Shimla Mirch Besan Subzi | Bell pepper Chickpea Flour Dry Curry

Recipe for Shimla Mirch Besan Subzi | Dry Capsicum Curry | Capsicum Chickpea flour curry

Capsicum or green bell pepper and chickpea flour / besan make a great pair. The besan complements the bell peppers, which on their own are a bit lost in a main vegetarian dish. Roasting the besan adds a lovely nutty flavour and the spices just tie them all up together. This is one of my favourite curries for a simple weekday lunch to have with phulka rotis

I had this Shimla Mirch Besan Subzi for the first time with muslin soft phulkas at a Gujarati friend’s home. Tender whole bell peppers stuffed with a mix of roasted gram flour and a myriad of spice powders, shallow fried and then covered and cooked until tender, a labour of love indeed. But how easy to gorge down two whole stuffed capsicums, because they are so delicious.

Delicious though it is, this Gujarati / Rajasthani cuisine staple of besan stuffed bell peppers are heavy and the shallow frying of course adds to the calories. This is my modified version that retains all the flavours from the original recipe, easier to make and one of my favourite ways to cook green capsicums.  The same recipe can be prepared using snake gourd slices, or even larger chillies like Bhavnagari mirchi.

Equipment Required For Making Shimla Mirch Besan Subzi:

Large pan – Kadai

Menu suggestion:

Serve the Shimla Mirch Besan Subzi with Phulka Rotis and Banana Raita

Print Recipe

Shimla Mirch Besan Subzi | Bell pepper & Chickpea Flour Dry Curry Yum

A modified, easier and healthier version of Capsicums stuffed with besan - a Simla Mirch & Besan subzi to have with rotis. A Rajasthani / Gujarati inspired curry.

Course

side dish

Cuisine

indian, north indian

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Servings

portion

Ingredients

• 2 large capsicum bell peppers
• 1/2 tsp kalonji seeds
• 1/2 cup besan Chickpea flour
• 2 tsps dhania jeera powder Coriander Cumin powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder Powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder powder
• 1 tsp amchoor / raw mango powder powder
• 2 tsps jaggery Powedered (optional)
• 1 tsp salt

Course side dish Cuisine indian, north indian Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Servings portion Ingredients 2 large capsicum bell peppers 1/2 tsp kalonji seeds 1/2 cup besan Chickpea flour 2 tsps dhania jeera powder Coriander Cumin powder 1 tsp red chilli powder Powder 1/2 tsp turmeric powder powder 1 tsp amchoor / raw mango powder powder 2 tsps jaggery Powedered (optional) 1 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Deseed and slice the capsicums into strips.
2. In a heavy bottomed pan, dry roast the chickpea flour / besan on a low-medium flame until aromatic and is lightly golden brown. This takes 5-6 minutes. Add all the dry spice powders to this along with the salt. Mix and keep aside.
3. Heat 2 tsp oil in a heavy bottomed kadai / wok, add the kalonjig seeds. After a few seconds, add the sliced capsicum / bell pepper. On a medium flame, saute until they are almost cooked.
4. To this add the mix of roasted chickpea flour and spices. On a low flame stir to combine well. Sprinkle 2-3 tbsp of water over this, stir to combine well, so all of the dry flour is absorbed in the moisture. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes, sprinkling some more water if required.
5. Add 1 tsp oil around the sides and allow the curry to dry up further and the besan mix to turn golden brown, by allowing this to sit undisturbed on a low flame for 5-7 minutes. What we want is the spiced besan mix to uniformly coat the capsicum, and for it to be well cooked and not floury.
6. Serve with phulka rotis and dal or yogurt.

Recipe Notes

You can try the same recipe with chopped cabbage or sliced spring onion greens.

If you love capsicums, this Capsicum Baath recipe from Karnataka is a MUST try.

 

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