This capsicum curry (capsicum masala) is a simple yet flavorful Indian gravy dish where pan-fried bell peppers are simmered in medium spicy, nutty onion-tomato gravy.
This curry goes well with roti, paratha, or rice. Serving a side of kachumber salad will make a complete filling meal.
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❤️About This Recipe
This is Punjabi-style Capsicum curry where the main flavor is coming from the gravy. Here onion and tomato puree is cooked on medium heat until all the moisture is evaporated. This is called bhuna masala and cooking it like this adds a good depth of flavor.
This capsicum masala curry is slightly rich in texture (without adding any cream).
It has a nutty flavor as powdered cashews and peanuts are added. Because of the coarse powder of nuts, the gravy has a grainy texture.
Prefer smooth gravy? If so then make nut paste instead of powder.
If you like the capsicum then I am sure you will love this capsicum curry. I bet that once you try this curry, you will fall in love with this capsicum recipe.
Slightly crunchy or soft peppers? I like slightly underdone and crunchy peppers in my curry. So I have cooked them until 70-80% cooked. If you prefer soft then cook all the way through but make sure not to overcook it until mushy.
👩🍳Step By Step Photo Instructions
Prep:
1) Dry roast the peanuts and cashew nuts on medium heat until they are light brown in color. Remove it to a plate and let it cool down slightly.
2) Grind the nuts into powder using a blender.
3) In the same blender, add onion, tomato, green chili, ginger, garlic and coriander seeds.
4) Make a smooth gravy out of it. No need to add any water.
5) Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wide pan on medium heat. Once hot add bell pepper cubes.
6) Cook them until they are 70% cooked (the rest of the cooking is done when added in the gravy). Toss them around in between for even cooking. Once done remove it to a plate and keep it aside.
Cooking Capsicum Masala Curry:
1) Heat another 1 tablespoon of oil in the same pan on medium heat. Once hot add cumin seeds, bay leaf and cloves. Let the cumin seeds sizzle a bit and they turn light brown in color.
2) Then add prepared onion tomato paste and salt. Mix well.
3) Cook on medium until all the water/ moisture is evaporated. In the beginning, it will splutter a lot. So partially cover the pan using a lid. Then cook uncovered until it becomes a thick paste and oil may start to ooze out from the sides. Do stir in between to make sure that it is not sticking to the pan.
4) Add turmeric powder and red chili powder. Mix well and cook for a minute. Then add water, mix, and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes. Adjust the water amount as per your liking gravy consistency.
5) Sprinkle the nut powder and mix.
6) Add pan-fried capsicum and mix. Cook for 2-3 minutes. At this point, you may need to add a splash of water if the gravy is too thick.
7) Lastly, add garam masala.
8) Mix and capsicum curry is ready to serve.
💭Expert Tips
- Remove the white part (roots) of the onion before grinding. If your grind that white part by mistake then it makes the gravy bitter.
- To get a smooth gravy texture instead of grainy, soak the cashews and peanuts in hot water for 15 minutes and then make a smooth paste.
- Don’t overcook the bell peppers otherwise, they get mushy and flavorless.
- Adjust the amount of water as per your liking gravy consistency. I prefer thick gravy (as shown in the pic) for roti, and paratha and I prefer thin, runny gravy when serving with rice or pulao.
- It is important to cook onion tomato paste until it becomes thick and most of the moisture is evaporated. It adds a good depth of flavor to this capsicum curry.
📖Variations
- Use colored peppers: You can use a mix of red and green peppers. Or use your choice of colored pepper.
- Use other veggies: You can use this same gravy with other veggies like green beans, cauliflower, mixed veggies (beans, green peas, carrot, corn) or even boiled potatoes.
- Use beans: You can add boiled chickpeas (chole), black eyed peas (lobia), desi chana (black chickpeas), kidney beans (rajma), etc to this capsicum curry gravy.
Check Out Other Capsicum Recipes
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📋 Recipe Card
Capsicum Curry (Capsicum Masala)
Ingredients
For Nut Powder:
- 1 tablespoon Peanuts
- 1 tablespoon Cashew nuts
For Onion Tomato Paste:
- 1 medium or 1 cup Red onion chopped roughly
- 2 small or 1 ¼ cups Tomato chopped roughly
- ½ inch Ginger
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 Green chili
- 1 teaspoon Coriander seeds (sabut dhaniya)
For Capsicum Curry Recipe:
- 1+ 1 tablespoons Oil
- 2 cups Capsicum (green bell pepper) cut into cubes
- 1 Bay leaf
- 3 Cloves
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- Salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
- 1 ¼ cups Water more or less as per your liking gravy consistency
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala
Instructions
- Make nuts powder: Dry roast the peanuts and cashew nuts on medium heat until they are light brown in color. Remove it to a plate and let it cool down slightly. Grind the nuts into powder using a blender.
- Make paste: In the same blender, add onion, tomato, green chili, ginger, garlic and coriander seeds. Make a smooth gravy out of it. No need to add any water.
- Cook peppers: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wide pan on medium heat. Once hot add bell pepper cubes.
- Cook them until they are 70% cooked (the rest of the cooking is done when added into the gravy). Toss them around in between for even cooking. Once done remove it to a plate and keep it aside.
- Make gravy: Heat another 1 tablespoon of oil in the same pan on medium heat. Once hot add cumin seeds, bay leaf and cloves. Let the cumin seeds sizzle a bit and they turn light brown in color.
- Then add prepared onion tomato paste and salt. Mix well.
- Cook on medium until all the water/ moisture is evaporated. In the beginning, it will splutter a lot. So partially cover the pan using a lid. Then cook uncovered until it becomes a thick paste and oil may start to ooze out from the sides. Do stir in between to make sure that it is not sticking to the pan.
- Add turmeric powder and red chili powder. Mix well and cook for a minute.
- Then add water, mix and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes. Adjust the water amount as per your liking gravy consistency.
- Sprinkle the nut powder and mix.
- Add pan-fried capsicum and mix. Cook for 2-3 minutes. At this point, you may need to add a splash of water if the gravy is too thick.
- Lastly, add garam masala. Mix and capsicum curry is ready to serve.
Notes
- Remove the white part (root) of the onion before grinding. If you grind that white part by mistake then it makes the gravy bitter.
- To get a smooth gravy texture instead of grainy, soak the cashews and peanuts in hot water for 15 minutes and then make a smooth paste.
- Don’t overcook the bell peppers otherwise, they get mushy and flavorless.
- Adjust the amount of water as per your liking gravy consistency. I prefer thick gravy (as shown in the pic) for roti, paratha and I prefer thin, runny gravy when serving with rice or pulao.
- It is important to cook onion tomato paste until it becomes thick and most of the moisture is evaporated. It adds a good depth of flavor.
Mirandamom
Tasty!