Simple Besan-Capsicum Sabji - From Maharashtra
Cook diced capsicum with a tadka made with mustard and cumin seeds, turmeric and hing; when half-cooked, add remaining seasonings and cook, covered, till tender. Meanwhile roast besan with a little oil till golden and fragrant. Sprinkle Besan on top of cooked capsicum, stir, cover and cook. Add crushed roasted peanuts, cover and cook briefly, Garnish with cilantro and serve with Roti/Naan.
Equipment
- Microwave oven - for roasting Besan; if not available, roasting can be done on stove-top in a stainless steel or cast iron frying pan, or a carbon-steel wok. A non-stick pan is NOT recommended for roasting the Besan (dry roasting can damage the non-stick coating)
- 10 inch non-stick frying pan (or wok) preferred; if not available, an un-coated stainless steel/cast iron/carbon steel pan or wok can be used, but more oil will be needed to prevent sticking and burning during cooking.
Ingredients
- 250 g Green Capsicum (bell pepper): diced small 1 large capsicum, cut into 1/4 inch or slightly bigger pieces - about 2 cups; about 1/2 lb; also called Simla Mirchi, Dhobli Mirchi, Bhopli Mirchi, etc.
- 1/4 cup Besan fine grind- if not available, coarse grind OK; also called Chana flour or Bengal Gram flour; if not available, use Chickpea flour or Garbanzo bean flour (the taste/texture is a bit different)
- 2 tsp Oil: divided - 1/2 tsp + 1 1/2 tsp Peanut oil preferred; other edible oil OK too; do NOT use extra-virgin olive oil for this recipe
- 3/8 tsp Salt adjust as per preference
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 2 tsp Coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder (cayenne) adjust as per spiciness preference
- 1 tbsp water adjust as needed to get the right consistency and texture for the Sabji
For Tadka
- 1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1/8 tsp Hing; powder (Asoefetida)
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
Garnish
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro) rinsed and chopped
- 2 tbsp crushed roasted peanuts (optional) coarsely crushed; unsalted preferred;
Instructions
- Rinse and dice the capsicum into even-sized pieces. Remove the thick white membrane and all the seeds.
- Heat 1 1/2 tsp oil in a shallow, 10 inch, non-stick frying pan (a wok is OK too); Make Tadka: the oil is hot - it will start to smoke just a little. Turn heat to lowest setting; add mustard and cumin seeds and cover immediately to catch the splatter as they pop. Turn heat off and immediately add hing and turmeric.
- Turn heat on again, to low-medium setting.. Add diced capsicum; stir to mix with the Tadka, Cover with a tight lid and cook on high for about 1 min. Then turn down the heat and continue to cook for 4-5 min.
- While the capsicum is cooking,, roast the Besan in the microwave.Add 1/2 tsp oil to the Besan in a glass/ceramic microwave-safe bowl - do NOT use plastic bowl for roasting. the mixture becomes very hot and the plastic can start breaking down. With the back of a spoon, mash the lumps to distribute the oil evenly into the Besan. (For stove-top roasting directions, please see Recipe Notes)
- Roast the oil-Besan mixture in the microwave, till the overall color becomes a light golden-brown hue and the mixture becomes fragrant with a roasted aroma. It will take about 3-4 min total for this to happen. Do not let it become too dark- it might taste bitter.Heat for 30 sec on hi; remove and stir well to distribute heat evenly. Repeat heating for 30 sec, stirring again, closely observing the color and watching for the roasted aroma to be given off.Continue the 30 sec heating and stirring for a few minutes- you will soon see the Besan start to brown in the middle, especially near the bottom. NOTE: If you don't stir it well in the interval between the heating periods, any hot-spots will start to burn.
- While roasting the Besan, also keep an eye on the capsicum. Remove the lid carefully, and let the condensed steam, which collects on the underside of the lid, drip back on to the pepper pieces in the pan. Stir gently to mix evenly. The capsicum will look bright green and is about half-cooked at this point.Sprinkle salt, sugar, chilli powder and coriander powder evenly. Do NOT stir replace cover and cook 3-4 min on low-medium heat.
- Remove the lid carefully,. again letting the condensed steam (collected underneath) drip back into the pan. Stir gently, cover and cook on low for 3-4 min to allow the spices to become well-roasted. You will see the color change and you will smell the roasted coriander.
- Sprinkle 1 tbsp water, stir to let the roasted spices absorb the added moisture. Cover and cook 2-3 min longer to fully cook the capsicum - it should look very tender and plump.Sprinkle the pre-roasted Besan evenly over the top of the cooked capsicum. Stir gently to coat the pieces with the Besan.
- Cover and cook on low medium heat for 3-4 min.
- Remove the lid carefully, collect the condensed steam as before. Sprinkle about 2 tbsp water evenly. Stir gently - this may be easier to do with 2 spoons/spatulas.Cover and cook again - 3-4 min to allow the Besan to become fully cooked.
- Taste-test a little bit of the Besan to check for done-ness: it should not have a raw taste. The Besan Masala should look and smell well-roasted.
- Top with crushed roasted peanuts.
- Cover and steam it one last steam for 1-2 min
- Garnish with chopped fresh coriander (cilantro).Serve hot with Phulka, Roti, Naan, Pita or tortillas for a stand-alone meal, or serve it as part of a .full Indian meal, along with rice, Dal, etc.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Roasting Besan on Stove-top :
- Add 1/2 tsp oil to the Besan in a stainless-steel or cast iron frying pan;
- do NOT use a non-stick coated pan- dry roasting for extended times can damage the non-stick coating on the pan
- With the back of a spoon, mash the oil-filled-clumps to distribute the oil evenly into the Besan.
- Heat pan on medium-high heat; Roast, with constant stirring till the overall color darkens to a light golden-brown and for it to become fragrant.
- Decrease the heat if it looks like it is browning too fast.
- Decrease the heat if it looks like it is browning too fast.
- It will take about 7-8 min total for this to happen. Do NOT let it get too dark- that will taste bitter.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator - consume within the next 2 days.
- You can also freeze leftovers in a shallow container with a well-fitting lid.Do not pack down too tightly.
- To thaw and reheat the Sabji, remove the lid and set on the counter for 20 min or so. Sprinkle a little water, cover and heat in the microwave on 40-50% power for 2-3 min or until steaming hot.. Add a bit more water , if it looks extremely dry, but be sure to heat it thoroughly to properly incorporate the added moisture.
- If reheating on the stove-top, transfer to a non-stick pan, sprinkle a bit of water, cover and heat on a low setting until steaming hot. Stir, if needed to prevent burning/scorching.
Nutrition
Calories: 98kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 4gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 260mgPotassium: 234mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 355IUVitamin C: 51mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!