Capsicum Chicken/ Bell Pepper Chicken with Roasted Coconut Gravy

Capsicum/ Bell pepper chicken is a spicy and delicious chicken curry with bell pepper and roasted coconut gravy. This colorful chicken curry is an old comfort food recipe. It has a delicious aroma and a peppery flavor, and it happens to please everyone at home. This is my mom's recipe, and I love recreating some of her recipes- yeah almost all of her recipes! She keeps things interesting, and some curries are a feast to the eye. Don't you think this curry looks impressive and colorful? I highly recommend different colored bell peppers- red, orange, yellow, and green, but you can choose the one you like. The addition of capsicum gives this chicken curry a wonderful flavor and goes well with naans, chapatis, ghee rice, fried rice, or with freshly baked bread. Bell pepper is crisp and tender, and are delightful bites.

The dry roasting of coconut and spices will bring out the essential oil and makes it more aromatic and flavorful. The spicy and tangy gravy gets coated on the chicken pieces, and each bite will make you crave for more. There is a right balance of heat and flavor, and the coconut adds flavor and a touch of sweetness. Adding roasted coconut is optional. I have tried capsicum chicken with and without roasted coconut, and either way it tastes delicious. You can never go wrong with this. This curry is versatile, and you can make countless variations with it. Add protein of your choices like chicken, beef, or shrimp, and for vegetarians try adding mushrooms or cauliflower. Experiment a little and find a flavor combo that makes your taste buds happy! One tip to make this curry tastier is adding 1/4 cup of thick coconut milk toward the end of the cooking process. You can use your favorite canned coconut milk, but I bet it tastes delicious with freshly squeezed coconut milk. Coconut milk is optional but makes the gravy luxurious and rich. So get your ingredients together and try this recipe. Let me know how it turned out for you:)

Capsicum Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

Chicken- 1 1/2 lb

Bell pepper diced( all three colors) - 2 cup

Onions sliced- 3 medium

Ginger garlic paste- 3 tsp

Green chilies- 4-5

Tomato-2

Chilly powder- 1 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder- 3 tsp

Turmeric- 1/2 tsp

Garam masala- 1 1/2 tsp

Coconut grated- 3/4 cup

Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp(optional)

Curry leaves

Coriander leaves

Mint leaves- 1 tsp (optional)

oil

salt to taste

Thick coconut milk- 1/3 cup

Clean and cut chicken into desired sized pieces and marinate with salt, pepper powder, and a few drops of lemon juice and set aside for 30 minutes.
Dry roast coconut till evenly brown. Allow this to cools down and make a fine powder out of it.

Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan and pour one tsp of oil and saute the bell peppers for a minute. Drain and keep aside. (You can also add bell peppers and cook along with onions, but this method helps the bell peppers retain its crispness and at the same time imparts flavor).
In the same oil, saute mint leaves, curry leaves, and ginger- garlic paste. Fry till there is a nice aroma. Add onions and fry till golden brown. Add sliced tomato and cook till it becomes soft. Now add all the powder masalas and fry for a minute without getting burned. Add in chicken pieces and fry for a minute till chicken turns color and the masalas get well coated. Close the lid and lower the flame and cook for 3 to 4 minutes till the chicken starts shedding its water. Pour one cup of hot water and close the lid and cook in medium till the chicken is cooked. Finally, add the bell peppers, roasted coconut powder, a little of garam masala, and simmer for two more minutes. Add 1/3 cup of thick coconut milk, mix well and switch off the flame. Garnish with coriander leaves.