Bell pepper Rice or Capsicum rice is something that can be cooked when having friends over or as a quick lunch box recipe. This rice powder is very versatile and can be used with any vegetable and rice.
Navarathri was a wonderful time and today being the last day of it, we are feeling a little down. This year I had the pleasure to make several new friends during the occasion.
Bell pepper or capsicum rice was something that I had cooked during one of the nights when I had friends over for Golu. This recipe is made with a homemade masala powder that was passed down to me through my cousin’s wife’s mother.
I have this recipe in my recipe notebook forever and I always have a batch of this powder made in the pantry. This week I got a chance to take pictures of it and I am posting it for this week’s cooking from a cookbook challenge.
This rice powder is very versatile and can be used with any vegetable and rice. I happened to have a lot of harvested bell pepper in hand; hence I made it with bell pepper.
I usually also add onions when making this rice, but since I made it for navarathri, I skipped the use of onions. The masala powder stays very well in the pantry and comes in very handy when making lunch boxes.
Preparation time - 20 mins Cooking time - 40 mins for the masala powder and about 40 mins to make the rice Difficulty level - easy
Ingredients to make Bell Pepper Rice -
For the Vegetable rice powder - (makes about 500 gms of powder)
- Kadalai paruppu / Channa dal - 1 cup
- Ullatham paruppu / Urad dal - 1 cup
- Dhania / whole coriander seeds - 1 cup
- Cloves - 12
- Cinnamon - 4 sticks
- Red chilies - 25 (makes medium spicy)
- Desiccated coconut - ½ cup
For the Capsicum Rice - (serves 4-6)
- Rice - 1 cup
- Bell pepper/capsicum - 2 cups (chopped)
- Oil - 2 tbsp
- Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
- Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
- Kadalai paruppu /channa dal - 2 tsp
- Cashew pieces - few
- Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
- Asafetida - ¼ tsp
- Curry leaves - few
- Vegetable rice powder - 4 to 5 tbsp
- Salt - to taste
Procedure to make Capsicum Rice -
To make the Vegetable rice powder -
- Dry roast all the ingredients mentioned above separately until golden brown and aromatic. (I am missing the cinnamon in the picture).
Let it cool down to room temperature and then grind it into a coarse powder.
Store in an airtight container.
To make the Capsicum Rice -
- Cook the rice and cool it in a wide pan.
In a large pan, add the oil and season with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, kadalai paruppu, asafetida, curry leaves, and cashews.
Now add the chopped bell pepper pieces and cook them until it is almost done. Do not overcook the vegetables. Make sure it still has a crunch to it.
Now add the salt and vegetable rice powder. Mix well.
- Add this to the cooled rice and mix well. Add some oil or ghee when mixing (optional).
Serve with raita and chips!
I served it with some Aviyal !
Other Rice recipes
- Tawa Pulao - A Popular Mumbai Street Food
- Cauliflower Dum Biriyani | Gobhi Dum Biriyani
- Cranberry Rice / Kuruthi Nelli Sadam
- Masala Bhaat | Spiced Rice With Ivy Gourd (Kovakkai)
Recipe
Equipment
- ▢ Blender
Ingredients
FOR THE VEGETABLE RICE POWDER - (MAKES ABOUT 500 GMS OF POWDER)
- ▢ 1 cup Kadalai paruppu / Channa dal
- ▢ 1 cup Ullatham paruppu / Urad dal
- ▢ 1 cup Dhania / whole coriander seeds
- ▢ 12 Cloves
- ▢ 4 sticks Cinnamon
- ▢ 25 Red chilies Makes medium spicy
- ▢ ½ cup Desiccated coconut
FOR THE BELL PEPPER RICE - (SERVES 4-6)
- ▢ 1 cup Rice
- ▢ 2 cup Bell pepper/capsicum Chopped
- ▢ 2 tablespoon Oil
- ▢ 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
- ▢ 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- ▢ 2 teaspoon Kadalai paruppu /channa dal
- ▢ few Cashew pieces
- ▢ ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon Asafetida
- ▢ few Curry leaves
- ▢ 4-5 tablespoon Vegetable rice powder
- ▢ to taste Salt
Instructions
TO MAKE THE VEGETABLE RICE POWDER -
- Dry roast all the ingredients mentioned above separately until golden brown and aromatic. (I am missing the cinnamon in the picture).
- Let it cool down to room temperature and then grind it into a coarse powder.
- Store in an airtight container.
To make the bell pepper rice -
- Cook the rice and cool it in a wide pan.
- In a large pan, add the oil and season with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, kadalai paruppu, asafetida, curry leaves, and cashew.
- Now add the chopped bell pepper pieces and cook it until it is almost done. Do not overcook the vegetable. Make sure it still has a crunch to it.
- Now add the salt and vegetable rice powder. Mix well.
- Add this to the cooled rice and mix well. Add some oil or ghee when mixing (optional).
- Serve with raita and chips!
- I served it with some Aviyal!
Nutrition
More Homemade Spice and Masala Powders
- Panch Phoron Tarkari | Mixed Vegetable Curry with Five Spices
- Thengai Podi With Flax Seed | Spiced Coconut Powder
- Tilachi Chutney | Sesame Seeds Chutney Powder
- Fiery Habanero Sauce
Bell Pepper Rice With Homemade Vegetable Rice Powder
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
FOR THE VEGETABLE RICE POWDER – (MAKES ABOUT 500 GMS OF POWDER)
- 1 cup Kadalai paruppu / Channa dal
- 1 cup Ullatham paruppu / Urad dal
- 1 cup Dhania / whole coriander seeds
- 12 Cloves
- 4 sticks Cinnamon
- 25 Red chilies Makes medium spicy
- ½ cup Desiccated coconut
FOR THE BELL PEPPER RICE – (SERVES 4-6)
- 1 cup Rice
- 2 cup Bell pepper/capsicum Chopped
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoon Kadalai paruppu /channa dal
- few Cashew pieces
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon Asafetida
- few Curry leaves
- 4-5 tablespoon Vegetable rice powder
- to taste Salt
Instructions
TO MAKE THE VEGETABLE RICE POWDER -
- Dry roast all the ingredients mentioned above separately until golden brown and aromatic. (I am missing the cinnamon in the picture).
- Let it cool down to room temperature and then grind it into a coarse powder.
- Store in an airtight container.
To make the bell pepper rice –
- Cook the rice and cool it in a wide pan.
- In a large pan, add the oil and season with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, kadalai paruppu, asafetida, curry leaves, and cashew.
- Now add the chopped bell pepper pieces and cook it until it is almost done. Do not overcook the vegetable. Make sure it still has a crunch to it.
- Now add the salt and vegetable rice powder. Mix well.
- Add this to the cooled rice and mix well. Add some oil or ghee when mixing (optional).
- Serve with raita and chips!
- I served it with some Aviyal!
