Shimla Mirch Besan Sabzi – Bell Pepper Chickpea Flour Stir-Fry is a simple and quick-to-prepare, spicy dry Sabzi (vegetable dish) made with green bell pepper and Besan (chickpea flour). This traditional, quick, tasty, and mildly spiced Sabzi from Rajasthan requires only a few ingredients to prepare, tastes delicious, and goes well with both Chapati and rice.

Besan (chickpea flour) is widely used in Rajasthan, as it was traditionally very difficult to grow vegetables in desert areas. Besan was therefore used together with basic vegetables like onions to create a balanced, healthy meal.

This recipe for Shimla Mirch Besan is very easy to prepare and is ready within 20 to 25 minutes. Perfect for days when you don't have much time to cook.

Ingredients for Shimla Mirch Besan

Besan: The flour most commonly known as chickpea flour in Germany is roasted until fragrant and added to the vegetables. The aroma of this roasted Besan is the highlight of this recipe.

Bell Pepper: This is the main ingredient of this dry curry. Bell pepper is rich in antioxidants and can absorb flavors and spices well.

Spice Powder: The most common spice powder in all Indian recipes, consisting of turmeric, coriander, and red chili, is added to this dish.

Apart from that, we also use onions, green chili, and garlic for more texture and flavor.

FAQs

Can I add any other flour?

Besan itself is gluten-free. It not only absorbs the moisture from the bell pepper but also acts as a binder to hold your Sabzi together in small clumps, making it easy to eat with Chapatis.

Roasted Besan is more aromatic and gives the Sabzi more flavor. So it's better to stick with chickpea flour rather than using another flour.

You can also try adding lentil flour and skip the roasting part, as lentil flour is already roasted.

What other vegetables can I use?

Broccoli, colorful bell peppers, or zucchini fit best in this Sabzi.

Serving Suggestions

It fits well in a lunchbox. Since the Sabzi has a sweeter taste due to bell pepper and besan, it is liked by children.

You can serve this Shimla Mirch Besan with Chapati or Lachha Paratha. It can also be served as a side dish with Dal Tadka or Sadi Dal and steamed Basmati Rice.

Ingredients for 2 people

• ¼ cup Besan (chickpea flour)
• 300g green bell pepper, diced
• 50g onion
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves
• 1 green chili
• 2 tbsp peanut oil (you can also use sunflower oil)
• ½ tsp Rai (black mustard seeds)
• ½ tsp Jeera (cumin seeds)
• 1 sprig curry leaves or 8 to 10 curry leaves
• 1 pinch Hing (asafoetida)
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp red Kashmiri chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
• ½ to 1 tsp lemon juice
   

Instructions

Preparation
 

First wash the bell pepper, halve, remove the seeds, and then cut into 1.5cm cubes or squares. Chop onion, medium-sized garlic cloves, green chilies, and curry leaves and set aside.

Heat a shallow frying pan or Kadai (wok) with a thick bottom. Keep the heat low and add Besan.

Roast your Besan, stirring frequently, until it becomes aromatic and changes its color.

The Besan must be well roasted and should not be raw, as we will not cook it much further.

Roasting the Besan takes about 5 to 6 minutes on low heat.

When the Besan is well roasted, transfer it to a separate plate and set it aside.

Shimla Mirch Besan preparation

Add peanut oil (or sunflower oil) to the same pan. When the oil gets hot, add Rai (black mustard seeds). Reduce the heat. When the mustard seeds crackle, add Jeera (cumin seeds). Sauté everything until the cumin seeds also crackle and change their color.

Next, add chopped onions, chopped garlic, chopped green chilies, and curry leaves. Stir well and sauté until the onions become translucent, stirring often.

Then add turmeric powder, red chili powder, and hing (asafoetida). Mix both spice powders very well on low heat, making sure they do not burn.

Now add the diced peppers. Stir and mix everything very well with the remaining ingredients. Now add salt. Mix again and then pour in water and stir.

Cover the pan with a lid and cook the peppers over low heat.

Check the peppers a few times during cooking and stir. The peppers need to be tender and cooked through. There will also be some water when the peppers are cooked. If the water dries up, you can add more water.

Then add your roasted besan in portions. First, sprinkle 1 tbsp of besan over your paprika sabzi. Mix very well.

In this way, gradually add the remaining roasted Besan and mix. Mix everything very well. If the Sabzi looks very dry, you can sprinkle a little water over it and continue sautéing for 1 to 2 minutes.

Finally, turn off the heat and add chopped coriander leaves and drizzle with lemon juice.

Serve Shimla Mirch Besan with some Chapati or Laccha Paratha or as a side to Dal Tadka or Sadi Dal and steamed Basmati Rice.

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