Capsicum Usili Recipe (Tamil Nadu Style Capsicum cooked with lentils spice mix)

Nithya Anantham

December 14, 2016

3230 Ratings

Time:Prep: 15 M|Cook: 20 M|Total: 35 M

Makes:4 Servings

Meal:Lunch

Cuisine:Tamil Nadu

Usili is a traditional popular recipe from Tamil Nadu, which means lentils steamed and cooked with a little spice. It is mainly cooked with a variety of beans namely, french beans, broad beans etc. Capsicum Usili Recipe is an instant version of the traditional usili which gets done in no time. Capsicum renders a beautiful flavour and crunchiness to the whole dish. Serve the Capsicum Usili Recipe with Steamed Rice and Tomato Rasam or Thakkali Vengaya Kuzhambu recipe for a weeknight dinner.

If you like this recipe, look here for more recipes from Tamil Nadu cuisine

Ingredients

1 Yellow Moong Dal (Split), soaked for an hour

2 Green Bell Pepper (Capsicum), finely chopped

2 Dry Red Chillies, adjust

1 Fennel seeds (Saunf)

1 Mustard seeds (Rai/ Kadugu)

1/2 White Urad Dal (Split)

1 Curry leaves

1 Asafoetida (hing)

Salt, to taste

Instructions for Capsicum Usili Recipe (Tamil Nadu Style Capsicum cooked with lentils spice mix)

To begin making Capsicum Usili Recipe (Tamil Nadu Style Capsicum cooked with lentils spice mix), wash and soak the split moong dal for an hour.

Drain the water and grind it along with red chillies, fennel seeds and little salt to a coarse mix using a mixer grinder, and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a Pan/Kadai on a medium heat, add the mustard seeds and urad dal and let it splutter.

Add the asafoetida and curry leaf.

Now, add the capsicum, season with salt and stir it well.Let the capsicum cook for 3-4 minutes.

Take this capsicum out in a bowl and keep aside.

In the same pan add 2 tablespoons of oil and the coarsely ground moong dal mix.

Cook until the moong dal mix is cooked well, stirring in between. This will take 6-7 minutes.

Now add the sautéed capsicum to this moong dal mixture and give it a good stir.

Simmer for another 5 minutes until the capsicum and the moong dal mixture is well combined.

Switch off the flame and serve the Capsicum Usili Recipe along with Steamed Rice and Tomato Rasam or Thakkali Vengaya Kuzhambu recipe for a weeknight dinner.