Capsicum pulao recipe - simple pulao recipe made with colored bell peppers, though you can use only green bell pepper too. This is mild flavored yet delicious pulav recipe.
I have already shared spicy capsicum rice recipe which is our family favorite. I do make that spicy version very often for his lunch box. Since that is masaledar with full of flavors, you may not need any side dish with that. So for busy mornings, that is the perfect one pot rice to make for lunch boxes.
But occasionally, we (I and hubby) crave for milder version of pulao or rice dishes. And we love capsicum in any form, so I have made this capsicum pulao.
This one is also perfect for lunch box. Since this has mild flavors, it is perfect for kids lunch box. Don’t forget to pack some raita and papad in separate containers to go with it.
In this capsicum pulao, basmati rice is cooked along with whole spices, onion, ginger, garlic, kasoori methi and garam masala. And capsicum and cashew nuts are cooked separately. Then mixed with cooked rice along with coriander and mint leaves.
I like crunchy capsicum in this pulao, so I have cooked them separately till 80% is cooked. But in my capsicum rice recipe I have cooked along with rice which gave me softer texture.
For the variation, you can add handful of green peas or sweet corn kernels while cooking rice.
Check out other pulao recipes
Peas pulao // Veg pulao // Corn pulao
How to make capsicum pulao recipe (Step by Step Photos):
1) Wash the basmati rice under running cold water till water runs clear. Soak them in enough water for at least 15-20 minutes. While rice is soaking, prep other ingredients.
2) After the soaking time, discard the water and drain the rice well.
3) Now heat the oil in a sauce pan on medium heat. Once hot add whole spices (cinnamon stick, cloves, black peppercorns, green cardamom, mace and bay leaf). Saute for a minute or so. You will get nice aroma of the spices.
4) Now add chopped onions, sprinkle some salt to speed up the process.
5) Mix well and cook.
6) Cook the onions till they are soft, translucent or light pink in color. We don’t want them to brown.
7) Now add ginger paste, garlic paste and chopped chilies.
8) Mix and saute for a minute or till the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away.
9) Now add drained rice.
10) Mix and cook for 2 minutes.
11) Now add remaining salt, garam masala, kasoori methi and black pepper powder.
12) Mix well.
13) Add lemon juice.
14) Also add water and stir once.
15) Crank the heat to high and let the water come to a boil.
16) As soon as it starts boiling, LOWER the heat to the lowest possible. Cover with the lid. Continue cooking without disturbing on LOW heat for 17-18 minutes. After that turn off the stove and let it rest without opening the lid for 10 minutes.
17) While cooked rice is resting, let’s cook the capsicum. Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add cashews and capsicum.
18) Mix well, sprinkle very little salt.
19) Cook till capsicums are cooked well as per you liking (I like crunchy, so I have cooked it for little less time. If you like it cooked all the way through and soft then cook for little longer.)
20) Now resting time is over, open the lid from the cooked rice.
21) Add cooked capsicum, chopped coriander and mint leaves.
22) Mix it gently, so rice grains do not break. Capsicum pulao is ready to serve.
Serving suggestion: Enjoy this capsicum pulao with raita (e.g. onion raita, mint raita, bhindi raita) or plain yogurt. It can be served with dal fry or dal tadka. I would like to serve roasted papad on side for some crunch.
Capsicum pulao recipe
Ingredients
For capsicum pulav:
- 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
For sauteing capscium:
- 2-3 teaspoons Oil
- 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*
- * you can use mix of any colored pepper or any single color pepper. Bottom line is to use 2 medium or total 1 ½ chopped
- 1 tablespoons Cilantro or coriander leaves chopped finely
- 1 tablespoons Mint leaves chopped finely
Instructions
Preparation:
- Wash the basmati rice under running cold water till water runs clear.
- Soak them in enough water for at least 15-20 minutes. While rice is soaking, prep other ingredients.
- After the soaking time, discard the water and drain the rice well.
Making capsicum pulao recipe:
- heat the oil in a sauce pan on medium heat.
- Once hot add whole spices. Saute for a minute or so.
- Now add chopped onions, sprinkle some salt. Cook the onions till they are soft, translucent or light pink in color.
- Now add ginger paste, garlic paste and chopped chilies. Mix and saute for a minute
- Now add drained rice. Mix and cook for 2 minutes.
- Now add remaining salt, garam masala, kasoori methi and black pepper powder. Mix well.
- Add lemon juice. Also add water and stir once.
- Crank the heat to high and let the water come to a boil.
- As soon as it starts boiling, LOWER the heat to the lowest possible. Cover with the lid.
- Continue cooking without disturbing on LOW heat for 17-18 minutes.
- After that turn off the stove and let it rest without opening the lid for 10 minutes.
- While cooked rice is resting, let’s cook the capsicum. Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add cashews and capsicum.
- Mix well, sprinkle very little salt.
- Cook till capsicums are cooked well as per you liking
- Now resting time is over, open the lid from the cooked rice.
- Add cooked capsicum, chopped coriander and mint leaves.
- Mix it gently, so rice grains do not break.
yum I can’t wait to make it at home Thanks for sharing, Once I will try this:)
Hope you enjoy. Happy Cooking!!