Try out this easy capsicum chutney to spice up your meal. Sauteed capsicum and onions are ground with spices for a flavorsome and delicious side. It goes well with pongal, upma, idli, dosa, paratha or even with rice.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes
  • Total time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • ½ cup capsicum ((green or red bell pepper))
  • ½ cup onions (cubed (optional))
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice (or 1 small tomato chopped or 1 tsp tamarind)
  • 1 medium garlic (clove)
  • 2 to 3 dried red chilies
  • ¾ tablespoon chana dal ((or 1 tbsp peanuts))
  • ¾ tablespoon urad dal ((omit if you don't have))
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • salt (as needed)
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • 1 pinch hing
  • 1 dried red chili (broken piece)
  • 1 pinch mustard seeds
  • ½ cup raw coconut ((fresh or frozen))
  • 1 tablespoon roasted gram ((chutney dal))
  • ¾ to 1 cup capsicum (chopped)
  • 3 to 4 green chilies
  • ½ inch ginger (or 1 garlic clove)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Salt (to taste)

Method

Recipe 1

  1. Dry roast urad dal, chana dal and red chili until golden and aromatic. Add cumin and toss. Remove to a plate to cool down.
  2. Add oil to the pan. Saute onions, garlic and capsicum until soft and the raw smell of capsicums is gone completely. Stir in the tomatoes (if using) and cook until they break down and lose the raw flavor.
  3. Cool down completely. Powder the dal in a grinder and add sauteed capsicum, onions, tomatoes or lemon juice.
  4. Blend to a smooth or coarse chutney as per your preference. If the chutney is too thick, you may splash little water. Taste test and adjust salt or lemon juice.
  5. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, dried red chili and curry leaves. When they turn crisp, add hing. Pour this over the capsicum chutney.

Recipe 2

  1. Saute green chilies, ginger/garlic and bell peppers in 1 teaspoon oil until the peppers are blistered, cooked fully and the raw flavor is gone. Stir in the cumin seeds and saute for a minute. Cool down and add to a grinder.
  2. Also add coconut, roasted gram, salt and lemon juice. Pour water only as required and make a smooth chutney. Taste test and adjust salt or lemon juice.
  3. If you want you may temper the chutney. Serve capsicum chutney with breakfasts and snacks. This chutney won't go well with rice.

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.