Sweet Tamarind Chutney or Khatta Meetha chutney is a sweet & sour chutney made using…
Red Capsicum Chutney
Red Capsicum Chutney is a South-Indian style chutney made using Red capsicum or bell peppers and Tomatoes. This chutney has perfect balance of sweetness from the red peppers, tanginess from tomatoes and the mild spice and rich colour from Byadagi red chillies. This chutney pairs beautifully with any of the South-Indian breakfast dish like Idli, Dosa, Upma or Vada.
If you are bored of the regular Coconut chutney and Onion-Tomato chutney, you must definitely try this simple and super quick recipe. This is a no-onion, no-garlic chutney and Jain friendly chutney, and works as a great choice on fasting and festive days.
Red bell peppers or Red Capsicum is not native to India, and was not easily available in India until a few years ago. But now, it is readily available at reasonable price too. We profusely use Red capsicum for a variety of dishes at our home, and this chutney is definitely a family favourite.
This chutney has only 5-6 ingredients, and can be made in less than 15 minutes. Red capsicum and tomatoes along with byadagi red chillies give it a brilliant Orange-Red colour. The groundnuts and whole urad dal used in the chutney give it a nutty flavour, and gives body to the chutney. Red capsicum and tomatoes have fairly large amount of water content, so it is important to use these 2 ingredients for a thick consistency.
While red capsicum works best for this chutney, you can also make use of yellow capsicum. The colour might not be as brilliant, however it tastes almost the same. If you are left with yellow and red capsicum at home, you can use a combination of the two as well. Green capsicum might not be a good choice, as it is not as sweet as red and green ones.
Similarly, this chutney tastes best when made with gingelly or sesame oil both for sauteing and tempering. You could also use groundut oil, and works great. If you like your chutney to be extra tangy, you can also add a small amount of tamarind while sauteing the veggies.
The red capsicum is to be cooked only for 5 to 6 minutes on high flame, followed by tomatoes till they turn mushy. You can adjust the red chillies based on your preference. Byadagi chillies are mild, so I generally use around 5 chillies for this chutney. If you are using other varieties if chilli, adjust the number of chillies accordingly.
Since there are no onions or garlic used in this recipe, I tend to use some extra asafoetida for extra flavour. The tempering for this chutney is quite simple as well – gingelly oil, mustard seeds and curry leaves. This chutney is best paired with Idli, dosa items and Vada.
Red Capsicum Chutney
Red Capsicum Chutney is a south-Indian style chutney made using red capsicum, tomatoes, groundnuts and urad dal. This sweet, spicy and tangy chutney pairs well with most South-Inidan breakfast dishes
Ingredients
- 2 large Red Capsicum
- 2 large Tomatoes
- 2-3 tbsp Groudnuts
- 2 tbsp Whole Urad Dal
- 5 nos. Byadagi Red Chillies
- 3 tbsp Gingelly Oil
- 1 tsp Asafoetida
- 2 sprigs Curry Leaves
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
Instructions
- In a kadai, heat 2-3 tablespoons oil and add groundnuts. Saute till it changes colour.
- Next add whole urad dal, and saute till the urad dal changes golden brown in colour.
- Add asafoetida and Byadagi Red chillies.
- Next add diced red capsicum and salt to taste. Saute for 5 minutes till the capsicum turns slightly soft.
- Add the tomatoes and cook till they turn slightly mushy.
- Cool the mixture, and grind to a smooth paste.
- For tadka, heat 1 tablespoon oil and add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds sputter, add 2 sprigs curry leaves.
- Add this tadka to chutney. Mix well. Serve with Idli, dosa or vada.
Notes
- Byadagi red chillies work great for this recipe. You can also use Kashmiri Red chillies
- Gingelly oil pairs well for this chutney. You can also use groundnut oil.
- Make sure to use groundnuts as it gives the chutney a nutty flavour and also gives a body to the chutney.
- You can use a small piece of tamarind for extra tanginess.
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