Recipe: CAPSICUM-MACARONI IN GRAVY

Disclaimer: This is not my original creation. I tasted this dish somewhere and worked my own recipe out of it. Tried and tasted :)

To be had as a side dish with rotis or naan.

Ingredients:
Capsicum – ½ Kg (cut into 1 cm squares)
Macaroni – ½ Packet (about 100 gm)
Oil – 2-3 tsp
Cumin seeds (जीरा / ஜீரகம்) – ½ tsp
Salt / Chilli powder / Turmeric powder (हल्दी / மஞ்சபொடி) / Sugar – all to taste
Coriander leaves for garnishing.

Ingredients for gravy:
Onions – 2 (Big)
Tomatoes – 2 (Big)
Green chillies – 2
Ginger – one small piece
Garlic – 4 cloves
Aniseed (सौंफ / சோம்பு) – ½ tsp
Cloves (लवंग / கிராம்பு) – 3
Cinnamon Bar (दालचीनी / லவங்க பட்டை) – one small piece
Cardamom (एलैची / ஏலக்காய்) – 1
Coriander seeds (सुक्का धनिया / கொத்தமல்லி விதை) – ½ tsp
Cumin seeds (जीरा / ஜீரகம்) – ½ tsp

Method:
Step 1: Boil water and add a spoon of oil to it. Add the macaroni and cook it well before draining the water thoroughly.
Step 2: Add water to the gravy ingredients and grind to a smooth paste.
Step 3: Take a saucepan (कडाई / வாணலி) – non-stick preferred – and add two spoons of oil to it. After heating, add cumin seeds and when it crackles add the capsicum. Keep the flame low and cook the capsicum without covering the saucepan. (NOTE: Covering the saucepan will make the capsicum soggy). Add salt, turmeric and chilli powder. Stir from time to time.
Step 4: When the capsicum is half cooked, add the boiled macaroni. It is quite possible that the macaroni pieces are stuck with each other. Just separate them gently so that they do not break into smaller pieces. Mix well.
Step 5: Add the ground gravy mixture and boil the whole thing on a low flame for 5-7 minutes. Add a spoon or two of sugar for flavour.
Step 6: Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Step 7 (Optional – do this only if you want to add to your weight): Garnish with grated cheese before serving hot.