Capsicum Besan Sabji (Bell Pepper and Chickpea Flour Stir-Fry) Recipe

The combination of chickpea flour and bell peppers results in a wonderful textural contrast of soft and mildly crisp.

By
Denise D'silva Sankhé
Denise D'silva Sankhé is a Contributing Writer at Serious Eats.
Denise D'silva Sankhé

Denise is the author of The Beyond Curry Indian Cookbook: A Culinary Journey Through India. She wrote the popular Beyond Curry column for Serious Eats starting in 2012.

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Updated June 05, 2023
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Denise Dsilva Sankhe

Why It Works

  • Toasting the chickpea flour and spices brings out their deep aromas.
  • Coating the bell peppers in the spiced chickpea flour mixture results in a stir-fry that’s both soft and mildly crisp.

I've personally never liked the flavor of capsicum or bell peppers. But tasting this method of preparation had me completely converted. It's a unique combination of chickpea flour and bell peppers, resulting in a wonderful textural contrast of soft and mildly crisp.

Made in many homes in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, there's also a variation wherein roasted and crushed groundnuts are added into the flour mix. I've often seen people packing it in lunch boxes, perhaps because of how easy it is to rustle up in the flurry of the morning scramble. The dish gets even more interesting when different households add their own unique masala combinations to it. Yes, each region or sometimes each family, has its own special batch of spices toasted and ground in the summer. And the recipes to these spice mixes are carefully guarded by the elder women in the family. But even if you use just the regular spices found in Indian cuisine in this stir fry, the dish is bound to make a comeback to your dinner menu in another week or so.

June 2012

This recipe was cross-tested in 2023 and lightly updated to guarantee best results.

Recipe Details

Capsicum Besan Sabji (Bell Pepper and Chickpea Flour Stir-Fry) Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Cook 15 mins
Active 15 mins
Total 20 mins
Serves 2 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons chickpea flour (2/3 ounce; 18g)

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons red chile powder

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander

  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil or ghee

  • 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

  • 3/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion (4 ounces; 113g), from 1 small onion

  • 2 medium green bell peppers (8 ounces; 226g each), seeded and cut into 1-inch squares

  • 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more to taste; for table salt, use half as much by volume

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, combine chickpea flour, red chile, cumin, and coriander. Place chickpea flour mixture in a medium nonstick skillet; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl.

  2. Return pan to medium heat and add oil or ghee until shimmering. Add the mustard seeds and cook, stirring often, until they sputter, about 30 seconds. Add the onion; cook until slightly soft but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the bell peppers and salt and stir until fragrant and the mixture is coated with the ghee or oil, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring occasionally, until bell peppers are crisp tender and release their liquid, about 5 minutes.

  3. Add the spiced flour mix and stir vigorously to blend the flour with the oil and juices in the pan until the bell peppers are evenly coated in seasoning, about 1 minute. Stop stirring and allow the dish to cook for 1 minute longer. Season to taste with salt. Serve hot with rotis and dal tadka.

Special Equipment

Medium nonstick skillet

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
195 Calories
15g Fat
14g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 195
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 20%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 676mg 29%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 4g 13%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 44mg 222%
Calcium 54mg 4%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 298mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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