Red Bell Pepper Chutney

Erra Butta Pachi Mirapakaya Pachadi..

Chutney with red bell pepper is quite sumptuous. Red bell pepper is chopped and cooked in the oil along with red chiles and garlic. Then all the ingredients are ground into smooth paste for the chutney. Finally the red bell pepper chutney is tempered with spices. It goes quite well with dosa.
Makes: around a cup of Red Bell Pepper Chutney.

Ingredients:

• Red Bell Pepper 2
• Garlic 3 Cloves
• Tamarind 1 inch Sized Ball
• Whole Red Chiles 2 – 4
• Oil 1 tsp
• Salt to taste

Talimpu:

• Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
• Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
• Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
• Asafoetida a pinch
• Curry Leaves 4
• Oil 1 tsp

Method of preparation:

Wash, remove ends, discard seeds and chop bell pepper into small chunks.
Peel the garlic.
Soak tamarind in few tbsps of water and extract all the juice.

Heat oil in a pan, add red chiles and garlic.
Then stir in red bell pepper, tamarind juice and salt.
Cook covered for few minutes.
Uncover and fry for couple of minutes till bell pepper turns brown around the edges.
Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
Grind the cooled ingredients into fine paste using a blender.

Heat oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When urad dal changes color, add this to above chutney bowl.
Serve red bell pepper chutney with dosa or with rice.
Notes: Make sure not to overcook the bell pepper.

Suggestions: Not adding water while grinding the chutney increases the shelf life of the red bell pepper chutney.
Variations: Red Bell Pepper Chutney with onion and tomato. You can add a tbsp of urad or chana dal along with garlic to thicken it up a bit.
Other Names: Erra Butta Pachi Mirapakaya Pachadi, Simla Mirch Chutney, Red Bell Pepper Chutney.