Sizzling Cheesy Veggie and Baked Beans Stir Fry

This is the sort of dish that turns up in Indian home kitchens when someone wants something warm and cheesy without a big production. Baked beans from a tin do most of the heavy lifting here. They are soft, a little sweet, and they soak up flavour quickly, so the onions, capsicum and cabbage end up tasting like they have been simmering for much longer than they have.

A small food fact worth knowing: capsicum, which many people also call bell pepper, changes a lot as it cooks. Raw, it is crisp and grassy. Give it two or three minutes in a pan with onions and it turns sweet and mellow, which is why it works so well next to beans. Cabbage does something similar. Keep the slices thin, and they wilt in minutes instead of staying chewy.

For the best texture, cook the onions until they are translucent before anything else goes in, then keep the heat moderate once the milk and cheese arrive. Mozzarella melts into a soft, stretchy blanket rather than a greasy pool when the pan is not screaming hot. Stir the milk in gently, and let it come just to a bubble. If the mixture looks a bit loose, give it a minute more on the heat; it thickens as it cools slightly on the plate.

This is best eaten the moment it is plated, because the cheese firms up as it sits. If you have leftovers, keep them in a covered container in the fridge and reheat them gently in a pan with a splash of milk. They will not look as glossy, but they still taste good, especially spooned over a slice of toasted bread the next morning.

For serving, I like something crisp and sharp beside it so the richness has somewhere to go. A bright Crunchy Sprout and Capsicum Salad works well, and so does a light Orange and Spinach Garden Salad. If you want something to scoop it up with, a Chapati Wraps with Chickpea Hummus and Salad makes it into a proper lunch.

Keep portions modest, since this dish is a treat rather than an everyday plate. A small serving with a big bowl of crunchy salad goes a long way.