Bell Pepper Chutney/Pacchadi

I had tried this chutney based on a very tempting Capsicum Pacchadi recipe from Sailusfood. Had used red bell pepper instead and made small additions - tomato and fresh coriander leaves, as I absolutely love those flavours! Pretty much followed Sailu's method with slight variations and the pacchadi was delicious!

Ingredients

Red bell peppers - 2 big, roughly chopped

Tomato - 1, roughly chopped

Green chillies - 12, slit lengthwise (reduce for less heat)

Coriander leaves - 1 cup

Red onion - 1 big, thinly sliced

Tamarind pulp - 4 tbsp

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil - 3 tbsp

For seasoning/popu:

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tbsp

Chana dal - 1 tbsp

Dried red chillies - 2

Asafoetida/hing/inguva - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - sprig

Method

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wide skillet. Toss in chopped bell pepper, tomato and green chillies. Sprinkle little salt and saute for 8-10 minutes, on medium-high heat. Turn the heat off, add chopped coriander leaves
2. Let cool and grind to a coarse paste, set aside
3. In the same skillet, heat 2 tbsp oil. Add the seasoning/popu – mustard seeds first, when they crackle, add cumin seeds, urad dal, chana dal, red chillies, curry leaves, asafoetida.
4. Fry lightly before adding the sliced onions. Sauté until translucent and then add the ground bell pepper paste. Add turmeric, tamarind pulp and adjust salt
5. Fry for 15-20 minutes on medium heat, until any excess water is evaporated and you reach the desired consistency
6. Serve with warm rice

Bell Pepper-Tomato

When I first tried to make Red Bell Pepper chutney, I tried a recipe from Indira's Mahanandi, with slight variations. Check Indira's recipe here. This time, I followed my usual method with ingredients.

Recipe
1 big red bell pepper (cut into chunks)
4 medium roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tbsp each of urad dal & chana dal
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
4 dried red chillies
6 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
10 curry leaves
10 green chillies (reduce for less heat)
tamarind pulp, to taste
turmeric & salt to taste
1 cup coriander leaves
2 tbsp oil

• Heat oil in a saucepan. Add mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, coriander & cumin seeds. Lightly roast and add dried red chillies, garlic, curry leaves
• Add bell pepper, saute for a couple of minutes and add tomato pieces
• Add salt, turmeric & green chillies. Cover & cook until tomatoes soften
• Add tamarind pulp, let the liquid evaporate
• Let cool, add coriander leaves & grind to a slightly coarse paste
  

Enjoy with Idli/Dosa or Rice