Flavorsome Capsicum curry is a dish made by simmering bell peppers in a nutty and spicy onion tomato nut masala. Serve it with biryani, pulao, any flavored rice or with roti.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1½ cup capsicum (bell pepper cubed (any color))
  • 2 tablespoons Oil ((divided - 1+ 1))
  • ¾ cup onions (finely chopped (1 medium))
  • 1 medium onion (cubed and layers separated (optional))
  • ½ cup tomatoes (chopped)
  • ¾ to 1 teaspoon red chili powder
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon kasuri methi ((dried fenugreek leaves, optional))
  • 1 sprig curry leaves (or bay leaf)
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 green cardamoms ((optional))
  • 1 green chili ((optional))
  • 1½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste
  • ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ tablespoon peanuts (or poppy seeds or 6 cashews (or a mix of all))
  • 1½ tablespoon desiccated coconut ((or copra, optional))
  • ¾ tablespoon white sesame seeds ((optional))
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • ½ teaspoon coriander powder ((optional))
  • 2 tablespoon coriander leaves (fine chopped)

Method

Preparation

  1. Finely chop one onion and cube the other one and separate the layers.
  2. Cube capsicum and set aside.
  3. Dry roast peanuts on a medium heat until deep golden and aromatic. Reduce the heat and then add coconut and sesame seeds. Stir and lightly roast until the seeds begin to splutter. Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool.
  4. Pour 1 tablespoon oil to the same pan. Add one finely chopped onion, green chili and fry till golden.
  5. Then add ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell disappears.
  6. Add tomatoes and fry till they turn mushy.
  7. Add salt, turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder and garam masala.
  8. Fry till the mixture gets cooked well and begins to leave the sides of the pan. Cool completely.
  9. Grind the peanuts, coconut and onions tomatoes mixture, together with little water to a smooth paste. I used about ¾ cup water in 2 batches as this makes blending easy and smooth.

How to make capsicum curry

  1. Heat the same pan with 1 tablespoon oil. Then add cumin, cardamom and bay leaf or curry leaves.
  2. When the cumin begins to sizzle, add capsicum and onions (cubed and layers separated). Next fry on a high flame for 2 mins.
  3. Pour the ground mixture and any spice powders to adjust to your taste. Also pour water as needed to adjust the consistency.
  4. Bring it to a boil on a medium flame. Cover and simmer until bell peppers are tender yet crunchy.
  5. Sprinkle kasuri methi, stir well. Over cooking will make the capsicums soggy, so switch off in time.
  6. Serve capsicum curry with biryani, pulao, chapathi or any of your favorite dish.

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.