Capsicum curry - a vegan and gluten-free curry made with bell peppers, a few basic spices, sesame seeds, coconut and peanuts. A simple yet flavourful and versatile curry gets ready in 30 minutes and makes a flavour-packed lunch or a quick weeknight meal with rice or any Indian flat bread.
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This is a typical south Indian style capsicum curry recipe and it has a unique flavour profile, with a sour taste from tamarind, nuttiness from peanuts, and a hint of sweetness from onion and capsicum. Sesame seeds and coconut makes the gravy thick.
I've prepared this capsicum masala curry in Andhra style with a masala spice blend made with peanuts, sesame seeds, desiccated coconut and a few basic whole spices.
This simple bell pepper curry makes an ideal accompaniment for Jeera Rice, Coconut Rice, chapathi 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 comfort and a complete weekend meal.
Capsicum Masala Recipe Variations
To make north Indian style Shimla Mirch masala, swap peanuts and sesame with cashews, chopped tomatoes with tomato puree.
You could add a teaspoon garam masala for extra flavour.
Substitutions
You may add lemon juice if you don't have tamarind. Although it may not taste the same, it will at least save time and avoid you to make a trip to shop.
Dry coconut could be used instead of desiccated coconut.
Ingredients
For masala blend: Peanuts, sesame seeds, desiccated coconut, cassia, cloves and green cardamom are used. These ingredients are dry roasted, blended and used in gravy preparation.
Dry and whole spices: This recipe needs basic spices that are necessary to make any Indian curry 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 are required in this recipe.
Liquids: Tamarind pulp, water and any neutral oil such as sunflower oil, groundnut oil or vegetable oil.
Find the quantities and a short video in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
How to make capsicum curry?
Dry roast whole spices, peanuts, sesame seeds and desiccated coconut over medium heat.
Let the mixture cool completely and then grind it to a powder.
Saute onion, ginger garlic paste in oil along with cumin and mustard.
Saute tomatoes and capsicum with cooked onions.
Mix in chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder and ground peanut-spice blend.
Add tamarind pulp, water and salt. Cook until capsicum turns tender yet crunchy.
Add coriander leaves and turn off the heat.
Enjoy Hyderabadi style capsicum curry with steamed rice or chapati.
More Midweek dinner recipe ideas
Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Tips and tricks to make perfect bell pepper curry
Having a batch of ground peanut-spice mix saves time, you don't need to roast and grind the ingredients every time you plan to make this curry. Ensure to make a small batch as the spice mix doesn't last long due to the addition of coconut. Alternatively, omit the coconut and grind the rest of the spices for longer shelf life. Add coconut powder separately while making curry.
If you feel the gravy is too sour, add a pinch of grated jaggery to reduce the sourness.
Notes
Adjust spices as per your taste preference.
This curry tastes best with capsicum being a little crunchy yet cooked.
I've used only green capsicum, you may use yellow and/or red capsicum for colourful appearance.
Fresh curry leaves are an essential herb in South Indian cuisine that imparts a nice aroma to the dish. I didn't have fresh leaves at the time I shoot the video of this recipe. To avoid any confusion I didn't mention it in the recipe. Kindly make a note to add curry leaves before onions.
I've used tamarind pulp extracted at home. If you use store-bought tamarind paste, you may have to use less than the quantity mentioned in this recipe. Generally, store-bought paste tends to have a strong flavour and sourness so use it accordingly.
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 microwave-safe bowl and reheat it in a microwave until hot. Alternatively, heat it in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat stirring regularly.
📖 Recipe Card
Capsicum Masala
Equipment
- 1 Deep bottomed pan/Saucepan
- 1 Small frying pan
- 1 Spoon
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250ml; 1 Tablespoon =15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml
- 3 medium (or) 378 gms (or) 2 cups Capsicum (bell pepper) washed, deseeded and diced into cubes
- 1 medium (or) 90 gms (or) ½ cup tightly packed Onion peeled and finely chopped
- 2 medium (or) 173 gms (or) 1 cup Tomatoes washed and chopped
- 1 Teaspoon Ginger garlic paste
- 3 Tablespoon Oil
- ½ Teaspoon Mustard
- ½ Teaspoon Cumin
- ½ Teaspoon Turmeric
- 2 Teaspoons Chilli powder
- 1 Teaspoon Coriander powder
- Salt as required
- 2 Tablespoons Tamarind extract
- 1 cup (or) 250 ml Water
- handful Coriander leaves washed and chopped
For peanut masala blend
- 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
Instructions
- Dry roast peanuts, sesame seeds, desiccated coconut, cassia, cloves and 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 oil in a deep skillet or pan on medium-low heat.3 Tablespoon Oil
- Once the oil is hot, add mustard, cumin and let them sizzle.½ Teaspoon Mustard, ½ Teaspoon Cumin
- Now add onions, 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) ½ cup tightly packed Onion, 1 Teaspoon Ginger garlic paste
- All capsicum, tomatoes and saute well.3 medium (or) 378 gms (or) 2 cups Capsicum (bell pepper), 2 medium (or) 173 gms (or) 1 cup Tomatoes
- Add turmeric, chili powder, 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 tamarind extract, salt, water, mix until well combined.Salt, 2 Tablespoons Tamarind extract, 1 cup (or) 250 ml 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 coriander and enjoy a delicious curry with hot steamed rice or roti.handful Coriander leaves
Notes
Nutrition
KEEP IN TOUCH
Do let me know if you make this simple south Indian capsicum 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?
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