Capsicum Chutney (Bell Pepper Chutney)

This Capsicum Chutney is spicy, tangy and delicious. Whether you want to spice up your meal or want to use up the lonely capsicum in the fridge, this Bell Pepper Chutney is the way to go. In this post I share 2 recipes to make this. You only need pantry staples to make it and it goes well with your idli, dosa, parathas, uttapam or simply any meal. If you want to serve it with rice, grind to a thick chutney.

I often get the tri color peppers because we love those beautiful colors in our meal. The red, yellow or the orange peppers have a better flavor profile than the green. So sadly most of the times the green capsicum is left requiring attention and I end up making this chutney.

About Capsicum Chutney

Capsicum Chutney is a South Indian side dish and a chutney variety made with sauteed bell peppers, onions, cumin seeds, lentils, garlic and chilies. The ingredients are crushed in a stone mortar pestle or ground in a grinder. It is lastly tempered with oil, mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves.

Though I have used green bell peppers here in the photo instructions, you can use any other to your preference. On occasions I have made this with others too and surprised how different they taste. So it is important to remember that each kind of bell pepper impart different flavor and color to your chutney.

Green capsicum is less sweet and a lot of times have a slight bitter undertones because they are the least ripe. Red peppers have a sweet flavor. Yellow and orange capsicum have a mild sweet, fruity and citrusy flavor. Whichever you choose, make sure you use a fresh capsicum that is firm and heavy for its size with a bright and glossy skin.

Also try using them up when they are fresh. Letting the green variety sit in refrigerator for too many days develops more bitter flavor and taste. I prefer to use onions or shallots especially when using the green capsicum. Sauteed onions impart sweeter flavor and balance the bitter tones in the green bell pepper. Alternately you may use a tomato which also works the same way but it adds tang instead of sweet flavor.

The above picture is of the chutney I made with red capsicum using the same recipe. I also make this Red Pepper Chutney using peanuts and that tastes completely different from this one. You can also make this by roasting the bell peppers and onions in the oven or in the air fryer.

The below picture is of the coconut capsicum chutney, no onion is used in this version. I have the recipe of this as well in the recipe card below. If you are trying out this version, make sure you use lemon juice and avoid tamarind as it can alter the color and flavor.

More Chutney recipes
Ginger chutney
Tomato chutney
Onion chutney
Coconut chutney

Photo Guide

Step by step Photo Instructions

1. Dry roast urad dal, chana dal and dried red chilis until they turn golden and aromatic. Add cumin and roast for a minute, until they lose the raw smell.

2. Transfer to a plate to cool down.

3. Heat oil in a pan and saute onions, capsicum and garlic until the raw smell is gone. I have not used tomatoes. If you want you may add it and saute until mushy. It is important to cook until the tomatoes lose the raw flavor.

4. Powder the dal first and add the cooled capsicums and onions. Add tamarind or lemon juice and salt.

5. Make a coarse or smooth chutney to your preference. Taste test and adjust salt and tamarind. If you want a pachadi to serve with rice, pulse the ingredients instead of grinding. This gives a coarse texture to it.

6. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds (optional), dried broken red chili and curry leaves (pat dry first). Switch off, when the curry leaves turn crisp. Add hing and pour it over the capsicum chutney.

Related Recipes

Recipe Card