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Shimla mirch besan
Capsicum with gram flour
Shimla mirch besan (शिमला मिर्च बेसन): diced capsicum tossed with roasted, spiced gram flour
In Marwari homes in Jodhpur and Bikaner, and across Vidarbha in Maharashtra, gram flour stretches a few vegetables into a satisfying dry sabzi, and capsicum with besan is the weekday favourite, eaten with phulka and a bowl of kadhi or dal. Diced green peppers are cooked until just soft, then dusted with roasted, spiced besan, which turns into crumbly golden bits that cling to the peppers. A portion is about 165 kcal. The common mistake is adding the besan raw to the wet peppers, which gives a pasty, raw-tasting coating; roast it dry in a separate pan first until it smells nutty. Chef's tip: keep the capsicum slightly crunchy; it carries on softening once the besan goes in.
- Total time
- 23 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ oz besan (gram flour)
- 1 ½ tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 pinch asafoetidagluten-free
- 3 green pepperscut into 2 cm dice
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 ½ tsp ground coriander
- ¾ tsp salt
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Dry-roast 1 ¾ oz besan (gram flour) in a frying pan over a low heat, stirring all the time, for 4–5 minutes, until it smells nutty and turns a shade darker. Tip it onto a plate.
5 minStep 2: Heat 1 ½ tbsp sunflower oil in a kadai over a medium heat. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds; when it sizzles, add 1 pinch asafoetida and then 3 green peppers.
1 minStep 3: Stir-fry for 4–5 minutes, until the peppers are bright and just softening at the edges but still have some bite.
5 minStep 4: Add ½ tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 1 ½ tsp ground coriander and ¾ tsp salt and stir for 30 seconds. Sprinkle over the roasted besan and toss on a low heat for 3 minutes, until it clings to the peppers in golden crumbs and no raw flour remains. Sprinkle in a teaspoon of water if it looks very dry.
3 minStep 5: Finish with ¾ tsp amchur (dried mango powder), toss and serve with roti and dal.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 165 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does shimla mirch besan take?
- About 23 minutes in total: 8 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
- What can I use instead of asafoetida?
- A pinch each of garlic powder and onion powder (asafoetida stands in for onion and garlic).
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