Bell-Pepper-Coconut Stew

This Bell-Pepper-Coconut Stew is a sweet-sour gravy that’s a delicious accompaniment for rice or roti. Made with coconut milk and green bell-peppers (capsicum), this is a South Indian vegetarian/vegan recipe.

Servings: 4
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 medium bell-peppers (capsicum), cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 tsp tamarind paste
• 1 small piece of jaggery
• 1 4-oz can of coconut milk, or 1 coconut, grated
• Salt to taste

For Seasoning

• 4 tsp vegetable oil or coconut oil for cooking
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds (rai)
• 4 cloves
• Turmeric powder, a pinch
• 4-5 curry leaves

For Masala

• 1 tsp toor dal (split red gram)
• 1 tsp chana dal (split bengal gram/yellow lentil)
• 1 tsp urad dal (split black gram)
• 1 tsp coriander seeds (dhania)
• 4-5 fenugreek seeds (methi)
• 6-7 red chillies (adjust to taste)
• 6 tsp poppy seeds

Preparation

1. If you don’t have canned coconut milk, take the freshly grated coconut and grind it into a paste with just enough water. Strain to extract the milk. Repeat a couple of times, until you have about 1 cup of coconut milk and keep it aside.
2. For the masala, heat 1 tsp oil in a small pan and fry all the masala ingredients, (except poppy seeds) until golden brown, and let cool. Roast the poppy seeds separately until they give off a nice aroma and start popping and let cool. In a blender, grind all ingredients together with some water into a smooth paste, and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Add the mustard seeds and cloves. As the seeds start to pop, add the curry leaves and turmeric and fry for a second.
4. Add the bell-pepper and some salt and saute for 3-4 minutes on medium heat until almost tender.
5. Add the tamarind along with 2 cups of water and jaggery and let it come to a boil. Add the coconut milk and masala paste, and salt, and let the bell-pepper stew come to a boil.
6. Add the remaining coconut milk and simmer for 1-2 minutes until the stew thickens slightly.
7. Serve the bell pepper-coconut stew with plain toor dal and rice and ghee (clarified butter), or with roti.

Category: Dals and Soups - Members, Dals and Soups - No-Onion No-Garlic - Members, Vegan Dals and Soups - Members