Capsicum Tomato Saute

Most Indian curries involve a little extra cooking of the vegetables – we like to keep the crunch for salads; curries are soft to the bite. With capsicum tomato sauté I make a departure from that general rule – here the tomato slices retain their shape, the capsicum remains a bright green (or yellow/red, depending on your choice of pepper).

This is a frequent weekday dinner dish for me, and not just for its ease of chopping and cooking – nothing perks one up at the end of a stress-filled workday as a vibrantly colored curry. :-)

Capsicum tomato sauté pairs well with flatbread spiced Indian style, both  visually as well as gustatorily [ha, I have been looking for a chance to use this word :-)]. That you also get the dish to the dining table in a really short time is an added bonus.

You Need:

• Capsicum (bell peppers) – 2 (use a mix of red, green or yellow. I’ve used green)
• Tomatoes – 2 (pick firm ones)
• Onions – 2
• Ginger – 1/2 inch stick
• Garlic – 2 cloves
• Green chilly – 1
• Salt – to taste
• Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder – a pinch
• Nigella seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Olive oil – 2 teaspoons
• Coriander leaves – for garnishing

How To:

Peel onions, ginger and garlic and grind along with green chilly into paste.

Core, top and slice capsicum into strips of about 3/4cm. Slice tomatoes into similar-sized pieces.

Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan. When hot, add nigella seeds and let them sizzle. After 20 seconds, add onion-ginger-garlic-chilly paste. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, move the paste around whenever it begins to stick to the pan.

At this stage the onion-ginger-garlic-chilly paste would have turned light golden. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt and mix well. Allow to cook another 2 minutes, stirring regularly. Sprinkle a few drops of water if it begins to turn too dry.

Toss in capsicum and tomato slices into the pan. Sauté on high flame, stirring continuously, for 4-5 minutes or till done as you like it.

Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with parathas.