Capsicum Rice (Indian Style Bell Pepper Rice)

5 from 20 votes

With a handful of spices and a versatile vegetable like the Capsicum, this recipe packs in a lot of flavors it is one you can enjoy all year long.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Vegan

Allergen: Dairy free, Gluten free

Difficulty: Easy

Servings:

Calories: 257kcal

I used an instant pot to cook the basmati rice. I added 1 ½ cups of washed rice, 2 ¼ cups of water, a teaspoon of oil, and a pinch of salt. Set the instant pot to manual mode for 4 minutes. Then allow it to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes before you open the lid.
After 5 minutes, gently place the cooked rice over the big plate. So that it will cool down and it won't turn mushy. You could also use a pressure cooker for cooking the rice. Just be sure not to overcook the rice.

Heat oil in a wide pan. Add chana dal, cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom, and star anise. Saute for a few minutes over medium flame.
2 cardamoms, 2 cloves (spice), ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon Bengal gram( chana dal), 1 tablespoon coconut oil, 2 star anise
Add curry leaves, chopped ginger and garlic, and sliced green chilies. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until the raw smell disappears.
6 curry leaves, 2 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 green chili
Add onions and sliced capsicums and saute for 3-4 minutes.
1 onion, 2 capsicum (bell peppers)
Add chopped tomatoes, salt, and all the spice powders. Saute for 2 minutes.
1 teaspoon garam masala, ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder, 1 tomato, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
Add the cooked rice and switch off the flame. Mix well and garnish with chopped cilantro.
Your capsicum rice is ready to serve!
Enjoy it with raita, coconut chutney, or any other accompaniment you choose. This capsicum rice also tastes great when served cold as a salad. Happy cooking!

Press ‘SAUTE’ mode on Instant Pot and add a couple of teaspoons of oil.
1 tablespoon coconut oil
When the oil heats up, add cumin, mustard, and Bengal gram dal. Saute them until the dal turns golden brown.
½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon Bengal gram( chana dal)
Add remaining spices like cloves, cardamoms, and 2-star anise. Saute for 20 seconds.
2 star anise, 2 cardamoms, 2 cloves (spice)
Add ginger garlic paste, green chili, curry leaves, and sliced onion, and saute it for a minute.
6 curry leaves, 1 green chili, 2 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 onion
Add chopped capsicum and tomatoes and stir well. Then add the remaining spice powders. Stir well to make sure you should not stick to the pan. Remove the capsicum masala from the inner pot and place it on a plate.
2 capsicum (bell peppers), 1 teaspoon garam masala, ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder, 1 tomato, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
Add rinsed rice, salt, and water to the same inner pot and stir well. Press the CANCEL button on Instant Pot.
1½ cups basmati rice, 2 ¼ cup water
Close the lid on the pot, and turn the valves from the VENTING to the SEALING position. Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) and set the timer to 4 minutes.
Wait for NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE(NPR). Wait for the silver button on the lid to drop before opening the lid.
Add the prepared capsicum masala to the cooked rice and mix well. And garnish with chopped coriander leaves or mint leaves.

If you prefer your capsicum rice to be spicier, add more green chilies while sauteing.

Adding green peas to the dish after adding the potatoes would be a slight variation that adds more color to the dish.

Add two teaspoons of crunchy peanuts to the spices to add more crunch and taste to the dish.

Make sure not to overcook capsicum and onions. Saute them until they are cooked through but still have a crunchy texture.

You could also use capsicum of different colors to make it a more visually appealing dish.

To reduce the cooking time for capsicum rice, use pre-cooked rice. Alternatively, you could pressure cook the capsicum masala and cooked rice in the pot.