Capsicum rice recipe or bell pepper rice – A spicy capsicum pulao that can be made under 30 minutes. It goes good in lunch box or for a quick dinner and is kids’ friendly. It tastes very flavorful and delicious so does not need any side but to make a complete meal, it can be served with plain curd or yogurt or with a simple raita and papad.
If making for kids reduce the amount of masala and red chilli powder. I usually set aside a small quantity of cooked white rice and then towards the end i add it to the kids’ portion of pulao to make it less spicy, add a bit more of salt if needed. I have used green peas, you can substitute with potato and can be garnished with cashew nuts.
You may like to check this collection of capsicum recipes
Some of the simple recipes are
capsicum masala curry
Simple capsicum fry
capsicum chutney
For more Rice recipes, check
Veg tehri
Kuska rice
Veg pulao
Ghee rice
Easy capsicum rice recipe
Capsicum rice
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
Ingredients for capsicum rice
- 2 cups rice (uncooked)
- 2 tablespoons oil or as needed
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- 1 green chili slit
- ¾ to 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- ½ cup green peas or potato (optional)
- 1½ to 2 cups capsicums or bell pepper chopped
- handful mint or pudina and coriander leaves
- salt as needed
- 2 tablespoons water
- lemon juice as needed (optional)
Spices for capsicum rice
- 1 sprig curry leaves or biryani leaf or bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon cumin or jeera or shahi jeera
- 1½ teaspoons garam masala or bisi bele bath or biryani masala (adjust as needed)
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder (skip if included in masala)
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric or haldi
Optional spices for capsicum rice
- 4 green cardamoms or elaichi
- 1 star anise or biryani flower (optional)
- 1 inch cinnamon or dalchini
- 6 cloves or laung
- 1 strand mace or javitri
How to make the recipe
Preparation for capsicum rice
- Wash rice and cook to slightly grainy. Do not make the rice mushy.
- I cooked 2 cups basmati rice with 3½ cups water in a pressure cooker for 1 whistle on a medium high flame.
- Released the pressure manually using a spoon. Fluff up with a fork and cool completely.
- While the rice cooks, make the capsicum masala ready.
How to make capsicum rice
- Heat oil in a pan. Fry cumin & bay leaf or curry leaves till it turns aromatic.
- You can also add star anise, cardamoms, cloves, mace and cinnamon for a more flavorful rice.
- Add onions and chili fry until the onions turn slightly pink.
- Then add ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes away.
- Transfer capsicum and green peas. Fry for 3 minutes.
- Add mint, coriander, chilli powder, garam masala and salt.
- Fry for about 2 minutes till the mixture turns aromatic.
- Add the 2 tbsp water and cook on a low flame till the water evaporates.
- Then add cooled rice to the capsicum mixture along with lemon and salt.
- Mix well. Serve capsicum rice warm with a raita.
NUTRITION
How to make capsicum rice recipe
1. Wash and soak rice for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and cook to grainy but cooked completely. Soaking helps to keep the rice soft for long hours.
2. While the rice cooks, add oil to a pan. Saute jeera and then the curry leaves or bay leaf until crisp. If using optional dry spices then add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and mace. Saute till they sizzle.
3. Transfer onions, chili and fry until the onions turn transparent. For kids skip green chilli.
4. Add ginger garlic paste.
5. Fry until the raw smell is gone.
6. Add capsicum, peas or potato. If using potatoes, chop them small else they don’t cook quickly. Fry for about 3 minutes.
Spice powders for capsicum rice recipe
7. Sprinkle salt, turmeric, chili powder, masala powder, chopped pudina and coriander.
8. Stir and fry for about 2 minutes.
9. Sprinkle 2 tbsp. Water and cook on a low flame for the aroma of capsicum and masala to come out. Evaporate the water completely but do not dry up otherwise the pulao will be very dry. The mixture must be moist. If using potatoes you may need to add more water to cook.
10. Add rice and sprinkle salt. Do not add very hot rice, if it is slightly hot its fine.
11. Mix well and add lemon juice.
After 45 minutes to 1 hour, the rice gets a deeper color due to the spice powders, lemon juice and red pepper. Serve capsicum rice with papad or curd.
If making capsicum rice in less quantity than what is mentioned below, reduce the amount of spices proportionately.
Shanthi Sankaran says
Can we add tomatoes to the capsicum rice?
swasthi says
Hi Shanti,
Yes a small to medium sized tomato should be fine. Just add the tomatoes after frying the onions and ginger garlic paste. Sprinkle salt and fry the tomatoes very well until it turns soft and mushy. The raw smell of tomatoes should go away. If you add tomato it will add up another 8 mins to the cook time of the recipe. So I simply sprinkle some lemon juice towards the end. Hope this helps.
Shanthi Sankaran says
Good recipe explained step by step with photos. Thank you Swasthi.
swasthi says
Welcome Shanthi. Thanks for rating the recipe
Seema says
Super recipe thank you 😊
swasthi says
Welcome Seema
Seema says
Can we add fried panner to this recipe?
swasthi says
Hi Seema,
Yes you can use. I usually fry paneer for this kind of rice in a different way. You may like to check this paneer pulao to see how i do it.
Seema says
Super recipe thank you 😊
Suzanne says
I only wish that I could copy or print the recipe so I could have it in the kitchen while I’m cooking. It’s too much to write out. There are several recipes I’d like to try.
swasthi says
Hi Suzanne
Will try to provide print. Thanks for reading!
Lakshmi Babu Rao says
mam ur recipes are soooo sooo ammazzzzinggghh nd i m just loving it…… nd i am beginner nd m finding easy nd interesting aftr going recipes.. aftr going through ur recipes i got my confidence dat i can cook…. thank you so much ma’m
swasthi says
Hi Lakshmi
You are welcome.
Thanks a lot for reading the recipes. Do try more recipes and enjoy the food.
🙂
Himani says
This recipe sounds good n looks delicious 🙂 but i have one doubt you said use masala powder so it means garam masala powder?? If it is garam masala powder so which garam masala you recommended me to use..or can i use maggy garam masala ??please suggest me
swasthi says
Hi Himani
I use this garam masala powder. You can use any garam masala you have. I do not know what maggy garam masala is. Any good garam masala is fine
Himani says
Maggy massa is a Maggi masala- a-magic..
swasthi says
Haha!
Himani! maggi masala is very unhealthy. Instead use homemade garam masala. This is turn out very good.
Lakshmi Babu Rao says
mam ur recipes are soooo sooo ammazzzzinggghh nd i m just loving it…… nd i am beginner nd m finding easy nd interesting aftr going recipes.. aftr going through ur recipes i got my confidence dat i can cook…. thank you so much ma’m
SUBAL BISWAS says
this recipe is so so so so so so delicious.
my daughter cooked this so well .
.But some credit goes to u too
.. thanks for this
swasthi says
Welcome Subal
Thanks for trying and the comment
Padma says
Thank you for the recipe.
The rice came out very well .
swasthi says
Welcome Padma
Sheetal Sarang says
This recipe is super fantastic…. There is so much scope for manipulation.
Next time I would definitely add some fried potatoes.. I am sure it will enhance the biryani. This is my first time at making biryani and boy I am so excited!!!!
Thank you so much..
swasthi says
Welcome Sheetal
Glad to know you liked the recipe
🙂
Hetal says
Swasthi
Once again I am here to thank you.
It’ turned out very delicious,,
I am from Gujarat and so I want to praise you in Gujarati language…”Aa to super hit chhe.”?
swasthi says
Hi Hetal
You are welcome
Thanks a lot for trying and sharing with me. So glad to know it came out well.
🙂
Rajeshwari says
Is it necessary to use green peas and potato or can be kept optional?
swasthi says
I have mentioned peas and potato in the recipe card as optional.
PriyaGowtham says
Thnq so much….
Really I loved ur site….its comes awesome recipes…really my hubby likes my cook on ur way…
Thank you….
swasthi says
Hi Priya
Welcome and thanks for the comment. Happy to know the recipes turn out good
Balaji says
Excellent!! Thanks for the wonderful website you have created, tried the capsicum rice and came out well.
Waiting for the missus to pass the judgement??
swasthi says
Welcome Balaji,
Glad to know capsicum rice turned out well. Hope your wife liked it. Thanks for the feedback and the lovely comment
supriya reddy says
I tried the recipe it it was so yummy .I just loved it .one change instead of peas I added double beans it came well .tx for the tasty recipe.
looking forward for more recipes ……
swasthi says
Welcome Supriya
Happy to know it turned out good. Double bean is a good addition. Will try it. Thank you
Nivedita says
Thanks for all the wonderful recipes. Kids too loved this I reduced chilli powder. Perfect for school box. Yummy
swasthi says
Welcome Nivedita,
I am so glad your kids loved it. Thanks for the feedback
sudha says
Hi ur recipes is good pls post first ingredient’s and also next methods
swasthi says
Hi Sudha,
Thanks for the feed back. Will surely try the way you mentioned.
nitu says
it is looking so yum I will definitely try this
swasthi says
Thanks Nitu
Sandy says
That looks amazing – just what I need for this weekend’s family get-together dinner! Thank you! 🙂
swasthi says
Welcome Sandy,
I Would love to hear how it turned out. Thank you
ramya says
yummy yummy rice and this is my quick fix when i craving for biryani
swasthi says
Thanks Ramya