Sweet and Tangy Sautéed Shishito Peppers

Simple and delicious Sweet and Tangy Sautéed Shishito Peppers made with fresh peppers, tamarind, brown sugar and spices. Great appetizer for nibble. If you are looking for a simple yet delectable appetizer, then try this Sautéed sweet and tangy Shishito peppers. This pepper is small and finger-long, slender, and thin-walled, and are usually mild tasting peppers. Although it turns from green to red upon ripening, it is usually harvested while green.  This Sweet and Tangy Sautéed Shishito Peppers are great appetizer to serve with any drinks or you can eat as such.

What is Shishito Peppers?

Shishito peppers are slender and wrinkly with thin-skins and a bright green color. Slightly sweet in taste with a delicate texture, they are addictive. you can't eat just one! They are normally mellow and mild however sometimes few in a batch will be hotter. The typical heat range of the Shishito peppers runs from 50 – 200 Scoville Heat Units on the Scoville Scale, which isn’t very hot at all.

First introduced to Japan by Portuguese explorers in the 16th century, peppers became highly cultivated across Japan and were selectively bred for its specific flavor characteristics. Today Green Shishito chile peppers are still widely grown in Japan and are also grown in Europe and the United States. Shishito peppers are the East Asian variety of the cultivar and are named because the tips of the peppers resemble the head of a lion—shishi (or jishi) in Japanese. These Japanese peppers can be found year-round, though the growing season typically extends from summer to early fall.

They add spice to your life not just in terms of flavor. It is also a good source of Vitamin A, Thiamin, Niacin, Folate and Potassium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Vitamin B6 ( here)

How to cook Shishito peppers

Normally Shishito peppers are cooked by searing them in oil in a cast iron pan, roasting or grilling them. Finish them with a bit of sea salt and/or some creme fraiche or salty cheese. They really do make for excellent starters or appetizers.  You can also stuff them with soft cheeses or even do batter frying.

 You can make fantastic roasted peppers with high heat and quick cooking. The higher and quicker the better. You’re aiming for charred blisters on all sides and a texture that is still firm. Cook the peppers too slowly or at lower heat and they tend to wilt and become too soft before they develop charred spots.

Because of their small size and delicate walls, these peppers can be added to a variety of dishes, you don’t need to de-seed them and can be used as such. Slice them up and add them to scrambled eggs, or char them quickly on a grill, the smoky notes compliment the delicate heat of the peppers. Use Shishito to add mild spice to salsas, gazpachos and rich stews, or quickly pickle the peppers to serve as an appetizer or cocktail garnish.

How I made Shishito Peppers?

This recipe is inspired from my mom’s banana pepper recipe. She uses tamarind extract and jaggery along with lightly sautéed banana peppers. I made with Sautéed sweet and tangy Shishito Peppers with tamarind extract, brown sugar, salt and pepper. If you want, you can add pinch of cayenne peppers. I skipped that as I need to get the flavor of Shishito peppers completely.

Sautéed sweet and tangy Shishito are absolutely the best thing to nibble on with drinks, and they're insanely easy to prepare. If you can’t find Shishito try using Padrón peppers and prepare same way, as they are more like cousins, but they can be hot, so choose accordingly.

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4.56 from 9 votes

Sweet and Tangy Sautéed Shishito Peppers

Simple and delicious Sweet and Tangy Sautéed Shishito Peppers great appetizer.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: #Shishitopeppers

Servings: 4 serving

Calories: 69kcal

Author: Swathi (Ambujom Saraswathy)

Ingredients

• 8 oz/ 227g Shishito Peppers
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 3 tablespoon tamarind extract
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

• Heat oil in cast iron pan and add washed shishito peppers (you can keep the seeds) and cook for another 10 minutes, then add tamarind extract, brown sugar, salt and pepper. If you want, you can mix everything in a bowl and add that to the pepper cooking.
• Continue to cook for another 5 more minutes and flip in between so that all the pepper gets even coating of tamarind.
• Enjoy warm. They are very best while warm.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 69kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 295mg | Potassium: 70mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @nidhinikhil or tag #zestysouthindiankitchenrecipes!

Swathi

This is Swathi ( Dr. Ambujom Saraswathy Ph.D) from Zesty South Indian Kitchen who loves to explore cuisines from all over the world. Whenever possible I try to to give an Indian touch to several of the world cuisine, and has weakness for freshly baked bread.  All the recipes you see here are created by me and approved after taste-test by my family.