A delicious, creamy and nutty gravy with roasted capsicum dices is today’s recipe. Capsicum masala is a super tasty side dish for chapathi or rotis. It is easy to make and is so rich and creamy. It has some simple everyday spice powders to bring out the flavours. The lightly browned capsicum makes it extra special.
When I said it is easy to make, do keep in mind it does not get ready in ten minutes. Allow some time for frying and grinding the masala. But it is easy in the sense that you do not need to run to the grocery store to buy specialty ingredients. The steps can also be done in parallel. Fry the capsicum in one pan and get the masala ready on the other side. Capsicum masala is then a breeze to prepare.
The creamy nutty texture to this capsicum masala is rendered by sweet mungphali or groundnuts. They are fried and ground with a onion mixture which results in a delicate masala with sweet and mildly spicy notes. I make this very regularly at home as an alternative to the favourite paneer butter masala. As a result this has become one of the most sought after gravies with chapathi or roti or phulka. It even tastes delicious with jeera rice or simple peas pulao.
Try more gravy recipes from FOI:
Methi malai paneer
Tamatar kaju paneer
Vegetable Kurma
Lauki kofta in tamatar gravy
Peas Kurma and more.
- 1 Cup diced coloured capsicum
- 1 Tbsp + ½ Tbsp groundnut oil
- ½ Tsp jeera
- 1 onion diced
- 1 chopped garlic
- ½" ginger
- ¼ Cup groundnuts
- ⅛ Cup desiccated coconut
- ½ Tbsp sesame
- 2 red chilli
- ¼ Tsp red chilli powder
- ¼ Tsp turmeric
- ½ Tsp garam masala
- Heat oil, add onions, garlic and ginger
- When onion, garlic and ginger soften, keep them aside to cool
- In same pan, add groundnuts, sesame and jeera
- Start frying till groundnuts change colour slightly
- Throw in the red chillis and add desiccated coconut
- Allow this to cool
- Add cooled onion mixture to a mixer jar
- Next add the groundnut mixture to the mixer jar as well
- Sprinkle salt to taste
- Add ¼ Cup water and grind to a paste
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan, start sauteing the coloured capsicum
- Let them blister and soften a bit
- Next add ground up masala paste
- Pour about ¼ Cup water to adjust consistency
- Let it simmer, cover and cook
- Adjust salt, and let it start to thicken
- Add turmeric, red chilli powder and garam masala
- Mix well, lastly add chopped coriander
- Capsicum masala is now ready to be served!
Add a few cashews if you wish to
Some sweet corn and green peas can also be added for added texture
Don't overcrowd the capsicum in the pan, you want a nice slightly burnt taste of capsicum and not steamed
Adjust spice as per your taste
Capsicum Masala Stepwise:
Heat oil, add onions, garlic and ginger
When onion, garlic and ginger soften, keep them aside to cool
In same pan, add groundnuts, sesame and jeera
Start frying till groundnuts change colour slightly
Throw in the red chillis and add desiccated coconut
Allow this to cool
Add cooled onion mixture to a mixer jar
Next add the groundnut mixture to the mixer jar as well
Sprinkle salt to taste
Add 1/4 Cup water and grind to a paste
Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan, start sauteing the coloured capsicum
Let them blister and soften a bit
Next add ground up masala paste
Pour about 1/4 Cup water to adjust consistency
Let it simmer, cover and cook
Adjust salt, and let it start to thicken
Add turmeric, red chilli powder and garam masala
Mix well, lastly add chopped coriander
Capsicum masala is now ready to be served!
