Tangy capsicum curry with gram flour

Capsicum is one of my favourite vegetable. While I like the curries made out of it, but for me, the veggie itself is a delight. Its so versatile, goes into Sandwiches, mixed vegetable curries, Pastas, Uttapams, pizzas, Pav bhaji, soups, etc.

We grew up eating both Chapatis and rice for every day meal at my parents’ place, so most of the curries made at home were such that they would go well with both rice and chapatis. 

Since capsicum hadn’t been a favourite with my husband, in the initial few years of our marriage never made capsicum curry regularly, later as kids came in, capsicum became a regular stock as I would add them to Maggi, pastas etc and make curry in poriyal style once in a while.

When I got a fresh stock of capsicum this week, I craved for the long lost love for this tangy curry and planned to make it and as well document it. So here we go. Hope you all will like it too.

Resources : The rustic handcrafted black Longpi plate featured below is purchased from Krayaa.com and the Copper plated steel serving pot is purchased from Amazon.

Ingredients

1. Capsicum – 2-3 medium sized ones.
2. Peanuts – 1/4 cup roasted and skinned
3. Gram flour / besan – 1/2 cup ( Use per requirement)
4. Salt – Per taste
5. Chilli powder – 2 Tsps ( Or per taste) 
6. Jaggery – 1-2 Tbsp
7. Tamarind – a small lemon sized ball 
8. Oil – 3 Tbsps
9. Mustard – 1 tsp
10. Urad daal – 2 tsp
11. Turmeric – 1/2 Tsp
12. Hing – 1 pinch

Process

1. Wash and cut the capsicum in small bit size pieces. You may discard the seeds.
2. Roast the peanuts, skin them and grind to a fine powder and keep it aside.
3. Soak the tamarind in warm water. Once soft, squeeze the juice, separate it and keep it aside.
4. Heat oil in a Kadhai. Once it is hot, add urad daal. As the daal turns golden colour, add mustard seeds. 
5. Since the oil is hot,  mustard seeds will pop immediately.
6. Now add turmeric and hing.
7. Add capsicum pieces and roast them for 4 to 5 mins.
8. Once you see the capsicum skin getting roasted, add tamarind juice, salt, chilli powder, jaggery and peanut powder. Mix well and let this mixture boil.
9. After 7-8 minutes, check if capsicum can be cut using a spoon.
10. Gravy should have become thick by now and you will see oil separating at the corners.
11. Now sprinkle half of the gram flour/ besan on the curry, mix it well. 
12. Again add some more and mix it well. Repeat it till you get required consistency. The gravy should be coating the capsicum and stuck to it and not fall apart. 
13. Now sprinkle some water over the curry and cook it for few mins with a lid on.
14. After 6-7 minutes, you should see that a small crisp layer is getting formed at the bottom. 
15. Transfer the curry to a serving bowl. This can be served with hot rice n ghee or with chapatis.