Aloo shimla mirch ki sabji is a savory, tangy, hearty side dish made with sautéed green bell peppers (capsicum), potatoes and spices. This quick aloo capsicum recipe made without onion, garlic comes together in 30 minutes and is vegan, gluten-free.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Cuisine: North Indian, Punjabi

Ingredients

  • 3 to 4 capsicum ((green bell pepper or shimla mirch), small to medium-sized)
  • 3 or 4 medium potatoes (- medium-sized)
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder ((ground turmeric))
  • ½ to ¾ teaspoon red chilli powder (or cayenne pepper, add as required)
  • ¾ to 1 teaspoon garam masala (or add as required)
  • 1 teaspoon dry mango powder ((amchur powder), add as required)
  • 3 tablespoons oil ((a bit more oil is added, so that the veggies become slightly crisp))
  • salt (as required)

Method

Preparation

  1. Rinse the capsicum and potatoes in running water very well and then drain the water.
  2. Chop capsicum in thick strips or wedges. Discard the seeds. Capsicum can be chopped in squares or cubes too.
  3. Peel and slice potatoes into slightly thin wedges as then they cook faster. You can even simply chop them in small cubes.

Sautéing potatoes

  1. In a heavy and well-seasoned frying pan, skillet, wok or kadai, add oil. Once the oil becomes medium hot add the potatoes.
  2. Lower the heat and sauté the potatoes until they are half cooked and start looking crisp and lightly golden from the edges.

Sautéing capsicum

  1. Then add the capsicum.
  2. Sauté both the veggies on a low heat for 1 to 2 minutes.
  3. Then add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt as required.
  4. Mix well and sauté vegetables on a low heat without any lid for 2 to 3 minutes.
  5. Then cover the pan, kadai or wok with a lid.
  6. Remember to check the veggies after a few minutes or so. This is done so that the vegetables do not get burnt. Thus stir them at intervals.
  7. If the vegetables begin to stick onto the pan, sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoon of water. Mix and deglaze removing any stuck bits from the pan. Cover and continue to cook further.

Making aloo shimla mirch ki sabji

  1. When the vegetables are cooked well and tender, add the garam masala powder and dry mango powder.
  2. Mix well and switch off the heat.
  3. Check the taste of aloo shimla mirch ki sabji and add some more of garam masala powder, dry mango powder or salt according to your taste and preferences.

Serving suggestions

  1. Serve aloo capsicum hot or warm with phulka or roti or paratha. It can also be served as a side dish with an Indian main course.
  2. It also goes well as a side with dal-rice or rasam-rice or sambar-rice or any curry and rice pairings.

Storage

  1. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. While reheating warm in your microwave oven for some seconds or sauté them in a frying pan until warm.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.