If you are looking for quick recipes for lunch or dinner, this aloo simla or sauteed potatoes and capsicum is one of the easiest dishes you can try. This is quick, easy, vegan, and gluten-free also.
If you name any vegetable, potato is the best vegetable that pairs so well with any other vegetable. Let it be aloo simla, aloo baingan, aloo bhindi, aloo gobi, aloo matar, aloo gajar matar, and the list goes so on. Read my vegan potato curry and potato cauliflower curry in Indian style.
In this recipe, we are cooking potatoes with green bell peppers aka capsicum. This is one of the most popular dishes we make often. The best part of cooking simla or capsicum is that it takes very little time compared to other vegetables. If you want the dish to be a little crunchy, add the simla (green bell pepper) after the potatoes are cooked completely.
I like the flavor of simla, especially the little over-fried ones, which are also a little mushy. So I have added the simla along with potatoes. But in case you are making more serving sizes, first cook the potatoes up to 50%โ60% and then add the capsicum. However, the overcooked capsicum also has an excellent flavor. I like it.
This is the main course dish, and it goes well with roti (Indian flatbreads) or as a side dish with dal rice. This is an easy lunch box recipe that can be made quickly.
Ingredients you'll need
Green bell peppers/capsicum/ simla mirchi
Potatoes
Onions, ginger, garlic, and green chilies
Tomatoes - finely chopped
Oil - any vegetable oil or mustard oil
Spices - cumin seeds, hing or asafoetida, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, dry mango powder (amchur), garam masala
Cilantro leaves for garnish
Instructions to make aloo simla
Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and let them crackle. Add diced potatoes and cook until they are 70 - 80% cooked. Then, add the onions and bell peppers to the pan and saute for 2 minutes.
Then add the spices and salt. Give a gentle stir. If required, sprinkle a little water (approximately 2 tbsp) into the pan.
Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 5 minutes or until the bell peppers are tender. If you add tomatoes, add them now and cook for another 2 minutes until tender.
Drizzle some freshly squeezed lemon juice and sprinkle some finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves.
Extra Tips
If you have some boiled potatoes in the refrigerator, then it's just a matter of 3 - 5 minutes to make this fantastic recipe.
Tomatoes are not essential, but I have seen many people add tomatoes to aloo simla fry. However, I don't add tomatoes to the dish.
Aloo Simla Fry (Sauteed Potatoes and Capsicum)
Aloo Simla Fry (Sauteed Potatoes Bell Peppers)
Ingredients
- 3 medium Potatoes peeled & diced
- 1 medium Capsicum roughly diced into bite-sized pieces
- ยพ - 1 tsp Salt (as per taste)
- 3 tbsp oil mustard oil or vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- ยฝ tsp turmeric powder
- ยฝ tsp ground cumin
- ยฝ tsp garam masala optional
- 1 green chilli cut into halves
- 1 medium onion roughly diced
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste or 3 garlic cloves + ยฝ inch ginger - minced
- ยผ tsp hing or asafoetida
- 1 small tomato optional
- 2 - 4 tbsp cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Heat oil in a kadai or pan on medium to high flame.
- Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and let them crackle.
- Add diced potatoes and cook until they are 70 - 80% cooked.
- Push the potatoes to the side of the pan, making a space in the center.
- Then, add the diced onions and minced garlic ginger paste, and saute for a minute.
- Add diced bell peppers to the pan and saute for 2 minutes on high flame.
- Then add the spices and salt. Give a gentle stir.
- If required, sprinkle a little water (approximately 2 tbsp) into the pan.
- Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 5 minutes or until the bell peppers are tender. If you add tomatoes, add them now and cook for another 2 minutes until tender.
- Drizzle some freshly squeezed lemon juice and sprinkle some finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves.
- Aloo simla fry is ready now. Serve hot with roti paratha or any flatbreads.
Notes
- Use boiled potatoes to reduce the cooking time.
- Don't add a lot of water to it.
- Tomatoes are optional. You can skip them or add them as you choose.
- You can add bell peppers and potatoes if you make them in a small batch size.
Nutrition
PIN IT FOR LATER
Here I would request you to read other similar posts like mushroom matar masala, paneer tikka masala, gatte ki sabzi, palak paneer. Also read matar paneer curry, dum aloo, bagara baingan, lauki kofta curry, malai kofta curry, shaam savera curry.
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