This capsicum curry is a delicious Hyderabadi style masala curry made with capsicum or bell peppers. Serve this rich gravy with roti, naan, paratha or biryani or pulao.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 30 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 60 minutes
  • Yield: 5
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Hyderabadi, South Indian

Ingredients

  • 1.25 cups chopped onions (- 175 to 200 grams or 2 medium to large)
  • 1.5 to 2 teaspoon chopped ginger (or 1.5 inches)
  • 1 to 1.5 teaspoon chopped garlic (or 4 to 5 medium-sized)
  • 3 tablespoons desiccated coconut (- can swap with 6 tablespoons fresh coconut)
  • 2 tablespoons peanuts
  • 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon poppy seeds ((khus khus) - optional)
  • 2 tablespoons oil (- neutral flavored oil or peanut oil)
  • 1 teaspoon tamarind (- tightly packed and seedless)
  • ½ to ⅔ cup water (for making curry paste)
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 7 to 8 fenugreek seeds
  • 7 to 8 curry leaves
  • ⅓ chopped tomatoes (- tightly packed or 1 small to medium tomato)
  • 2 cups sliced capsicum (- green or red or yellow bell pepper, 200 to 250 or 4 to 5 medium sized)
  • ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder (or 2 to 3 pinches)
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 to 1.25 cups water
  • ½ teaspoon jaggery powder (or add as per taste)
  • salt (as required)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (- for garnish, optional)

Method

Prepping veggies

  1. Rinse and slice the capsicums. Make medium width slices. Not too thin or thick. Remove the seeds also. You can even cut the capsicum in small squares.
  2. Chop the onions, ginger and garlic and tomatoes.

Preparing curry paste

  1. In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the peanuts, white sesame seeds, coriander seeds and poppy seeds (optional).
  2. On a low heat fry these nuts and seeds for 3 to 4 minutes.
  3. Then add the chopped ginger and garlic. Sauté for a minute.
  4. Next add the chopped onions. Mix and stir very well.
  5. Saute the onions till they turn translucent or a light brown. Add a pinch of salt, so that the onions cook faster.
  6. Next add the desiccated coconut. Mix again very well.
  7. On a low heat, continue to stir non-stop and roast for 7 to 8 minutes, till the coconut turns golden. The whole mixture should turn light golden or golden.
  8. Let this roasted mixture become warm or cool completely. Then add the mixture in a grinder or blender jar. Also add the tightly packed seedless tamarind.
  9. Grind or blend to a smooth fine paste adding water. Keep this masala paste aside.

Making capsicum curry

  1. Wipe the pan in which we sautéed the nuts and seeds and add 2 tablespoon oil. Heat the oil. Lower the heat and then add mustard seeds.
  2. When the mustard seeds crackle, add fenugreek seeds, 7 to 8 curry leaves. Sauté for 5 to 6 seconds.
  3. Then add tightly packed chopped tomatoes.
  4. Sprinkle a pinch of salt for the tomatoes to cook faster.
  5. Stir and saute the tomatoes till they soften and become pulpy.
  6. Now add the sliced capsicums or bell peppers.
  7. On a medium heat, stir and sauté the bell peppers for about 3 to 4 minutes.
  8. Lower the heat and add the ground nuts and seeds paste.
  9. Add turmeric powder and red chili powder. Mix very well.
  10. Sauté for about 2 minutes on a low heat. Do stir often as the paste can stick to the pan.

Cooking capsicum curry

  1. Add 1 to 1.25 cups water. Combine and mix thoroughly.
  2. Add the powdered jaggery and salt as per taste. Then add garam masala powder. Swap raw sugar or brown sugar with jaggery if you do not have jaggery.
  3. Stir and simmer the curry on a low to medium heat for about 15 minutes or till the capsicum slices are cooked. You can keep the capsicum slightly crunchy if you want.
  4. When you see oil specks on top, the capsicum gravy is done. Do stir at intervals when the gravy is getting simmered.
  5. Serve capsicum masala curry hot with paratha, roti, naan, rice, pulao or biryani. If you prefer you can garnish the capsicum curry with some coriander leaves.

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.