I keep on mentioning in my posts that Indian homecooked food is quite different from the greasy, over spicy Indian dishes that are sold in a lot of restaurants all over the world. Homecooked Indian food is very simple, moderately spiced yet flavorful. Like today’s recipe-aloo shimla mirch ki sabzi. It’s a dish in which potatoes (aloo) and shimla mirch (capsicum) are cooked with onion, tomatoes, and a few Indian spices. The combination of soft creamy potatoes and crunchy capsicum with warm Indian spices is something you will definitely love. This dish gets ready in less than 30 minutes (if you have boiled potatoes) and tastes delicious. It’s also vegan and gluten-free so, even if you follow these diets, you can enjoy this dish.
Ingredient notes and substitute suggestions
Boiled potatoes: I prefer using boiled potatoes to make aloo shimla mirch. If you use raw potatoes then half-cook them before adding bell peppers. I feel that you get better flavor and texture of bell peppers if you make them with boiled potatoes. Bell peppers: Generally green bell peppers are used in aloo shimla mirch recipe but you can use other colors too. Tomato: This dish can also be made without tomatoes. Some of my readers are allergic to tomatoes. They can directly add boiled potato cubes after sauteeing the bell peppers. Onion: Red onion is the best choice for most Indian recipes. But if you don’t have that, you can use brown or white onion too. Cumin seeds: Instead of cumin seeds, black mustard seeds can also be used in this dish. You can use both too. Red chili powder: Use Kashmiri red chili powder. It’s not very hot but gives a bright red color to the dish. Cooking oil: I prefer using mustard oil in most of my North Indian recipes. You can also use olive or canola oil.
How to make (step by step instructions)?
Step 1: Heat oil in a large pan or skillet with a flat base. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Step 2: Add chopped onion and cook until it turns translucent. Step 3: Add chopped garlic and green chilies. Saute for a few seconds or until the raw smell of garlic goes away. Step 4: Add chopped bell peppers. Step 5: Cook for 8-10 minutes on a medium flame. Keep stirring in between. The bell pepper should get cooked but remain crunchy. Step 6: Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, and coriander powder. Step 7: Saute for a few seconds. Step 8: Add chopped tomatoes and salt. Step 9: Mix everything and cook until the tomatoes turn mushy. Step 10: Add boiled potato cubes and mix. Step 11: Cook covered for 2-3 minutes. Step 12: Remove the lid and cook uncovered for another 1-2 minutes. Your quick and easy aloo shimla mirch ki sabzi is ready to be served.
How to serve?
Serve this dish hot with any Indian flatbread like roti, paratha, or puri. You can also combine it with rice and a dal like chana dal, moong masoor dal, or sabut masoor dal to make a complete Indian meal. Leftovers can be used to make grilled sandwiches or wraps.
Storing and reheating tips
To store, transfer the leftover aloo shimla mirch ki sabzi to an airtight container and refrigerate. It will be fine for 3-4 days. To reheat, microwave for a few minutes, stirring once in between. You can also reheat it on the stovetop, for that transfer the dish to a pan, add 1-2 tablespoons of water, and put on the lid of the pan. Reheat covered until evenly heated. Keep checking and stirring in between after every 3-4 minutes.
Recipe tips and tricks
Don’t overcook bell peppers, they should stay slightly crunchy. Stir the boiled potatoes gently otherwise, they will break. Powdered spices get burned quickly so don’t leave them unattended. You can also mix them with 1 tablespoon of water and then add to the pot. Generally, green bell peppers are used to make aloo shimla mirch but you can use other colors too. Use a large pan or skillet with a flat base. If you use a very small or shallow pan the bell peppers will get steamed instead of getting stir-fried. You can also use baby potatoes to make aloo shimla mirch. Don’t add water to cook bell peppers otherwise, the whole dish will get spoiled.
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Recipe
