Vegan Bell Pepper or Capsicum rice is an instant Indian rice recipe that's made with few ingredients and is packed with lots of flavors. Make this one-pot meal in 15 minutes!
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Flavored rice recipes
Masala rice is a combination of rice with different veggies and spices. There is no limit to creating your own variation here. That's why you can find a variety of flavored rice recipes!
I love making rice dishes with different flavors. In fact, in South Indian cuisine, we have quite a number of recipes made with precooked or leftover rice.
I have shared some of them on the blog - Coconut Rice, Tomato Rice, Lemon Rice, Ellu Podi Sadam, and Tamarind Rice. All these recipes are instant because they call for cooked rice.
This recipe also has South Indian flavors. It's made with a special spice mix called sambar powder. Bell peppers with rice make a good combo.
My mother-in-law's recipe
Trust a homemaker or a home chef to come up with simple knacks to put together a quick meal with little effort.
The idea for this Indian capsicum rice came from my mother-in-law. KR's folks were visiting us and it was good to have them here. Together we created many recipes.
She made this for us and after devouring it, I realized that this rice recipe had to be shared with all! It was too good to not share!
In fact, when I did a fun poll on my Instagram story asking whether you want me to share this recipe, it was a 100% yes!
Why make this
- An instant flavored rice recipe
- Is vegan and gluten-free
- An innovative way of using bell peppers
- Great way to use leftover rice
- Needs basic ingredients
- It's kid-friendly
- Can be made in just 15 minutes
- It can be made ahead of time
- Very customizable recipe
Ingredients needed 🧾
Rice - I have used cooked Basmati rice for this recipe. You can use any rice variety that is not sticky. The grains should be separate. Also, ensure the cooked rice is not hot.
Veggies - onions, green peas, and bell peppers are what you will need. You can either use the green color capsicum or colored ones to make this rice.
Spice mix - Sambar powder is the special South Indian spice mix that I have used here. You can either make this at home or get it from the Indian store or Amazon.
Spices and herbs - cumin seeds, curry leaves, turmeric, ginger, garlic, and cilantro are the basic ingredients needed to make this Indian-flavored rice dish.
Rice when cooked in ghee gives it an aromatic flavor. I have used vegan ghee in this Capsicum rice recipe. You can also use any cooking oil or vegan butter instead.
How to make it 🔪
- Heat vegan ghee in a pan. Fry cumin seeds for 5 seconds, then fry curry leaves, ginger paste, and sliced garlic for 45 seconds.
- Next, add sliced onions. Saute till the onions turn translucent.
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- Then add sliced bell peppers and green peas. Continue to saute for 4-5 minutes or until the bell peppers are cooked.
- Now add the spice powders turmeric powder, and curry powder along with salt. Mix and cook the masala for one more minute.
- Then add the cooked rice. Mix it all together so that the masala coats well with the rice. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro. Mix and take it off the flame. You can also add some lemon juice on top for that extra zing.
Serving suggestions 🍽
Capsicum masala rice pairs well with any kind of raita, papad, and pickle. You can also enjoy it as is. It tastes great. Some also like to eat it with coconut chutney or rasam.
Dishes like this Bell Pepper Fried Rice can be served at any party, packed in lunch boxes, or can be enjoyed on a weekend/weeknight. It is that versatile.
Top recipe tips 💭
For a slight crunch, add some peanuts, sesame seeds, or cashews along with curry leaves. Add a mix of colorful bell peppers to make the rice look more appetizing.
Since the bell peppers are slightly sweet, don't shy away from adding the spices. It will help balance the flavors. If you want, skip adding onion and garlic.
Don't overcook the capsicum. It should have a slight crunch. Feel free to add boiled and chopped potato cubes to this rice. You can also add any leftover veggies.
You can also make this rice using carrots, potatoes, eggplants, ivy gourd, cauliflower, sweet potato, greens, paneer, lentils,soya chunks, chickpeas, etc. Get creative.
Recipe FAQs 📖
Basmati rice, Sona Masoori rice, or Surti Kolam rice can be used here. Sticky starchy rice like Jasmine rice won't work here.
You need the grains to be separate and not mushy for this recipe. Precooked rice from a day before works best. Leftover rice from your takeout order can also be used.
If cooking from scratch, soak it for 30 minutes first and then make it well ahead of time and let it cool down completely.
You can also cook the rice along with all the masala on the cooktop or an Instant Pot like you would for any other rice dish.
Alternate to white rice, you can also use brown Basmati rice or even sevai. To make it low-carb, use quinoa or cauliflower rice instead of regular rice.
You can very easily make it at home. Dry roast a ½ cup of tur dal and ½ cup of chana together till it changes its color and releases a nice aroma.
Transfer to a plate. Dry roast 5-6 dried red chillies and coriander seeds together for 2-3 minutes on medium flame. Transfer to a plate and let it all cool down completely.
Then transfer all these ingredients to a blender jar, add asafoetida and grind it a little coarse. There is no need to add salt or water to it.
Store this curry powder in an airtight container and use it in any recipe that calls for it.
If you don't have curry powder or don't wish to make it, you can use sambhar powder, rasam powder, garam masala, or store-bought Madras curry powder.
Indian Bell Pepper rice can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days. It can also be frozen for 2-3 months. Thaw and reheat as and when needed.
Yes, you can make this flavored rice recipe in the Instant Pot. You can follow my Jeera Rice recipe for the recipe steps. Use rinsed rice.
More rice recipes
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Recipe 📖
Capsicum Rice (Bell Pepper Fried Rice)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked Basmati rice
- 1 tablespoon vegan ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1 onion
- 6-7 curry leaves
- 1 Bell Pepper
- ⅓ cup green peas
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 3 tablespoon sambar powder
- salt
- 2 tablespoon cilantro
Instructions
- Heat vegan ghee in a pan. Fry cumin seeds for 5 seconds, then fry curry leaves, ginger paste and sliced garlic for 45 seconds.
- Next add sliced onions. Saute till the onions turn translucent.
- Then add sliced bell peppers and green peas. Continue to saute for 4-5 minutes or until the bell peppers are cooked.
- Now add the spice powders turmeric powder, and sambar powder along with salt. Mix and cook the masala for one more minute.
- Then add the cooked rice. Mix it all together so that the masala coats well with the rice. Then do not stir. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes. This helps makes the rice crispy at the bottom and give this Capsicum Rice a nice aromatic flavor.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro. Mix and take it off the flame. Serve warm along with some raita/yogurt dip.
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A S RAMAKRISHNAN says
Can't resist the aroma of capsicum,very inviting!
Priya says
Yes, indeed.
Jango says
Sounds good on paper, got me going ... Ciao, see you later, on a full stomach!
Priya says
Hope you like it. Thank you.