Mahanandi

Living in Consciousness ~ Indi(r)a’s Food and Garden Weblog

Red Bell Pepper Chutney

Red Bell Pepper Chutney

Of all different colored bell peppers, I like the red ones. Red bell peppers are matured green bell peppers and when bell pepper ages, not only the color but the flavor also changes. They become sweet, which is a surprise. Usually maturing into red signals the more fierce kind of flavor in vegetables, but here they mellow.

This favorite chutney of mine is prepared by roasting red bell peppers, onion and dried red chillies and by blending them including peanuts, jaggery and tamarind juice. The result is one of the flavorful and easiest Bharath-inspired chutnies you will ever try. Tastes superb with all the breakfast items, like idly, dosa, upma and also with rice, chapati or as a spread and dip for snack items.

Red Bell Peppers, Onion, Garlic, Dried Red Chillies, Roasted Peanuts, Tamarind and Jaggery - Ingredients for Red Bell Pepper Chutney

Recipe:

Cut to big chunks:
2 big red bell peppers
1 medium sized onion
6-8 dried red chillies
2 garlic cloves

Roast:
Heat about 1 to 2 tablespoons of peanut oil in a skillet.
Add and roast the cut vegetables and dried red chillies on high heat. The vegetables should be very well browned and soft. Remove them from heat and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, Soak tamarind, and Roast Peanuts:
– Small Lime sized tamarind in half-cup of warm water for about 10 minutes. Or microwave for 30 seconds – This is to soften the tamarind, so it can grind well.
– Roast half-cup of peanuts until golden and remove skins. Store-bought un-salted, roasted peanuts are fine too.

Blend, in a blender or in a mortar using a pestle:
All the roasted vegetables
Tamarind, along with the water it soaked in.
Half cup of roasted peanuts
½ tablespoon of powdered jaggery
¼ tsp of salt or to taste
Grind them together to coarse puree, without adding any extra water.

Remove to a cup and serve with your favorite breakfast/lunch/supper items.

Red Bell Pepper Chutney and Besan Dosas
Besan Dosa and Red Bell Pepper Chutney

Recipe Source: My own creation

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Bell Pepper,Dried Red Chillies,Peanuts,Peppers (Tuesday June 20, 2006 at 9:21 am- permalink)
Comments (54)

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54 comments for Red Bell Pepper Chutney »

  1. Hello,

    This is the first time I am commenting on your blog… I got to know about your site from my cousin couple of months ago and have been visiting this site everyday since then. I have tried some of your recipes like Dum Aloo, Plantain curry/chips, Capsicum with paneer … all turned out great. I love cooking too and enjoy browsing your site.

    Thanks!
    Lalitha

    Comment by Lalitha — June 20, 2006 @ 10:20 am

  2. I imagined picking a little of your chutney with my index finger and licking it.Yummm… Look at the color. Wow !

    Comment by Krithika — June 20, 2006 @ 10:23 am

  3. Indiraji,

    This is a really nice recipe..as always 🙂
    You know what though, I saw Black/Dark Purple bell peppers the other day here in St.John’s,NL. Have you seen them?

    Cheers,Trupti

    Comment by Trupti — June 20, 2006 @ 10:33 am

  4. Like lalitha..iam also secret admirer of your blog. You blog is like a dictionary for newbies in cooking. I always wonder how to indianise red bell pepper and you got a solution. The pictures urges me to try.

    Comment by sudha — June 20, 2006 @ 11:48 am

  5. this is very creative! never thought red bell pepper could be used to make our indian style chutney. but then that’s where we amatuer chefs differ from indira:)
    i love anything with besan and waited for this chutney recipe after seeing your besan dosas, can’t wait to try it out.

    Comment by Bharti — June 20, 2006 @ 11:57 am

  6. Hi Indira,
    I do make redbell pepper chutney with chana dal,urad dal,dhaniya instead of peanuts by adding tamarind pulp.Really it tastes yummy for idlis and dosa.
    Vineela

    Comment by vineela krishna — June 20, 2006 @ 1:38 pm

  7. Oh no Indira, you are taking a break from blogging! My days are incomplete without visiting your site and looking at the new dishes that you make. Hope it will not be a long break. Do come back soon!

    Comment by Sumitha — June 20, 2006 @ 2:04 pm

  8. Indira,
    That’s a good-looking and great-sounding chutney. Btw, in your previous post, I wrote ‘Chila’ the way I did because I have always seen it like this elsewhere including Tarla Dalal’s cookbooks. I don’t really know otherwise, because I don’t know Gujarati. I just know that I love Gujarati cuisine. (Well, all Indian cuisines for that matter. :))
    I will try out this chutney of yours while you are away. Come back soon!

    Comment by Vaishali — June 20, 2006 @ 4:39 pm

  9. Indira..
    Your pics make me drool.Can’t wait to try it out.have to add red bell peppers in my grocery shopping list.As always amazing photography and nice presentation.

    Comment by Annita — June 21, 2006 @ 1:55 am

  10. Hi,
    I really enjoy your blog. I have LOVED Indian food since studying abroad in East London and eating at the curry houses on Brick Lane. I have tried to cook Indian, and do not often get great results unless the recipe is quite simple like Chana Masala. The picture of dosas with the red bell pepper chutney is absolutely mouth watering. I do have an indian market near me in Fort Lauderdale, but it is still difficult to find all the proper ingredients. Your blog encourages me to keep trying!
    Julie

    Comment by Julie — June 21, 2006 @ 2:37 pm

  11. the colours are amazing, expecially the rich red peppers.

    Comment by jenjen — June 21, 2006 @ 2:55 pm

  12. Hi Indira: Tried the dosa with finely chopped spinach instead of grated carrot..and the red pepper chutney with orange and red pepper..Delicioso!

    Comment by Janani — June 21, 2006 @ 4:52 pm

  13. Hi Indira,
    New one to me, looks delicious and must try one too.

    Comment by Nila — June 21, 2006 @ 7:14 pm

  14. enjoy your break…

    Just made the red pepper chutney but forgot the jaggery :-(. Still tastes great.

    Comment by tilo — June 22, 2006 @ 3:24 am

  15. Hi Indira,
    I just did your red bell pepper chutney, it’s so delightful! And fantastic photos! Gosh, that luscious peppers capture my heart!
    I don’t get that red sheen (or red oil), probably due to my cutting down on red chilli, what do you think?
    I really REALLY want to make besan dosa as well, but have to wait until I get ingredients. Thanks for your photos (esp the close-up… so beautiful!) so I know what to look for in grocery store.
    I’ll try to post my photo of your chutney, but my days are a bit crazy recently… may be a bit later.
    Once again thank you so much your inspiring recipes, that always expand my horizon to different cuisines!

    Comment by gattina — June 22, 2006 @ 9:53 am

  16. Hi Indira,
    I thought the red bell pepper was different from the green one. I see yellow, orange, red and green peppers in the market. Your chutney looks nice, thanks for the recipe.

    Comment by Vandhana — June 22, 2006 @ 6:09 pm

  17. Thank you all for your nice comments and for trying out this recipe. Appreciate your feedback.

    Vaishali: Thanks for the clarification about besan dosa.
    Gattina : It might be the chilli number.:) or lighting difference. We had a very bright Sunlight that day when I took these photos. or difference in roasting method. Thanks for trying out this recipe and for your kind words.
    Your red bell pepper chutney and fried ricotta pasta combination looks great! Thanks for the mention, Gattina.

    Comment by Indira — June 23, 2006 @ 9:26 am

  18. Can I use readymade tamarind pulp instead of the raw tamarind?? Your recipe sounds yummy … I cannot wait to try it.

    Comment by Venus — June 23, 2006 @ 10:29 am

  19. Hi Indira,

    I made this a few days ago and liked it a lot. I did not have garlic, so omitted it and I used tamarind paste. We ate it with Arisi Uppuma and today I smeared it on whole wheat bread and ate it. Thanks for this nice idea!

    One mistake i made was that I used very little water and blended it in the small jar of Indian blender. The peanuts and everything mushed up well and just got stuck at the rim. I could not open the jar ( it has a plastic tupperware as the top). Since it was hot, I just left it as is. The next day, I kept jiggling till it came off. LOL!

    Indira replies:
    I am glad to hear that you tried and liked this recipe, Thodarumm.
    Small jar, for all of this chutney stuff. Oy…:) That too, grinding it when it was still hot. Another Oy. 🙂 I would always wait for the stuff to get atleast to room temperature before grinding, not only to avoid mishaps like that one you mentioned, also for the taste.:)

    Comment by thodarumm — June 25, 2006 @ 11:31 am

  20. Hi,
    I tried out the chutney. I did not have fresh red bell peppers – so used a frozen mix of red, yellow and green bell peppers. Did not have garlic either, so just left it out. In spite of all these subsitutions, the finished recipe turned out yummmm :-)!

    Indira replies:
    Glad you liked it Archana.
    I tried this chutney with yellow but never with green ones. I will like to try your version.:)

    Comment by Archana — June 25, 2006 @ 3:15 pm

  21. Yes, I am one of those impatient ones.. I do try to wait for it to cool, but never for more than 2 or 3 minutes :).

    The peppers I used were small, not really huge. Also, I had a tupperware container as the top of the small jar like the one shown here
    http://www.hotdishes.com/preethichefproplus.htm

    Instead of the regular lid, we just invert one of the tupperware storage containers. I think a little bit more water would have helped because the peanuts really make a gumpy paste.

    I was so glad to use red peppers this way as I keep buying them to make salads and never get around to making salads ( huge inertia to make salad) and end up wasting them.

    Comment by thodarumm — June 25, 2006 @ 11:38 pm

  22. The pic is so tempting, Indira! I love chutney, I think this is one I could eat by the spoonful! Will try it out soon

    Comment by yum — June 26, 2006 @ 1:48 am

  23. Indira, I tried this chutney yesterday. It was lip smacking. Only difference is I made a smooth chutney and added a tadka of mustard seeds. This was to please my fussy husband. It was a hit. He couldn’t tell it was red bellpepper. Peanut and jaggery combination is amazing. I am going to try this with yellow bell pepper. Thank you so much.

    Comment by Krithika — June 28, 2006 @ 10:21 am

  24. I made this and it turned out good. I would suggest that anybody who buys pre-roasted peanuts might use fewer peanuts. The flavor of the pre-roasted peanuts is very strong and overwhelms the other flavors a bit. It still turned out well, though. I’m currently forcing myself not to have another chutney sandwich! 😉

    Comment by Amy — June 29, 2006 @ 10:32 pm

  25. I made this chutney yesterday and it was great! My hubbie loved it :).

    Looking forward to trying out more of your recipes…

    Indira replies:
    I am glad to hear that you two liked it. Thanks for letting me know, Sofia.

    Comment by sofia — July 1, 2006 @ 1:12 pm

  26. Hi

    I am a Sindhi married a South Indan , i am trying to get the hang of making South indian food , i am a regular visitor and love reading your blog. I loved the picture of the red ball pepper chutney and tried it today and its yummmmmeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee ! i simply loved it !!

    Comment by vanita — July 11, 2006 @ 6:07 pm

  27. Indira

    The red bell pepper chutney recipe is awesome! I love the combination of ingredients, love the fact that it has no coconut, its so simple to make and tastes yum! I also liked the Spinach-Basil pasta recipe! Turned out awesome. Next on my list is the tomato-coriander chutney recipe that you have postd. The chutney recipes are welcome since I refrain from using coconut and these are really handy!

    Thanks again and keep em coming

    -R

    Comment by Raji — July 13, 2006 @ 12:40 pm

  28. Indira,

    I’m adding myself to the list of people who tried this recipe and found it fantastic. The conversation at today’s party centered around your blog and we all crowded around the computer to look at your family-friendly content and photos. Thanks!

    Comment by Terri — July 15, 2006 @ 8:38 pm

  29. […] Spicy Idli’s With Indira’s Red Bell Pepper Chutney […]

    Pingback by Sugar And Spice » Kancheepuram Idlis — July 18, 2006 @ 1:54 pm

  30. Hi,,,,Indira,,,

    Today i have visited ur website for first time.in fact i was searching a recipe of curry which can go with parathas,i wants to prepare that in a party for all my friends,they all r fond of eating and like indian cuisine,as so many people r there i was searching for a wonderful dish in limited budget.

    All ur recipes r wonderful and when seeing in the picture oh it’s colour and decorated and surving with rice,parathas,etc.it looks great,,,and i like ur Chutneies the most,,,i fond of trying different chutney,,,

    wow!without testing it the test came in mind and i think when i will try all these recipes? i m thinking of trying all these recipes & will also recommand my friends,they all will be glad seeing this websight, really all these recepes are
    delicious,great,wonderful,,,,,

    Comment by Nidhi — August 17, 2006 @ 9:49 am

  31. Tried this chuteney today and it turned out really good..

    Comment by Anonymous — September 24, 2006 @ 6:18 pm

  32. Hi Indira,

    I have not had much success with recipes found on the web in the past, no more! All the chutneys (peanut, coconut, red bell pepper) turned out great. So did miriyala pongali and sweet pongali.

    I have a pack of flax seed flour sitting on the shelf, wonder if you’d have a recipe for bread or muffins?

    Thanks for putting up such a wonderful site!

    – Anupama

    Comment by Anupama — October 1, 2006 @ 9:53 pm

  33. I made this chutney over the weekend and it came out great. It was very flavorful even though it didn’t have too many ingredients. Great culinary imagination, Indira.

    Comment by Nithya — October 23, 2006 @ 8:30 am

  34. Hi,
    Tried this recipe with great sucess. I used Brazil nuts instead of peanuts as that was the one available at home. Thanks for the super recipe- me and my husband use with literally everything.

    Comment by Anju — November 2, 2006 @ 2:34 pm

  35. Hi Indira..
    tried this chutney and it turned out great… i had them with celery sticks…. it was a healthy lunch i suppose…. it tasted yum with rice… and tonight, am going to make Jay Dave’s Puda and eat it along with your recipe of red bellpepper chutny…
    have posted the pictures in my blog..
    http://sizzlingkitchen.blogspot.com/
    thanks a lot
    Priya Dilip

    Comment by Priya Dilip — December 1, 2006 @ 1:45 pm

  36. Hi Indira,
    This is the third dish I tried from your website in the last few days. I couldn’t wait to finish grinding the chutney in order to taste it and it was AWESOME !
    My 9 year old son polished it off with the dosas and I was very pleased.Thanks for your innovative Indian receipes.

    Viji

    Comment by Viji — December 9, 2006 @ 4:34 pm

  37. Though Iam late to join the bandwagon of your recipe fans , Iam so glad I found your blog.

    I tried this chutney last night as a side dish to Avacaodo parathas. It was so yummy! My hubby said : ” What happened to you Soumya… a sudden spike in your cooking skills ? ” Little does he know that there is a wonderful food blog behind me! 🙂

    Thank you- Indira.

    Soumya

    Indira replies:
    Glad to hear that you liked this recipe and thanks for letting me know, Soumya. I appreciate it.

    Comment by Soumya — January 17, 2007 @ 11:10 am

  38. Hi Indira,
    I just had to tell you… I made this chutney again !( maybe the the 11th time since I got hooked on to your blog in Oct/Nov2006). I cannot thank you enough for your blog & the great recpes you have here . It has become a part of my daily life now!

    Mini

    Comment by Mini — May 8, 2007 @ 3:52 pm

  39. Dear indira,
    i love to cook new recipes for my family and this one was really great. thanks a lot. want more such ones
    bhavani

    Comment by bhavani kumar — June 21, 2007 @ 3:48 am

  40. […] Red Bell Pepper Chutney (Mahanandi) […]

    Pingback by Peanuts » jugalbandi — August 20, 2007 @ 6:32 pm

  41. Loved it… even beter w/o groundnuts as it was more spicy and had the unadulterated taste of the bell peppers.

    Comment by Charanya — September 22, 2007 @ 10:42 am

  42. Made it — loved it — so different from other chutneys that I normally make. Now I’m addicted to this chutney. I made it for the third time last week with 1 red pepper and 1 beetroot and the dark pink chutney was sooo good. I didnt have to add any jaggery as the beetroot was sweet enough. I made it again today — with carrots and red peppers — again no jaggery — delicious… Thank you for introducing me to a new world of chutneys 🙂

    Comment by Gayathri — September 26, 2007 @ 5:10 pm

  43. hi
    can we do the same chutney by using Green bell pepper?

    Comment by manju — October 28, 2007 @ 6:24 pm

  44. Made it — loved it — Now I’m , made it for the first time with 1 red pepper and 1 Ridge guard and the chutney was sooo good. I add jaggery as , I made it again today — with carrots and red peppers — delicious… Thank you for introducing me to a new world of chutneys

    Comment by kiranmai — November 7, 2007 @ 10:54 pm

  45. and minutes after i commented on your turai chutney – i made this red bell pepper one. it was SIMPLY AMAZING! i made it at night supposedly for tomorrow mornings breakfast – but finished it all for dinner! one more keeper recipe – thanks!
    d

    Comment by d — June 2, 2008 @ 9:20 am

  46. Indira…

    I made this chutney yesterday along with besan dosa and needless to say it was simply superb. Both turned out great. I was just licking my fingers at the end and we finished it within no time. Yummmmm!

    I’m planning to make ur spinach & basil pasta tonite. Will let u know the verdict 🙂

    Will post my coconut chutney pictures the next time I make it. I was more eager to eat it than taking pictures 😉

    Comment by Rajani — June 27, 2008 @ 12:29 pm

  47. Hi Indira, I have one question- How long will this chutney keep in the refrigerator?
    Thanks.

    Comment by Mona — September 29, 2009 @ 3:16 pm

  48. I tried this chutney and it was very good. The only differences I made was, I used tamarind concentrate and instead of the water, I used POM juice. It was deeelish!
    Thanks for sharing the recipe.

    Comment by Mona — October 1, 2009 @ 2:24 pm

  49. we tried the recipe without tamarind paste and jaggery. It is awesome. Thanks for sharing this recipe to all of us.

    Comment by Sita — October 18, 2011 @ 12:00 am

  50. Just wondering if I put the red bell chutney can be put in sterilsied jars, how long will it last (thinking of making some 4 Xmas presents).
    Many thanks

    Comment by Jacinta — December 14, 2011 @ 9:05 pm

  51. Very nice receipe. Just tried it today and everyone liked it.

    Thanks

    Comment by NPR — December 18, 2011 @ 8:39 pm

  52. Regarding the bell pepper chutney, it was love at first taste. Red bell pepper is suited for this chutney because it has a sweet taste unlike the green pepper. Have I told you that I am not supposed to tweak the recipe if it is K’s favorite. This one falls in that category and I follow the steps each time I make it. You can use this chutney as a side for dosa, pongal, upma, etc. It stores for few days in the refrigerator.Ingredients – Red Bell Pepper Chutney1 tbsp oil1 red bell pepper2 garlic clovesSmall onion3 red chilliesLime size tamarind1 tbsp jaggery1/2 cup peanutsSaltIngredients – Arisi Rava Upma 1.5 cups raw rice 4 tsp oil 1/2 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp urad dal 1 tsp channa dal 3 red chillies Asafoetida Curry leaves 3 cups water SaltReferences Recipe source : MahanandiMethod – Red Bell Pepper Chutney Ingredients for chutney at a glance.Dry roast the peanuts and remove the skin.Heat oil and add onions, garlic, red bell pepper and red chilies.Saute until done. Turn off the stove and allow to cool.Take in a blender and add tamarind, jaggery, peanuts and salt. Blend well. Chutney ready. There was a right balance of sourness from tamarind and sweetness from jaggery and  bell pepper.Method –

    Pingback by Red Bell Pepper Chutney and Arisi(Rice) Rava Upma | Cooks Joy — April 16, 2012 @ 1:09 am

  53. […] Ingredients – Red Bell Pepper Chutney 1 tbsp oil 1 red bell pepper 2 garlic cloves Small onion 3 red chillies Lime size tamarind 1 tbsp jaggery 1/2 cup peanuts Salt   References Recipe source : Mahanandi […]

    Pingback by Cooks Joy - Red Bell Pepper Chutney — April 12, 2013 @ 12:04 am

  54. Hi i tried this chutney and my husband and myself loved it alot … First we doubted as tried for first time but what a wonderful taste..peanut flavor with pepper so delicious …thanks for sharing the recipe..

    Comment by vasanthi — May 10, 2015 @ 12:00 am

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