Capsicum sambar with colourful capsicums added to the south Indian gravy for rice, sambar.
I always love this tri colour capsicum we get in Mustafa in the name of traffic light capsicum. I use it for capsicum vegetable rice, paneer tikka , pizzas or even add in veg makhani at times. I have seen different shaped capsicum in India, which are desi and packed with flavour. These capsicum we get in singapore are more beautiful by its looks. These are from Malaysia. I have never made sambar with capsicum. Infact once added to sambar when my MIL came here, but with some other vegetable, we added along. The capsicum flavour was dominating and we thought it was not a good idea to add capsicum to sambar. But once when Jeyashri gave me sambar, I loved it so much as I could relate it to brinjal sambar’s flavour somehow. As I am brinjal fan, I loved this capsicum sambar too.

I got this capsicum last week and wanted to make sambar with this colourful capsicums. Check out the full video below:

Capsicum sambar recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian | Recipe Category: Lunch
Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook time:25 mins | Serves:3 | Author: Raks anand

Click here for cup measurements

Capsicum sambar with colourful capsicums added to the south Indian gravy for rice, sambar.

Ingredients

Toor dal – 1/3 cup
Tamarind – 2 tsp packed
Onion – 1, cubed
Tomato – 1, cubed
Capsicum, cubed – 3/4 cup
Sambar powder – 1 & 1/2 tsp
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
Salt – As needed
Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp
Curry leaves – few

To temper

Ghee/ oil – 1 tsp
Mustard – 3/4 tsp
Cumin seeds – 3/4 tsp
Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp
Red chilli – 1
Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Method

Pressure cook toor dal with 1 & 1/4 cup water. I keep tamarind also inside dal in a small bowl for easy extraction of juice. Once done, extract tamarind juice with a cup of water. Mash dal well.
In a kadai, heat ghee or oil and temper first with asafoetida, mustard, red chilli, cumin and curry leaves. Add cubed onion and give it a fry.
Add cubed capsicum along with tomato. Stir fry for a minute.
Add tamarind juice, sambar powder, salt, turmeric
Mix well and bring to boil.
Add mashed dal, adjust water consistency and boil until the thick sambar consistency reaches. Switch off the flame. Garnish with few curry leaves and coriander leaves.

Notes

If you don’t have sambar powder, you can roast 1/4 tsp methi, 4 red chillies, 1 tbsp chana dal, 1/2 tsp urad dal, 1 & 1/2 tsp coriander seeds and little asafoetida in few drops of ghee or oil. Powder and use.

Step by step pictures

Pressure cook toor dal with 1 & 1/4 cup water. I keep tamarind also inside dal in a small bowl for easy extraction of juice. Once done, extract tamarind juice with a cup of water. Mash dal well.

In a kadai, heat ghee or oil and temper first with asafoetida, mustard, red chilli, cumin and curry leaves. Add cubed onion and give it a fry.

Add cubed capsicum along with tomato. Stir fry for a minute.

Add tamarind juice, sambar powder, salt, turmeric

Mix well and bring to boil.

Add mashed dal, adjust water consistency and boil until the thick sambar consistency reaches. Switch off the flame. Garnish with few curry leaves and coriander leaves.