Tandoori chicken stuffed peppers with saffron cauliflower rice are a fun and delicious take on Indian food! Cauliflower gives this dish great nutrition!
This recipe for tandoori chicken stuffed peppers with saffron cauliflower rice was inspired by Rob’s recent foreign assignment in India! He brought back a lot of spices like saffron, turmeric, and garam masala. Aside from turmeric, I’m not too familiar with how to cook with these spices but we’ve been having a lot of fun experimenting with them in different dishes like this tandoori chicken.
The yogurt really brings out the flavors of the tandoori chicken and don’t helps to calm down some of the spice. The chicken does not come out super spicy. Did you know that traditionally food coloring is used to make certain Indian food dishes extra bright red and yellow? Not here! I’ll opt for naturally spiced and colored food thank you very much!
Tandoori chicken stuffed peppers with saffron riced cauliflower are part of pepper week happening on Instagram right now! A whole week dedicated to using peppers in different ways, why they are so nutritious, and how to think outside traditional stuffed pepper recipe.
Peppers are a great source of vitamin C containing over 160% of your daily value of the nutrient. Other vitamins and minerals found in bell peppers include vitamin K, vitamin E, vitamin A, folate, and potassium. One cup of peppers has about 9 grams of carbohydrate, which is why incorporating them into different meals is a good option for those following a low carb diet or just wanting to up their vegetable intake.
Cauliflower is also a great source of vitamin C and fiber, making this tandoori chicken stuffed pepper recipes high in nutrition, texture and flavorful!
How to make tandoori chicken stuffed peppers with saffron riced cauliflower
This recipe is super simple and delicious! You need these ingredients:
- bell peppers
- chicken thighs
- cauliflower rice
- plain greek yogurt
- ginger
- garlic
- turmeric
- saffron
How to Make Cauliflower Rice
You can simply make cauliflower rice in your food processor by removing the stems and leaves from a head of cauliflower, breaking it down into florets and pulsing those until rice is formed.
When I’m not in the mood to do that I always grab Cece’s Veggie Co. riced cauliflower that is done for you from Whole Foods, Marianos, Meijer or Target here in Chicago!
p.s. I know if you’re into this recipe you will absolutely love my take on a pepper sandwich (AKA pepperwich!) It’s great if you’re gluten-free, want to add more vegetables to your life, or if you’re simply out of bread that day!
Tandoori Chicken Stuffed Peppers with Saffron Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients
- 1 package with about 5-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 6 bell peppers red, orange, yellow or green
- 2 1/2 cups riced cauliflower or 1 package of Cece’s Veggie Co. riced cauliflower
- 2 tbsp. fresh cilantro to garnish
For the Tandoori Chicken Spices:
- 3/4 cup plain 0% greek yogurt roughly 1 container ( I like siggi’s)
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp. turmeric
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 tbsp. garam masala
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
For the Saffron Cauliflower Rice:
- 2 pinches good quality saffron threads
Instructions
- In a large bowl whisk together all of the tandoori chicken spices including lemon juice and yogurt.
- Add chicken thighs and coat until they are all covered in the sauce evenly.
- Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and place chicken thighs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or tin foil.
- Bake for 35 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
- While the chicken is baking, cut the peppers in half scooping out the inner layer and seeds. Once cleaned place face up in a microwave safe bowl or dish with 1/4 cup of water at the bottom and heat for 5 minutes to soften.
- Take the saffron threads and put them in a spice mortar. Grind the spice with a pestle to a powdery consistency. A bowl with the back of a spoon will work too!
- Pour 1/4 cup of hot water into the mortar or bowl. Let the saffron soak for 5 minutes to open up the flavor of the spice.
- Add the cauliflower to a medium sauté pan over low heat. Add the saffron and mixed together until warmed and combined.
- Scoop the cauliflower rice into the bottom of the peppers until they are each filled with cauliflower rice and top with one chicken thigh each. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!
XOXO
MAGGIE
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