 3. Microwave the peppers until tender
Cover a plate and microwave on high power for 1.5-2 minutes per cup (250 ml) pepper. Stir the peppers once halfway through the process.
Peppers are mostly steam cooked, so put a lid on the plate to keep the steam in
Step 4. Serve the peppers warm
Drain off the remaining water and eat the pepper by itself or add it to other dishes.
Advice
- Peppers can be sweet and spicy, so be careful when buying and choose what you need. As a rule, the larger peppers are sweet, while the smaller peppers are hot.
- The pepper should be firm and bright in color.
- Before eating, peppers should be washed under running water and wiped dry with clean paper towels.
- To test the sharpness of a pepper, cut a tiny piece from it, place it on a fork and touch it with your tongue. You will feel how strong it bakes.
- Bell peppers can almost always be peeled and peeled.
- To make hot peppers a little less pungent, peel and peel them.