Bell Pepper Dry

Bell Pepper Dry- a crunchy, flavorful, sweet-spicy side dish that can be served with roti or rice. This dish has very less spice which brings out the taste of the bell peppers. A very easy, perfect for bachelors and beginners dish, which can be cooked with very few ingredients. This dish is best for lunch box as it is a dry side dish.

I simply love bell peppers. Although they belong to the chili pepper family, bell peppers are mild and can jazz up a salad in an instant, lend a perky crunch to your pizza, and taste fantastic when roasted. But the appeal of bell peppers goes way beyond their stunning good looks.

Bell peppers are low in calories! So, even if you eat one full cup of them, you get just about 45 calories. Bonus: that one cup will give you more than your daily quota of Vitamin A and C! They contain plenty of vitamin C, which powers up your immune system and keeps skin youthful.  The highest amount of Vitamin C in a bell pepper is concentrated in the red variety. Red bell peppers contain several phytochemicals and carotenoids, particularly beta-carotene, which lavishes you with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.

Bell peppers reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol, controls diabetes, bring relief from pain and eases inflammation. If cooked for a short period on low heat, bell peppers retain most of their sweet, almost fruity flavor and flavonoid content, which is a powerful nutrient.

The sulfur content in bell peppers makes them play a protective role in certain types of cancers. The bell pepper is a good source of Vitamin E, which is known to play a key role in keeping skin and hair looking youthful. Bell peppers also contain vitamin B6, which is essential for the health of the nervous system and helps renew cells. Certain enzymes in bell peppers, such as lutein, protect the eyes from cataracts and macular degeneration later in life.

So, pop some bell peppers into your shopping basket, and start reaping their rich health benefits!

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves: 3-4 people

Recipe Courtesy – Vijaya Pai (my mother-in-law)

Ingredients	Quantity
Bell Peppers	3-4 large
Onions	3 medium
Oil	1½ tbsp.
Chickpea(chana) Flour	2 tbsps.
Red Chili Powder	1 tsp or to taste
Sambhar Powder	¼ tsp
Sugar	¼ tsp (optional)
Lemon Juice	few drops (optional)
Salt	to taste

Method

Wash the bell peppers and wipe them dry. Chop them into ½ inch cubes. It should make one large bowl.

Sprinkle about ½ tsp salt on the bell peppers and mix well. Keep aside for 5 minutes. Later add the chickpea (chana) flour, ½tbsp oil and mix well. Keep aside for 5-8 minutes. Cook in microwave for about 1½ minutes on high power. This step is optional.

Meanwhile, finely chop 1 onion. Chop remaining 2 onions into 1 cm square pieces. Heat 1tbsp. oil in a pan, when the oil is really hot; add the onions and sauté for a minute. Add ¼tsp salt and keep frying till the onions become translucent. Now add the bell peppers and mix well. Increase the flame to high and keep stirring for about a minute. Then lower flame to sim and keep cooking for 10 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes. Now add the red chili powder, sugar and sambhar powder. Mix and cook for 2-3 minutes. At this point check for salt and adjust if needed. Turn off heat and lemon juice just before serving.

Serve hot with Roti or Rice.

Points to remember:

• It is best to use a flat nonstick pan to for this dish as it helps you cook this dish with less oil and it cooks faster.
• I have used one each of red, yellow and green bell peppers. You can use any combination of bell peppers or use any one type of bell pepper.
• Using sugar is totally optional if using red/yellow bell pepper as they have a sweet and fruity flavor.
• Cooking the bell peppers in the microwave will save you time.