Chillies/bell peppers stuffed with beans

I use fat, mildly piquant poblano chillies for this (buy them from peppersbypost.biz). If you can't get large, stuffable chillies, use small red or yellow bell peppers. Serves six as a starter, two to three as a main course.

6 large, fresh poblano, Beaver Dam or Hungarian hot wax chillies

1 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil

2-3 shallots (or 1 medium onion), peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

150g-200g tomatoes

400g tin beans (butter, borlotti or pinto), drained and rinsed

1 small bunch coriander, leaves picked and chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp hot smoked paprika

Sea salt and ground black pepper

For the garlicky yoghurt (optional)

6 tbsp full-fat plain yoghurt, or soured cream

½ clove garlic, crushed

Heat the grill to high. Put the chillies on a baking tray and grill, turning from time to time, until the skin begins to char. Leave until cool enough to handle, then peel off the skin, taking care to keep the chillies whole. Cut around and remove the stalks and a flap of flesh to form a "lid". Scrape out the seeds and membranes from inside the chillies and lids, and tip out any juice.

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat, then gently sauté the shallots and garlic until soft – about 10 minutes. Cut the tomatoes in half and grate their flesh straight into the pan, holding back the skin. Simmer for a minute or two to reduce slightly, then remove from the heat.

Add the drained beans to the pan and roughly mash some of them with a fork so they break up a little – don't overdo it, you want plenty of them to stay whole. Add coriander, cumin and paprika, mix and season. Stuff the mixture carefully into the chillies and top with the "lids". Place in a lightly oiled oven dish and bake for 20 minutes.

While the chillies are baking, combine the yoghurt with the crushed garlic, season and set aside.

Serve hot, with garlicky yoghurt and some crisp, green salad.