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.
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