Capsicum Rice 'n Raitha

I first tasted Capsicum rice when having a group study session with my friends S & K. It's funny how that worked out because we were all from different faculties - Engg, Comp Science & Business Administration - but for quite some time our group studying worked out really well and we had such enjoyable times together. They weren't living in a hostel like me and so would bring in such delicious home cooked lunches that we would share. During one such delicious lunch, I tasted and loved the capsicum rice and went on to recreate it at home later.

I decided to make this yesterday, wanting a quick and easy recipe for the lunchbox... and it was just as satisfying with a Capsicum Cabbage raitha and chips to round it off.


CAPSICUM RICE


Ingredients:
Basmati Rice - 1 cup, dry
Onions - 2 small, sliced thinly into 1 inch pieces
Bell Peppers (Red/Green) - 2 medium, sliced thinly into 1 inch pieces
Tomato - half of a small one, chopped
Ginger - garlic paste - 1 to 2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Sambar powder - 1 to 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - half tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tsp


Method:
1) Cook Basmati Rice with 1.75 cups of water and a few pinches of salt till done. Transfer to a wide plate and allow to cool.

2) Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds, once they sizzle, add the chopped onions and the ginger-garlic paste. Allow to fry till the onions are translucent before adding the bell pepper slices & salt (the salt helps the bell pepper cook a bit faster). When they are tender (yet a bit crunchy), add the tomatoes, chilli powder, sambar powder and cook till they turn a bit mushy and the raw masala smell is gone.

3) Stir in the cooked rice and the tsp of ghee until the masala coats the rice uniformly and keep on a medium flame, stir every now and then for about 5 to 10 minutes before removing from the stove.

I would like to send this capsicum rice onto Srivalli for the Rice Mela that she is hosting.

CAPSICUM CABBAGE RAITHA
This raitha may sound strange but believe me, it's yummy. I love how the crunchy texture of the cabbage and capsicum pair well with the creaminess of the yogurt.


Ingredients:
Capsicum (Bell Pepper) - half cup, minced
Cabbage - half cup, minced
Yogurt - half to 1 cup, thick
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Sambar powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp chopped
Salt - to taste
Cumin seeds - half tsp
Oil - 1 tsp

Method:
1) Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds, once they sizzle, add the chopped capsicum and cabbage with a bit of salt and saute with some sambar powder till slightly crunchy yet done.

2) Allow to cool and transfer to serving bowl. Stir in the yogurt, cumin powder, coriander leaves. Tasty raitha is now ready to serve.

The picture isn't much but it really tastes good and is a lovely alternative to the usual onion-tomato-cucumber one.

Comments

  1. I love rice dishes made with vegetables and one veggie i love is peppers, raita with cabbage that is new to me, never had them.
    Looking to the bowl of rice i am drooling and hungry too

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  2. You post colourful recipes now a days,rice sounds so simple to make and looks great too!
    Raita also very new laavanya:)

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  3. A tempting cup of capsicum Rice and raitha. And that too at lunch time, so irresistible. the raitha is new to me.

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  4. That looks so yum.. loved the raitha too

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  5. I am loving this rice dish Laavanya! Never had before.. and the raita also has an interesting combo of cabbage.. hmm, I should give it a shot then.. DOn't we learn so many recipes from friends' lunch box..? :) I have learnt a lot of recipes like that..:)

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  6. Laavanya, I guess the capsicum rice should have come out colorful and definitely the raita is super - duper healthy...

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  7. Capsicum rice looks colourful, I am drooling over the pic.....Raita looks different and yummy too...

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  8. Capsicum rice looks very colorful and divine...Raitha looks different and healthy...

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  9. very colorful! looks YUM!raita is a good side dish for rice!

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  10. How beautiful and colorful it is. Green peppers and Red peppers themselves have such different tastes,so the combination is well worth the wait. Simple yet so different recipe.

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  11. I love the smell of capsi , just colorful and raita should be great with rice :)

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  12. I love capsicum rice, this one is a different version from mine. I am making this for the weekend :)

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  13. What do you mean, the picture isn't much? Such gorgeous colors and lovely presentation!

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  14. Colorful rice! And raita looks delicious..

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  15. this rice is so different from the usual capsicum rice.. sambar powder makes the difference.that's a nice idea. i have always made capsicum rice with vangi bath powder.i also came across tomato rice using sambar powder in another blog.. defntly i will try your rice next time.

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  16. Love the bowl of colorful rice Lavanya..

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  17. Simple and I must say beautiful click.

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  18. wow... looks really perfect & yummy...........

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  19. wow delicious capsicum rice. Very colorful rice with raita :).

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  20. Caps rice looks very colorfull ... nice recipe

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  21. Colourful rice, raitha looks delicious, raitha is completely new for me...tempting one dear...

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  22. mmm. the rice looks so colorful and yummy Laavanya! I love this kind of rice, I also posted a recipe for capsicum rice long back.

    Raita is so mouth-watering. Nice idea to combine cabbage and capsicum. Must have tasted great!

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  23. The bell pepper rice looks amazing!! I am in love with bell peppers and I love this idea to use them, Laavanya! Pachadi is a creative one. Sounds like a perfect combo! :)

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  24. this is gonna be my dinner for tonite :)

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  25. The myriad colors, vitamins galore - Visual appeal+ nutrition! whats not like in this recipe :)

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  26. lovely colours! visual treat. looks yummy n tempting pics

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  27. I love capsicum.. I make capsicum rice in a different method..Should try yours soon :)

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  28. Capsicum Rice is looking very colorful & yummy,
    Moreover adding sambhar powder to raitha sounds new & different will surely like to try it :-)


    Regards,
    Vibha.

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  29. Oh my God....look at the color! Fabulous dear!

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  30. Oh colourful dishes. Rice looks delicious and great raita as well!!!

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  31. all the three variety of capsicum together looks tempting with rice

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  32. That sounds like a meal I could do with right now. I've been living on leftovers and frozen stuff for the past few days!
    I too add sambar powder in a lot of rice dishes and thoran-type preparations where one wouldn't normally think of using it. Never tried adding it in a raitha though.:D

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  33. I love the flavor peppers add to food. The rice looks great! The raita sounds good, too!

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  34. that looks very colorful N nice .. shall try this

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  35. love the colorful rice, great meal :)

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  36. I particularly like the idea f the capsicum rice.

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  37. Capscium raita looks interesting. I love capscium in anything, so this will work out as a quick lunch/dinner for us!

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  38. This is so colorful! I love capsicum. My mom used to make a rice dish that she stuffed in capsicum. Never had cabbage in the raita, this is such a great way to eat cabbage, i'll be trying this :)
    I spent yesterday with M in Atlanta!

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  39. Lavanya,
    capsicum rice looks v.v.colorful....
    cabbage raita is a new one...Bot are really tempting

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  40. oh..both the dishes are so yum!..thanks for sending!

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  41. Hi Dear,

    Jus came to see this site.All your recipes r wonderful.Inparticulr this capsicum recipe looks great.oing to try it now.

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