Capsicum in Spicy Peanut Gravy / Shimla mirch ka salan

 Capsicum is called in India as Shimla Mirch , whereas in west it is know as peppers / Bellpeppers.

 I like this vegetable a lot for its unique flavor and mild heat ie ; spice level.

 Capsicum is widely used veggie around the world. There are green , red and yellow peppers. Check out my post on Multicolour capsicum Pulov.

 This gravy with the combination of flavorful capsicum pieces in the creamy peanut sauce will be best combo with plain rice / roti.

 The ingredients list may seems long , well the recipe was simple and quick to make. This recipe was some what similar to Hyderabadhi Mirchi ka salan. Well , we can call it as shimla mirchi ka salan. Salan means gravy / curry.

The crunch of the capsicum pieces in the gravy was a notable one.

Requirements :

Capsicum –  1

Cummin seeds –  ½ tsp

Oil – 2  tbs

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Onion – 1

Tomato – 2

Salt as required

For masala :

Ginger – 1” piece

Garlic – 5 – 6 cloves

Red chilli – 4

Sesame seeds – 2 tbs

Peanut / Groundnut – ¼ cup

Coriander powder – 1 ½ tbsp

Urad dhal / Blackgram dhal – 1 tsp

Cummin – ½ tsp

Grated coconut – 2 tbs

Pepper corns – 5

Tamarind – marble size

Method :

For masala :

Heat a spoon of oil , add the cummin , pepper , sesame seeds ,urad dhal and saute till it crackles.

Add in the dry chilli , peanut and roast.
Now , add the coconut and toss once. Let it cool.

Grind it along with ginger , garlic , tamarind  and with little water to a fine paste.

Making of salan :

In the same pan , add the remaining oil , add the chopped onion and saute till it becomes translucent.

Then , add the chopped tomato and saute well.

Add the capsicum pieces and saute once.

Now , add the grounded masala and saute for two minutes.

Add about two cup of water and required salt. Let it boil for five minutes or till the gravy thickens.

Take off from flame and serve.

Capsicum in spicy peanut sauce is ready to serve.

Serve with roti , phulka or plain Rice.

Note :

 Don’t overcook the capsicum . It can be sauteed separately and added at the last.

MUSHROOM CAPSICUM PULOV

   In this pulov I used yellow bellpepper , which gives unique flavour and also appealing.

Mushroom capsicum  pulov

Ingredients:
 Raw Rice -2 cups
Mushroom-1 ½ cup
Tomatoes -2
Yellow capsicum - 1
Onion -1
Cinnamon -2 inch stick
Cloves -4
Cardamom -1 pod
Bay Leaf -1
Garlic pods -2
Dried Fenugreek Leaves/ Kasuri Methi -2 tbsps
Salt -to taste
Oil -2 tbsps
For grinding:
Cumin Seeds -2 tsps
Whole dried red chilies (mildly hot) -8-10
Onion -1 small
Garlic -5 pods
Fresh Coconut (grated) -2 tbsps
Oil -1 tbsp
Peel and chop onion roughly.
Peel and roughly chop garlic pods.
Heat oil in a pan; add all paste ingredients except coconut.
Stir-fry until onion turns translucent and remove from heat.
Once cooled, grind the fried ingredients along with coconut into smooth paste.

Method of preparation:
Wash, remove ends and chop tomato into small pieces.
Peel and chop onion.
Peel and crush garlic pods.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel, add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf, garlic and chopped onion.
Fry until onion turns translucent, and then adds chopped tomato and cook until tomato turns soft.
Then add the ground masala paste, dried fenugreek leaves, mushroom , capsicum and salt.
Stir-fry for a minute or two add the raw rice and 4 cups of water.
Cook covered on low flame for 30-40 minutes or until the rice is thoroughly cooked.
Serve hot with any raita. 

Capsicum raita

This is one of delicious raita. It is a best combo with chicken briyani and other briyani.

Requirements :

Capsicum ( finely chopped ) – ½ cup

Curd   -  2 cup

Onion – 1

Oil – 1 tbs

Pepper – 1 tsp

Salt as required

Method :

 Heat oil , sauté onion followed by capsicum till partially cooked.

Add pepper powder and salt.

Add this mixture to curd .

Serve with briyani.