Red Bell Pepper Chutney

Red Bell pepper chutney/ Red capsicum chutney is a spicy chutney and is a good accompaniment for most of the South Indian tiffin items. It can also be used as a dip for veggie platters / starters and as a sandwich spread for breads. Red bell peppers are simply ripened green peppers and are a rich source of Vitamin C , A and antioxidants. 

Preparation time: approximately 20 minutes

Ingredients:

To roast & grind:

Red bell pepper /Red capsicum	1 medium size
Tomato	1
Urad dhal	1 tablespoon
Red chilli	2
Salt	to taste
Oil	1 to 1 1/2 tablespoon

To temper:

Oil	1 tsp
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Curry leaves	few
Hing	1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Take the red bell pepper, take the seeds out and dispose it. Although deseeding is not a must, I prefer to take off the seeds since it increases the spiciness and also have a tendency to irritate the mucosal lining of the mouth.
2. Cut the red bell pepper and tomato into small cube like pieces.
3. In a pan, add 1 tsp oil, add 1 tablespoon urad dhal, 2 red chillies and roast it till the dhal turns golden brown. Set aside this.
4. In the same pan, add 1 table spoon oil, add the chopped red bell pepper and cook for a minute or so. Now add the chopped tomatoes and cook. Reduce the flame to low and close the pan with a lid. Once the tomatoes become soft and mushy , switch off the flame.
5. Transfer the above ingredients to a mixer jar, add the roasted urad dhal , red chillies and salt. Grind this to a fine paste adding water little by little.
6. In a pan, add 1 tsp oil, add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds crackle, add curry leaves and hing. Pour this onto the chutney.
7. Serve it as an accompaniment for idli, dosa, appal, pesaratu and bread varieties.

Notes:

1. The above recipe is medium spiced. Adjust the spice level by increasing or decreasing the red chillies.
2. After preparing the chutney, if it turns out to be too spicy, add 2 to 3 tsp of sesame oil.