This capsicum pulao is a simple pulao recipe made with colored bell peppers, though you can use only green pepper too. This pulao has a mild flavor yet tastes delicious. Pair it with raita or dal (lentil dish) and make a healthy meal.
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❤️About This Recipe
Quick to make: It takes just 40 minutes to make and you’ll get tender, fluffy, and separated rice grain in your pulao.
It’s perfect for guests or small get-to-gather. It looks pretty on the table instead of serving plain, simple rice.
It pairs well with any type of dal, curry or raita.
Kid-friendly: Because it is mild in taste, this can be packed into a kid’s lunchbox.
🧾Ingredient Notes
Here is a pic of the ingredients used in making this flavorful, aromatic capsicum pulao. All of them are basic and easily available.
- Rice: Always use good quality basmati rice for pulao or biryani for guests. If making for a daily basis then you can use whatever local rice you’re using. If so adjust the cooking time and water amount.
- Whole spices: I have used cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, green cardamoms, bay leaf, and mace. Always add spices to the hot oil so they release their flavor and aroma to the max.
- Ginger, Garlic, Green chili: I sometimes use fresh ones and coarsely grind them into my spice grinder (w/ wet jar). Or whenever I have ginger garlic paste ready then I use that and add finely chop green chili.
- Capsicum (bell peppers): I have used colored bell peppers but you can use green peppers only.
- Cilantro and Mint leaves: It gives a nice refreshing flavor to the capsicum pulao. If you don’t have mint leaves then you can skip. But I would highly suggest not skipping cilantro. Fresh herbs make a huge difference.
👩🍳Step By Step Photo Instructions
1) Take basmati rice in a colander and wash under running cold water until the water runs clear. Or you can rinse them in a bowl 2-3 times until the water is not cloudy anymore.
2) Soak the rice in enough water for around 15-20 minutes. Then drain the soaking liquid.
3) Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add whole spices (cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, green cardamoms, mace and bay leaf). Saute for 30-40 seconds or until they become aromatic.
4) Add chopped onion and sprinkle a pinch of salt to speed up the onion cooking process. Saute until onions get soft and light pink in color.
5) Add ginger, garlic paste and green chilies.
6) Mix and saute for a minute or until the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away.
7) Add soaked, drained rice.
8) Add remaining salt, kasuri methi, garam masala and crushed black pepper. Mix everything well.
9) Squeeze the lemon juice.
10) Add water and stir.
11) Bring the gas heat to high and let the water come to a rolling boil.
12) As soon as it starts boiling, cover the pan with a lid, turn the heat to LOW and cook for 17-18 minutes. Then turn off the stove and let the cooked pulao rest for 10 minutes without opening the lid.
13) While the cooked pulao rice is resting, let’s cook bell peppers. Heat the oil in a wide pan on medium heat. Once hot add chopped peppers and cashews.
14) Cook until capsicum is cooked, soft and tender. Do not overcook otherwise they get mushy and flavorless.
15) After 10 minutes of resting time open the lid.
16) Add cooked peppers and freshly chopped herbs (cilantro and mint leaves).
17) Gently mix everything and capsicum pulao is ready.
💭Expert Tips
- Adding 1 green chili doesn’t make the bell peppers pulao spicy to me. But after all, it depends on the type of chili you used and how a person can tolerate the spice level. So depending on that adjust the amount of green chili.
- 10 minutes of resting time after the rice is cooked is a must. During this resting time, rice grains will firm up and don’t break that much while fluffing or stirring.
- Cook the bell peppers just until cooked or slightly undercooked (if you prefer that way). But never overcook them otherwise they become flavorless.
🍽 Serving Ideas
- Serve bell pepper pulao with your choice of raita. I have served with bhindi raita. Other options are onion tomato raita, cucumber raita, spinach raita, etc.
- This pulao goes well with any dal (lentil dish) e.g. dal fry, dal tadka, moong dal, toor dal, etc.
Check Out Other Pulao Recipes
Did you try this capsicum pulao recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.
📋 Recipe Card
Capsicum Pulao (Bell Pepper Pulao)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Basmati rice
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 inch piece Cinnamon stick
- 2 Cloves
- 3-4 Black peppercorns
- 2 Green cardamoms
- 2 strands Mace (Javitri)
- 1 Bay leaf
- ½ cup Red onion
- 1 teaspoon Ginger paste or freshly grated or crushed
- 1 teaspoon Garlic paste or freshly grated
- 1 Green chili chopped finely
- Salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala
- ½ teaspoon Kasoori methi (Dried fenugreek leaves)
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon Lemon juice
- 2 cups Water
- 1 tablespoon Oil To cook peppers
- 6-7 Cashew nuts optional
- 1 medium or ¾ cup Capsicum (Green bell pepper) cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 medium or ¾ cup Red pepper cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoons Cilantro or coriander leaves chopped finely
- 1 tablespoons Mint leaves chopped finely
Instructions
- Take basmati rice in a colander and wash under running cold water until the water runs clear. Or you can rinse them in a bowl 2-3 times until the water is not cloudy anymore.
- Soak the rice in enough water for around 15-20 minutes. Then drain the soaking liquid.
- Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add whole spices (cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, green cardamoms, mace and bay leaf). Saute for 30-40 seconds or until they become aromatic.
- Add chopped onion and sprinkle a pinch of salt to speed up the onion cooking process. Saute until onions get soft and light pink in color.
- Add ginger, garlic paste and green chilies. Mix and saute for a minute or until the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away.
- Add soaked, drained rice, remaining salt, kasuri methi, garam masala and crushed black pepper. Mix everything well.
- Squeeze the lemon juice and add water and stir.
- Bring the gas heat to high and let the water come to a rolling boil.
- As soon as it starts boiling, cover the pan with a lid, turn the heat to LOW and cook for 17-18 minutes. Then turn off the stove and let the cooked pulao rest for 10 minutes without opening the lid.
- While the cooked pulao rice is resting, let’s cook bell peppers. Heat the oil in a wide pan on medium heat. Once hot add chopped peppers and cashews.
- Cook until capsicum is cooked, soft, and tender. Do not overcook otherwise they get mushy and flavorless.
- After 10 minutes of resting time open the lid.
- Add cooked peppers and freshly chopped herbs (cilantro and mint leaves). Gently mix everything and capsicum pulao is ready.
Notes
- 10 minutes of resting time after the rice is cooked is a must. During this resting time, rice grains will firm up and don’t break that much while fluffing or stirring.
- Cook the bell peppers just until cooked or slightly undercooked (if you prefer that way). But never overcook them otherwise they become flavorless.
- Always add whole spices to the hot oil so they release their flavor and aroma to the max.
Dates Fruits
yum I can’t wait to make it at home Thanks for sharing, Once I will try this:)
Kanan
Hope you enjoy. Happy Cooking!!