Name: Capsicum fry
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 medium onions (sliced or ¾ cup); 1 ½ cups bell pepper (or capsicum chopped); 1 tbsp oil; ½ tsp cumin (or jeera); ½ tsp mustard; salt ( as needed); 1 pinch turmeric (or haldi); 1/8 tsp red chilli powder (, adjust to taste); 1 tsp urad dal (or skinned black gram); 1 tsp chana dal (or bengal gram); 1 tsp sesame seeds (or til (optional) or peanuts); 1 tsp dry coconut (or copra); 1 red chili; ¼ tsp cumin (or jeera); ½ clove garlic

Capsicum fry recipe – A super quick and delicious dry capsicum curry that makes a good side dish in a Indian meal. It is so good to serve with rice or chapati. This capsicum fry is very uniquely flavorful, healthy and easy to make as well. It goes good in lunch box too and can be made just under 20 minutes.

Normally bell peppers are used in Indian cuisine to make mixed vegetable curry, Mixed vegetable stir fry, fried rice, kadai dishes and even to make capsicum chutney. Most often I am left with surplus bell peppers. Not knowing what to do with them I just stir fry them with a mild spice powder.

This capsicum stir fry turns out so flavorful and good that I keep making it time and again whenever I have them in excess. Sometimes we eat this with plain rice and rasam or sambar. I also use the same to make some kathi rolls & sandwiches.

My kids love this so much that they even eat this with their lemon rice or curd rice.

This capsicum fry gets a unique taste & delicious aroma from the spice powder used. The spice powder is made using chana dal, urad dal and other basic ingredients. If you are unable to make the powder then you can replace it with idli podi or peanut podi.

The other substitutes are to use sambar powder or even garam masala. Here are some variations you can make to this capsicum stir fry.

How to make capsicum fry

1. This step is optional, if you do not want to make the spice powder then you can use idli podi or sambar powder or garam masala. To make the spice powder, dry roast red chili, urad dal, chana dal until golden. Then add sesame seeds, coconut, cumin and clove.

Fry until a sesame seeds begin to splutter. Cool the roasted ingredients and make a fine powder. While these cool you can begin to make the curry.

2. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin and mustard. I have used yellow mustard as well.

3. When the mustard begin to splutter, add thinly sliced onions.

4. Fry until golden.

5. Add capsicum, chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes.I skip chilli powder when I make for kids.

6. Cover and cook on a low flame until it is cooked to your liking. You can keep them half cooked or soft cooked. We prefer them slightly crunchy.

7. Add the spice powder we made at step 1. If using garam masala or sambar use it here.

Add the spice powder to make capsicum fry

8. Stir until you begin to smell good, just for a minute or two.

Capsicum stir fry or dry capsicum curry is ready to serve with rice or chapathi.

Variations

You can just sprinkle 2 to 3 tbsps of coconut towards the end.
Add half a cup of peas and cook along with capsicum.
Stir in a beaten egg towards the end and make a capsicum bhurji.
Crumble about 2 tbsps little paneer or tofu and add it towards the end.
Coarsely crush some roasted peanuts and sprinkle over it to make it interesting for kids.
Mix some grated mozarella cheese and stuff in a sandwich or wrap. Heat in the oven for a minute or until the cheese melts.

More Capsicum recipes
Capsicum curry
Capsicum rice
Aloo capsicum
Capsicum chutney