Today, we had rotis and bell pepper curry for dinner. I am not a fan of bell peppers. I mean I don’t dislike them, but generally they get a lukewarm response from me. One exception was when I had this bell pepper curry with peanut sauce at a resort in Coorg, Karnataka. I relished it and so did everyone else in the family. I asked the friendly Chef who was right there and learned that it was a konkani curry (also called Capsicum Kairas sometimes.) Here’s my version with Bell peppers and onions cooked in a spicy peanut sauce made from freshly roasted masalas.
Recipe:
2 medium size bell peppers chopped into 1 inch squares (I used 1 green and 1 red)
2 small onions chopped into 1 inch squares
1 tomato chopped or 1 table spoon tomato paste
1/2 tea spoon grated ginger
1/4 tea spoon turmeric
Approx. 1 1/2 tea spoon salt
1 table spoon oil
For peanut sauce:
1 tea spoon oil
1/4 cup peanuts
6-8 dry red chilies
2 tea spoon coriander seeds
1 tea spoon cumin seeds
1/2 tea spoon urad dal
1/2 tea spoon chana dal
1/2 tea spoon sesame seeds
2 cloves
Note: If you want to skip tamarind, use 2 table spoon of tomato paste or 3 chopped tomatoes instead.
Method:
1. Fry the ingredients for the peanut sauce in 1 tea spoon oil for about 5-7 minutes. When cool, grind into a smooth paste by adding a small lemon size jaggery piece and seedless tamarind piece. You will need to add about 1/3 cup of water to grind. Keep aside.
2. In a pan, fry chopped bell peppers and onions in 1 table spoon of oil for about 10 minutes.
3. Add tomato pieces or tomato paste. stir well and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Add the peanut sauce, salt and about 1 cup of water.
5. Stir well and let simmer for about 10 minutes.