Capsicum kairas with coconut

We were busy for last few days, so could not post anything here. One of our readers requested for this recipe.

This is a recipe from my mother’s sister. She was a very good cook. She passed away about 3 decades ago. I had noted down few of her recipes. This is one of them. Everytime I cook these dishes, I remember her.

Capsicum (phugge mirsangi) is cooked in a sweet and spicy coconut paste to make kairas. This can be made only with capsicum or a mixture of potatoes and capsicum. Jaggery is an optional ingredient, so I do not include it when I cook this dish. This is my husband’s one of favorite side dishes.

Click here for another version of kairas.

Ingredients:
1 cup potatoes
2 cups capsicum
1 tea spn chana dal
2-3 green chillies
1 tea spn sesame seeds
1 tea spn mustard seeds
A pinch asafoetida
1/2 cup fresh/frozen coconut
4-5 curry leaves
1/2 tea spn jaggery(optional)
1/4 tea spn tamarind paste
A pinch turmeric (was not there in original recipe)
Oil
Salt

Method:
Heat oil and add mustard seeds. Add curry leaves. Fry capsicum, potatoes, turmeric in the seasoning for few minutes. Add a little water and cook.
Heat oil and add chana dal, green chillies, sesame seeds, 1/2 tea spn mustard seeds, asafoetida. Add coconut and fry for a minute. Grind to a paste (do not add too much water). Add this to the capsicum-potato mixture with salt, jaggery, tamarind. Cook till done.

Serves : 2-3
Preparation time : 30mins