Onion Capsicum sabji reminds me of Kaju Curry because the gravy in this recipe is what I particularly like. Generally speaking, we have a long list of Punjabi recipes with thick gravy. That’s the reason why we like hotel-style Punjabi dishes.
In that case, the gravy in onion capsicum sabji will make it more smackable.
I know what you are thinking. You are like, where did the sauce come from.
It is the tomato & onion crushed to form a thick orange colour sauce. We will saute tomatoes & onion with ginger-garlic till they are soft. Later we will grind them to make a thick sauce out of them.
This orange sauce will go into the masala powder base. What we will get here is a thick gravy loaded with veggies & Indian spices.
Another critical point here is the item list. It seems like a list of monthly groceries, but each one of them is already in your kitchen. So let’s see what they are.
We require to make the orange sauce first & later on the gravy. Thus, the list is divided into three sections. The first one is sauteeing onion & capsicum. Second, comes the sauce ingredients. The third is the gravy items. Here they are:
Both of them are our main ingredients. Don’t use shallots because they are small. Instead, pick medium to large size onions & capsicums. Deseed the capsicums before use. Do not chop the onions & capsicum into small pieces.
We need garlic, ginger, onion & tomato to make our orange sauce. The orange colour is due to tomatoes. There’s not much to say about these four ingredients. Just pick fresh & wash them before using.
We will need four masala powders to make the gravy. They are coriander, turmeric, red chilli & garam masala powder. Along with masala powder, we also need cumin seeds & bay leaf. First, I will saute all these items in cooking oil. Then, add salt as per taste.
The reason why we are using curd is to get a mild sweet & sour flavour. Not only this but curd also adds creaminess to the recipe. Since we are talking about creamy texture, you can add heavy cream. If not, then go with curd.
Chop onions into four pieces & remove all layers. Make sure the onions are big enough. Large onions have hard layers & they don’t quickly become soft when on flame. Do the same with capsicums too.
Now that we have all the required ingredients in place let’s make the onion capsicum sabji.
Although the cooking process is a breeze, it still requires steps before making the sabji. The first step includes sauteeing onion & capsicum. When you are done with sauteeing, remove them from the hot pan.
The second step is to saute & grind ginger, garlic, onion & tomatoes. By doing this, you will get the orange sauce.
The third step is to roast all the masala powders along with the spices first. Then add the orange sauce & simmer the mixture. Finally, add onion & capsicum. Mix well & cook for 10-12 minutes.
Adding curd is the best part of this onion capsicum sabji. It makes the entire recipe creamy. Not only creamy, but it enriches the overall taste profile of the recipe.
Like I said above, you can replace curd with heavy cream or milk cream. But, again, the choice is yours depending on your taste. But don’t skip the curd or its substitute. They are important.
So, that was it with the onion capsicum sabji today.