Capsicum Masala

When you stay away from home, friends become family. In fact, they become everything - neighbours, guides, mentors, relatives, and critics. You try to search for familiar relations in their faces, and someone looks like your sister, brother, or aunt. We have been in the US for almost a year now. Having never been away from home, it was tough for me to adjust at first. But then I started surviving with the help of so many friends staying nearby.

The apartment complex where we stay is home to many Indians. There are approximately 35-40 Indians staying in our complex. These people work in the same organization, take the same bus to office, and eat their lunch together. I have known most of them having worked in the same organization earlier. We all are pretty close-knit family. We spend some weekends playing UNO, going for bowling, or visiting each other. One such tradition that we have here is inviting people for dinner either to know them better, or cook something special for close friends, or treat farewell when they are going back to India.

Our dear friends P and S had invited us for dinner sometime back. P took loads of efforts and almost spent the entire day cooking. Amongst the plethora of dishes she had cooked, Capsicum Masala was one that we had not eaten before. Now, my husband is not a capsicum fan, whereas I love capsicum in all forms - I even eat it raw:). I am always trying new methods for hubby to like capsicum. Luckily, he liked this vegetable at the dinner party. So I whisked the recipe from P and made it at home.

Capsicum Masala

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1. 2 green peppers (capsicums) - washed and chopped into chunks
2. 2 medium onions - sliced thin
3. 2 tomatoes - washed and chopped roughly
4. 1 tsp oil
5. 1 tbsp crushed peanut powder
6. 1 tbsp cashew pieces
7. 1 tsp garam masala powder
8. 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
9. Salt to taste

Method

1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan over medium flame. Add the sliced onions and fry till the onions turn light brown.
2. Add the tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes turn soft.
3. Add the peanut powder and cashew pieces. Fry for 3-4 minutes.
4. Transfer the above mixture in a blender and blend till it's a smooth paste. Add 1/4 cup water.
5. Heat a pan and add the above paste to it. Stir for 2-3 minutes.
6. Next, add 1 tsp garam masala, salt to taste, and 1/2 tsp red chilli powder. Mix well and cook for 5-6 minutes.
7. Add the chopped capsicum and mix. Cover cooked on low heat till the capsicum cooks. This should take around 15 minutes.
8. Turn off the heat and serve hot with rotis/parathas/puris.

Verdict: We fell in love with this sabzi. In fact, P who's not a great fan of capsicums, appreciated something made from capsicums for the first time:)The gravy turned out superb. We decided that we could use the same gravy with other veggies such as peas, cauliflower, brinjals, and paneer.