The beautiful, green capsicum is quite an ignored vegetable. You will see them accompanying other veggies in various dishes but rarely is it celebrated for its bitter-sweet flavour and crunchy. While cultures around the world may love to spin culinary tales with this humble veggie, capsicum remains much unexplored on an everyday Indian platter. Whatever be the reason behind the lack of experimentation with it, we bring to you our best capsicum recipes along with some fun facts that will pep you enough to get cooking with it.
Bright, bold and beautiful – capsicum is found in a variety of vibrant colours which, when added to meals, can bring alive even the most mundane preparations. Cultivated and consumed all across the globe, these pockets of colourful crunchiness come in different varieties, sizes, most of them being yellow, red, orange and green in colour. Capsicum, alternatively and popularly known as bell peppers – is enriched with capsaicin which renders it pungency and spiciness. Some of the smaller varieties are high in capsaicin and are widely used as chillies. Chilli peppers go into cooking some of the spiciest delicacies on the planet; these are dried, powdered and widely used as paprika.
Bharwan Simla Mirch Recipe
Ingredients :
2 tsp refined oil
1 tsp cumin
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp ginger, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green chilli, chopped
1 tsp coriander powder
Salt, to taste
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
5-6 cashew nuts, coarsely bashed
5-6 raisins
1 tsp butter
1 large potato, boiled and mashed
1/2 cup paneer, mashed + 1 Tbsp to garnish
1 tsp mustard sauce
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 tsp chaat masala
1 Tbsp fresh coriander
4 capsicums, de seeded
2 tsp oil, to sear the capsicum
Method:
Preheat the oven for 10 minutes at 180 degrees C. In a pan add 1 tsp butter and lightly saute cashew nuts and raisins for 2 minutes. Keep aside. In a pan add 2 tsp refined oil, cumin. Saute onions, ginger, garlic and green chilli. Now add the coriander powder, salt, red chilli powder. Add a little water to deglaze. Now add the sauteed dry fruits, mashed potatoes, mashed paneer. Mix it well and add mustard sauce, lime juice, chaat masala and fresh coriander leaves. Mix well and keep aside. The stuffing is ready. In a pan add 2 tsp oil. Place the de seeded capsicums and sear them till brown spots appear on all sides. Stuff the capsicums with the prepared stuffing. Garnish with some grated paneer. Sprinkle some chaat masala if desired and bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 180 degrees C.
Kacche Kele ki Asharfi Recipe
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp oil
2 large onions, finely sliced
6 unripe green bananas, boiled in their skins
4 potatoes, boiled
1 1/2 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2 Tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
2 tsp red chilli powder
2 Tbsp gram flour (besan)
1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
Salt, to taste
2 medium capsicums, tops cut off and cleaned of seeds and white pith
1 1/2 clarified butter (ghee)
Method:
Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and fry golden. Remove and drain on absorbent paper. Finely chop the browned onions. Peel the bananas and potatoes and mash well. In a mixing bowl, combine the mashed bananas and potatoes with chopped browned onions, ginger-garlic paste, chopped coriander, chilli powder, gram flour, cardamom powder & salt and mix thoroughly. Fill this mixture into the cleaned hollow capsicums and stuff well. Using a sharp knife cut the stuffed capsicum horizontally into 2-inch thick slices. Heat the clarified butter in a frying pan and shallow-fry the stuffed capsicum slices till the capsicum softens slightly and the filling is golden and crisp. Remove, drain on absorbent paper and serve hot with coriander and mint chutney.
Bhavnagri Pepper Recipe
Ingredients:
2 long green chili peppers
2 Tbsp spring onion bulbs, finely chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 a corn on the cob
40-50 gm black beans, tinned
1 bunch fresh coriander
30-40 gm grated cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp jalapenos, chopped
1 tsp chili seasoning
1 Tbsp panko breadcrumbs
Salt to taste
Method:
In a hot pan, heat olive oil and add the spring onions, garlic and lightly saute. Add the corn kernels, jalapenos, a dash of the jalapeno juice and lime juice. Now add the cooked black beans and cook them together nicely. Mash some of the mixtures with the back of a wooden spoon to thicken lightly. Add the chopped fresh coriander. Cut the green peppers through the center, make an insertion and remove the inner pith and seeds. Create a pocket for the filling mixture. Add the panko breadcrumbs to the filling and bring it all together. Use this filling to stuff the chilies. Top with cheddar cheese. Put on a tray. Sprinkle with chilly spice, panko bread crumbs and drizzle with olive oil. Heat in the oven at 220 degree Celsius for 8-12 minutes.
Baked Mushrooms and Capsicum Recipe
Ingredients:
Oven Temp: 325F-160C
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup onions, chopped fine
1 large capsicum, de-seeded and sliced thin
200 gm mushroom, sliced broad
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper, freshly powdered
3 cups cheese, grated
A few tomato slices for garnish
For the white sauce:
2 cups milk
1 cup Maida
2 Tbsp butter
Method:
For the white sauce:
Mix all the ingredients together and keep stirring to avoid lumps.
Make the mushroom mixture:
Melt the butter add onions and capsicum and stir-fry till they look glossy. Add the mushrooms and continue to stir-fry over high heat till vegetables look like they are coated with the butter. Take it off the heat and mix in the salt, pepper and white sauce. Transfer mixture into an oven proof serving dish. Sprinkle the cheese to cover the mixture, garnish with the tomato slices and bake in a pre-heated oven for half an hour, or till cheese is slightly brown.
Roasted Red Pepper Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 stalk spring onions
30 gm leek
2 stalks celery
1 Tbsp ginger
2 red bell peppers
1 tomato
1 tsp paprika
60 ml tomato juice
1-liter vegetable stock
3-4 basil leaves
Juice and zest of 1/2 orange
Few sprigs of fresh oregano
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp chopped onions
Method:
In a heavy bottomed pan, sweat the spring onions, leeks, and celery. Add the red bell peppers, ginger and tomatoes. Cook for about 5-6 minutes. Add the paprika powder, red chillies and tomato juice to the pan and cook for 6 more minutes. Add the vegetable stock and cook for about 20 minutes till all the veggies are soft. Blend the soup with a mixer or a blender till very smooth. Add orange zest, chopped parsley, and oregano. Strain into a bowl. Garnish with basil leaves. Serve hot or cold.
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