Capsicum masala curry recipe – a flavourful curry made with bell peppers, a few basic spices, sesame seeds, coconut and peanuts. It is a vegan and gluten-free dish perfect to serve with rice, paratha or chapati.
This is a typical South Indian style capsicum dish with a unique flavour profile, a tangy taste from tamarind, nutty from peanuts, and a hint of sweetness from onions and capsicum. Sesame seeds and coconut enhance the taste and help thicken the gravy.
It’s a simple yet delicious and versatile curry that comes together in 30 minutes, making it perfect for lunch or a quick weeknight dinner.
I’ve prepared this capsicum masala curry in Andhra style using a homemade spice blend made from peanuts, sesame seeds, desiccated coconut and a few basic whole spices.
This simple bell pepper curry makes an ideal accompaniment for flavoured rice such as jeera rice, coconut rice, saffron rice or Indian flatbread such as moringa leaves paratha, spinach chapati, masala roti or naan for a quick weeknight meal.
Pair this curry with plain steamed rice, eggplant chutney (vankaya pachadi) or mango thokku, rasam and papad to make a comforting weekend meal.
Notes on Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this delicious capsicum curry. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
For Masala
Peanuts, sesame seeds, desiccated coconut, cassia, cloves and green cardamom.
For Gravy
Dry and whole spices: This recipe needs basic spices that are necessary to make most Indian curries, such as turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder, mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
Vegetables: Capsicum ( green bell peppers ), onion, tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste and fresh coriander leaves.
Liquids: Tamarind pulp, water and oil. I used olive oil, but you can substitute it with any cooking oil, such as sunflower oil, groundnut oil or vegetable oil.
How to make capsicum masala curry?
This is an overview with process photos, the full recipe is at the bottom in a recipe card
Step 1: Dry roast whole spices, peanuts, sesame seeds and desiccated coconut over medium heat.
Step 2: Let the mixture cool completely and then grind it to a powder.
Step 3: Saute onion, ginger garlic paste in oil along with cumin and mustard.
Step 4: Saute tomatoes and capsicum with cooked onions.
Step 5: Mix in chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder and ground peanut-spice blend.
Step 6: Add tamarind pulp, water and salt. Cook until capsicum turns tender yet crunchy.
Step 7: Add coriander leaves and turn off the heat.
Enjoy south Indian style capsicum masala curry with steamed rice, chapati or aloo palak paratha without stuffing.
Substitutions & Variations
Spices: Add a teaspoon of garam masala for extra flavour.
Lemon Juice: If you don’t have tamarind, you can add lemon juice instead. Although taste won’t be the same, it’s a convinient substitute that saves time and avoid a trip to the shop to buy tamarind.
Coconut: Dry coconut can be used instead of desiccated coconut.
Tips and Tricks
Spice Blend: Having a batch of ground peanut-spice mix saves time, as you won’t need to roast and grind the ingredients each time you make this curry. Make sure to prepare a small batch, as the coconut in this spice mix can cause it to go rancid if kept at room temperature. Alternatively, leave out the coconut and grind the remaining spices for a longer shelf life. Add coconut powder separately when cooking the curry.
Jaggery: If the gravy tastes too sour, a small pinch of grated jaggery helps reduce the sourness and balance the taste.
Curry Leaves: Fresh curry leaves impart a nice aroma to the dish and are an essential herb in South Indian cooking. I didn’t have fresh leaves when I recorded the video for this recipe, so I didn’t include them in the instructions to avoid any confusion. Do remember to add curry leaves before onions while cooking.
Notes
Adjust spices as per your taste preference.
This curry tastes best with capsicum being a little crunchy yet cooked.
I used only green capsicum, you can add yellow and/or red capsicum for a colourful appearance.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this capsicum gravy with mildly flavoured rice such as jeera rice, vegetable pulao and saffron rice.
This bell pepper curry paired with plain parboiled rice, allam pachadi, rasam and appalam makes a simple Andhra meal.
Storage
Fridge: Leftover bell pepper curry stays good for 3-4 days in the fridge if stored properly in a clean airtight container.
Reheat: Place the desired amount of curry in a heatproof bowl and reheat it in a microwave until hot. Alternatively, heat it in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat until piping hot, stirring regularly.
More Midweek Dinner Recipe Ideas
Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini Boats
KEEP IN TOUCH
Do let me know if you try this south Indian style capsicum masala curry recipe. If you like this recipe,kindly consider rating it using stars in the comment section or on the recipe card to help more people find this recipe online. You can stay up to date by following me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or subscribing to my Youtube channel. Or why not subscribe to my blog and get simple recipes straight to your inbox?
Capsicum Masala
Equipment
- 1 Deep bottomed pan/Saucepan
- 1 Small frying pan
- 1 Spoon
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250ml; 1 Tablespoon =15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml
For peanut masala
- 1 tablespoon (or) 14 gms peanuts
- 3 teaspoons (or) 10 gms sesame seeds
- 3 teaspoons (or) 7 gms desiccated coconut
- ½ inch cassia (dalchini)
- 3 cloves
- 1 green cardamom
For gravy
- 3 tablespoon oil
- 3 medium (or) 378 gms (or) 2 cups green capsicum (bell pepper) washed, deseeded and diced into cubes
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 medium (or) 90 gms (or) ¾ cup onion peeled and finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 2 medium (or) 173 gms (or) 1 cup tomatoes washed and chopped
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- salt as required
- 2 tablespoons tamarind extract
- 1 cup (or) 250ml water
- handful coriander leaves washed and chopped
Instructions
- Dry roast 1 tablespoon (or) 14 gms peanuts, 3 teaspoons (or) 10 gms sesame seeds, 3 teaspoons (or) 7 gms desiccated coconut, ½ inch cassia (dalchini), 3 cloves and 1 green cardamom for a couple of minutes on low flame until fragrant.1 tablespoon (or) 14 gms peanuts, 3 teaspoons (or) 10 gms sesame seeds, 3 teaspoons (or) 7 gms desiccated coconut, ½ inch cassia (dalchini), 3 cloves, 1 green cardamom
- Allow the toasted ingredients to cool down to room temperature and then grind them into a powder and keep it aside.
- Heat 3 tablespoon oil in a deep skillet or pan on medium-low heat.3 tablespoon oil
- Once the oil is hot, add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and let them sizzle.½ teaspoon mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- Now add 1 medium (or) 90 gms (or) ¾ cup onion, 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute or until raw aroma vanishes and onions turn soft and translucent.1 medium (or) 90 gms (or) ¾ cup onion, 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- All 3 medium (or) 378 gms (or) 2 cups green capsicum (bell pepper), 2 medium (or) 173 gms (or) 1 cup tomatoes and saute well.3 medium (or) 378 gms (or) 2 cups green capsicum (bell pepper), 2 medium (or) 173 gms (or) 1 cup tomatoes
- Add ½ teaspoon turmeric, 2 teaspoons chilli powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, ground peanut and spice blend, mix until well combined.½ teaspoon turmeric, 2 teaspoons chilli powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- Close the lid and cook for 3-5 minutes or just until the raw aroma of spices vanishes. At this point ensure heat is at the lowest setting to avoid burning at the bottom of the pan.
- Open the lid, add 2 tablespoons tamarind extract, salt, 1 cup (or) 250ml water, mix until well combined.salt, 2 tablespoons tamarind extract, 1 cup (or) 250ml water
- Now increase the heat to medium-high and close the lid. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until gravy thickens and reaches your desired consistency. Ensure capsicum is cooked yet crunchy.
- Take the lid off the pan, check for consistency and check and add more salt if required. Turn off the heat. Oil specks formed on the top layer of curry is the indication that curry is done.
- Mix in handful coriander leaves and enjoy a delicious curry with hot steamed rice or roti.handful coriander leaves
Notes
Nutrition
Welcome to Flavours Treat. I share vegetarian recipes made with wholesome, mostly fresh ingredients. Every recipe has easy-to-follow instructions with process shots (detailed step-wise pictures), a short video and lots of tips to help your cooking journey. Read more
