Dry Aloo Capsicum (Aloo Shimla Mirch) is an Indian stir fry made using potatoes and green bell peppers. Serve it for lunch or dinner with dal and roti or pack for lunch boxes with paratha.
Here are some more potato sabji recipes that you may like – Aloo Methi, Aloo Gobi, Dum Aloo, Aloo Matar, Aloo Baingan, Aloo Bhindi, and Aloo Posto.
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About This Recipe
Dry Aloo Capsicum (Aloo Shimla Mirch) is a spicy, tangy, and savory Indian stir fry, where potatoes and green bell peppers (capsicum) are cooked along with onions, ginger garlic paste, tomatoes, and basic everyday spice powders.
It is a vegan sabji that gets ready in under 30 minutes, making it perfect for quick weekday meals. Aloo Shimla Mirch is also a great dish to be packed in lunch boxes with some hot and flaky tawa parathas.
You can skip potatoes and make this sabzi only with capsicum. For a healthy alternative, you can use sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes, but it will add a slight hint of sweetness to the sabzi.
Ingredients
Potatoes – Wash, peel, and cube the potatoes to use in the sabzi. If you are using baby potatoes, just peel them and cut them in half.
Make sure to keep the cubed potatoes soaked in water until adding them to the skillet otherwise they will turn black from oxidation.
Capsicum – This sabzi uses green capsicum (green bell peppers).
Oil – I have used vegetable oil, but you can even prepare this sabzi in mustard oil, olive oil, or even ghee (clarified butter).
Spice Powders – To flavor the sabzi, you will need some basic spice powders such as coriander powder, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, and dry mango powder (amchoor).
Others – You will also need asafetida (hing), cumin seeds, onions, ginger-garlic paste, and tomatoes.
How To Make Aloo Capsicum
Heat 3 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium-size pan over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is hot, add ¼ teaspoon asafetida and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds.
Add 1 cup chopped onions and 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste to the pan and fry for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add 1 cup peeled and cubed potatoes (½-inch cubes) and mix well.
Reduce the heat to low.
Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook until the potatoes are tender (10-12 minutes). Stir a few times while cooking.
Splash a tablespoon of water if the potatoes are getting burned.
Remove the lid and add 1 teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, and ½ teaspoon salt to the pan and mix well.
Add 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes are mushy.
Add 1 cup cubed green bell peppers and mix well.
Cover the pan again and cook on low heat for another 8-10 minutes.
Remove the lid. Add ½ teaspoon dry mango powder and mix well.
Check for salt and add more if needed.
Garnish with fresh coriander (cilantro) and serve hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make it gluten-free, you can avoid adding asafetida (hing) to the recipe.
Serving Suggestions
I personally love to serve aloo capsicum with a simple dal (toor dal or moong dal), phulka, and a refreshing bowl of raita for my everyday meals.
When I am packing it for the lunch box, I pack it along with tawa paratha.
Aloo Shimla Mirch also tastes great with dal rice, sambar rice, or kadhi rice combination. You can also serve it with Indian bread such as bhakri, jowar roti, makki roti, ragi roti.
You can also use the leftover sabzi to make wraps, kathi rolls, sandwiches, or stuff in dosa or parathas.
Storage Suggestions
Aloo Capsicum Sabzi will last in the fridge for about 4 to 5 days when stored in an airtight container.
If you are reheating it in a microwave or pan, heat only the amount you want to serve. Reheating, again and again, can decrease its shelf life.
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Recipe Card
Dry Aloo Capsicum Recipe (Aloo Shimla Mirch)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 cup peeled and cubed potatoes (½-inch cubes)
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ teaspon salt (or to taste)
- 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup diced green bell peppers (½-inch pieces)
- 1 teaspoon dry mango powder (amchoor)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a medium-size pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add asafetida and cumin seeds and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds.
- Add onions and ginger-garlic paste to the pan and fry for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add potatoes and mix well.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook until the potatoes are tender (10-12 minutes). Stir a few times while cooking.
- Splash a tablespoon of water if the potatoes are getting burned.
- Remove the lid and add coriander powder, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, and salt to the pan and mix well.
- Add tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes are mushy.
- Add bell peppers and mix well.
- Cover the pan again and cook on low heat for another 8-10 minutes.
- Remove the lid. Add dry mango powder and mix well.
- Check for salt and add more if needed.
- Garnish with fresh coriander (cilantro) and serve hot.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!