This easy capsicum rice recipe is a flavorful and wholesome meal packed with a vibrant mix of red and yellow capsicum, carrots, and peas. Bursting with aromatic spices and herbs, this capsicum masala rice is perfect for a quick lunch, weeknight dinner, or lunchbox meal. Made with simple ingredients and a couple of tricks, it delivers the taste of restaurant-style capsicum fried rice. Whether you need a healthy leftover rice recipe or a spiced-up alternative to boring plain rice, this bell pepper rice is a must-try!
Why you’ll love this capsicum masala rice
- Easy & quick: Perfect for busy weeknights, ready in minimal time.
- Nutritious & colorful: Loaded with capsicum, carrots, and peas for fiber, antioxidants and phytonutrients (source).
- Flavorful & aromatic: Enhanced with spices and herbs for a delightful taste.
- Healthy & light: Made with minimal oil, no ultra-processed ingredients, and low in saturated fat.
- Pantry-friendly: Made with simple, everyday ingredients.
- Versatile: Easily customizable with your favorite vegetables and protein. (See “notes” in recipe card for options.)
- Diet-friendly: Naturally vegetarian, gluten-free, and easily adaptable to a vegan diet.
- Perfect for meal prep: Stays fresh and flavorful, great for lunchboxes or leftovers.
Recipe tricks for enhanced flavor
- Soaked rice: Soaking the rice before cooking removes some of the starch from the rice. This helps prevent clumping of rice when cooked. A good pulao or biriyani is one in which you can see individual grains of rice, cooked perfectly.
- Spiced Rice: Boiling rice with herbs and spices infuses it with aromatic flavors from the inside out.
- Yogurt-Herb Veggies: Cooking the veggies with yogurt and herbs creates a creamy, flavorful sauce that coats each piece, adding depth and richness.
Let’s dive into the recipe!
Ingredients and substitutions
(You can find the exact measurements and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this page.)
- Rice: Basmathi rice cooks quicker and is also aromatic. That’s the reason it’s being used in biriyani recipes. However, you can use any rice, white or brown if that’s what you have. You can also use leftover rice.
- Vegetables: I’ve used multicolored capsicum, carrot and green peas. Feel free to use more vegetables.
- Aromatics: Onions, ginger and garlic. You can either use ginger-garlic paste or grated ginger and garlic.
- Fresh herbs: Mint leaves and coriander leaves are must-have for this recipe.
- Yogurt: This is another essential ingredient. For a vegan recipe, you can replace with thick coconut milk.
- Whole spices: Though we use ground spices, whole spices add a whole new dimension to the rice. If not available, you can substitute with ¼ teaspoon of garam masala.
- Ground spices: Chili powder (or cayenne), coriander, turmeric, cumin and garam masala.
How to make capsicum rice: Step by step
1. Cook rice
Soak basmathi rice for 15 to 20 minutes.
Take water in a stock pot or any deep pot. Add the whole spices (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves) and ground spices (garam masala, cumin and salt).
Bring the water to a boil. Rinse and drain the soaked rice. Add it to the boiling water and bring it to a boil again on high heat.
Once the water boils, add half of the herbs. Reduce the flame, cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes.
Allow the rice to rest. After 5 minutes, open and gently fluff with a fork. Keep aside.
2. Sauté vegetables
Heat oil in a pan or wok. Sauté bay leaves and finely chopped onions.
Add ginger-garlic paste and stir until the raw smell mellows down.
Stir in chopped green chilies and tomatoes. Add chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric and salt.
Sauté until the tomatoes get soft and mushy.
Add frozen green peas, finely chopped capsicum and grated carrots. Stir on medium-low flame for a couple of minutes.
Add yogurt and the rest of the herbs. Stir everything together and cook covered until the vegetables are soft.
Turn off the flame.
3. Toss with rice
Add the cooked rice and toss until combined. Garnish with more herbs and serve!
What to pair with this capsicum fried rice
Serve this capsicum rice with a simple raitha and a protein for a complete meal.
Vegetarian protein
Eggs
Chicken
- Easy jeera chicken
- Tandoori chicken tikka
- Chicken mince kebabs
- Curry leaf chicken
- Authentic tandoori chicken legs
- Green chicken kababs
- Baked pudina chicken legs
Seafood
- Tandoori salmon
- Golden fried prawns
- Tandoori pomfret
- Prawn masala fry
- Tandoori prawns
- Easy fish cutlets
More rice recipes
- South Indian lemon rice (with brown rice)
- Beginner-friendly vegetable biriyani pulao
- Creamy curd rice with pomegranate.
Click here for more rice recipes.
Easy Capsicum Rice Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
To cook rice
- ¾ cup Basmathi rice
- 1¼ cups water
- 2 pods cardamom
- 1 inch long cinnamon
- 2 cloves
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup chopped mint leaves
- ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves
To cook vegetables
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 onion
- 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- 2 green chilies
- 1 tomato
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ cup frozen peas
- ¼ cup grated carrots
- 1 cup capsicum (finely diced)
- 1½ tablespoons yogurt
STEP BY STEP IMAGES
Scroll back to find detailed recipe photos!
Instructions
Cook rice
- Soak ¾ cup Basmathi rice in water for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Take 1¼ cups water in a stock pot or any deep pot. Add the whole spices: 2 pods cardamom, 1 inch long cinnamon and 2 cloves.
- Add ground spices: ½ teaspoon garam masala, ½ teaspoon cumin and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Bring the water to a boil. Rinse and drain the soaked rice.
- Add it to the boiling water and bring it to a boil again on high heat.
- Once the water boils, add half of the herbs. Reduce the flame, cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Turn off the flame and allow the rice to rest.
- After 5 minutes, open and gently fluff with a fork. Keep aside.
Sauté vegetables
- Finely chop 1 onion, 1 tomato and 2 green chilies.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan or wok. Sauté 2 bay leaves and chopped onion.
- Add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste and stir until the raw smell mellows down.
- Stir in chopped green chilies and tomatoes. Add ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder and ¼ teaspoon turmeric.
- Sauté until the tomatoes get soft and mushy.
- Add ¼ cup frozen peas, 1 cup capsicum (finely diced) and ¼ cup grated carrots. Stir on medium-low flame for a couple of minutes.
- Add 1½ tablespoons yogurt and the rest of the herbs, reserving some for garnish.
- Stir everything together and cook covered until the vegetables are soft. Turn off the flame.
Toss with rice
- Add the cooked rice and toss the vegetable mixture until combined.
- Garnish with more herbs and serve with a simple raita and protein. For pairing options, see the post above.
Notes
- Ginger-garlic paste: You can also use grated ginger and garlic.
- Loaded capsicum rice: You can add more veggies to make it more flavorful and nutritious.
- Add protein: Shred or mince a chicken breast, season with some salt and pepper. Stir-fry the chicken in the wok first, remove and keep aside. Proceed with the recipe and add the chicken when you add the rice.
- Add eggs: Scramble a couple of eggs with salt and pepper in a separate pan. Add them after you add the rice.
- Vegan option: Replace yogurt with the same amount of thick coconut milk.
- Leftovers: Capsicum rice stays fresh in the fridge for 5 to 6 days. Store in an airtight container.
- Reheating: Sprinkle a teaspoon of hot water on the rice before reheating in the microwave.
- Meal planning: This rice can also be frozen for 3 weeks. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat as per the above instruction.
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