Delicious, tangy and flavorsome chutney made with red peppers. Serve it with any appetizer, snacks or breakfasts. It goes well with sandwiches, dosa, pakora, wraps, rolls and many more! 2 recipes included below.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: 5 minutes
  • Total time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 large red bell pepper (diced (1½ cups))
  • ½ cup onions (cubed (optional))
  • ¾ to 1 tablespoon channa dal ((bengal gram or red lentils))
  • ¾ tablespoon urad dal ((bengal gram or red lentils))
  • 1 to 2 garlic cloves (or ¼ inch peeled ginger)
  • 2 to 3 Kashmiri dried red chilies ((deseeded for low heat, adjust to taste))
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon salt ((more to adjust to taste))
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or ¼ teaspoon tamarind soaked in 2 tablespoons hot water)
  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • 1 large (1½ cups) red capsicum (diced)
  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • ⅓ cup raw peanuts ((or roasted peanuts, can reduce to ¼ cup))
  • ⅓ inch ginger (peeled (or 2 small garlic cloves))
  • ⅓ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 to 4 Kashmiri dried red chilies ((adjust to heat preference))
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • Pinch mustard
  • 1 pinch urad dal
  • 1 red chili (,broken, dry)
  • Oil (for seasoning)
  • 1 pinch hing

Method

How to Make Red Pepper Chutney (Recipe 1)

  1. Heat oil in a pan. Add the dried red chilies and lentils. On a medium heat, toast until the lentils turn deep golden, Add the crushed garlic/ginger and cumin seeds. Fry them for a minute.
  2. Add the bell peppers, onions (optional) and sprinkle salt. Saute until they turn slightly soft & lose the raw flavor. Turn off and cool completely.
  3. If using tamarind, soak tamarind in 2 tablespoons hot water until soft. Squeeze and use only a little - ¼ teaspoon in the next step.
  4. Transfer to a small grinder/blender jar along with lemon juice or tamarind. Blend to a smooth or coarse chutney to your preference. Taste test and adjust salt.

How to make Red Bell Pepper Chutney (Recipe 2)

  1. On a medium flame, heat oil in a pan, add the dried chilies and fry just until crisp. Remove to a plate.
  2. To the same pan, add bell peppers and sprinkle salt. Roast on a medium heat until soft. Add the cumin and ginger or garlic. Fry for a minute. Remove to the same plate.
  3. Add peanuts. Fry them on a medium heat until golden and aromatic. Remove to the plate to cool.
  4. Add all the cooled ingredients to a small grinder and pour a few tablespoons water. Grind until smooth, adding more water as needed. Taste test and adjust salt if required.

Temper the Chutney (optional)

  1. Heat a small pan with oil, add mustard, urad dal and red chilli. When they begin to crackle add curry leaves and fry till they turn crisp. Pour this over the red capsicum chutney.
  2. Serve pepper chutney with appetizers, snacks & breakfasts like idli, dosa or paratha.

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.