Aloo Simla Mirch or Aloo Capsicum or Bell Peppers & Potato Stir Fry made in Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker. This is a very simple and quick recipe, yet so delicious. Ready in less than 20 minutes!
When I have nothing ready in the refrigerator and need a quick meal on the table, this is one of my go to veggie dish. Get the vegetables in while have a quick meal....who doesn't like that? Another quick ones are Aloo Beans and Aloo Matar, which is prepared in a very similar way.
I use vibrant color bell peppers, which are nutrient packed, and baby potatoes to prepare this simple stir fry. I used to prepare this in a pan on the stove top until I had the instant pot. Now I just load all the ingredients into the pot and get the bread/roti ready until the instant pot does its magic.
Which color bell pepper to use?
The vibrant colors of the bell peppers have always attracted me. I invariably keep a bag of Costco bell peppers in the refrigerator and add them where ever possible...to my morning omlette or a uttapam. Well....why not? They are so nutritious and delicious.
All varieties of bell peppers are excellent sources of vitamins A and C, potassium, iron, folic acid, and fiber. You've seen bell peppers -- green, orange, yellow, and red -- in the grocery store or in a salad bar. Red peppers pack the most nutrition, because they've been on the vine longest. Compared to green bell peppers, the red ones have almost 11 times more beta-carotene and 1.5 times more vitamin C. I vary the color of bell peppers I use, but do try to use the brighter red color peppers more often.
Potatoes with or without skin
I have personally started using baby potatoes which are more appetizing to me with the skin on. Both the potato skin and flesh have a significant amount of nutrients. The skin does pack in some nutrients which are not in the potato flesh. The potato skin is a rich source of iron, potassium and magnesium, and has 5 grams of fiber. So why throw away those nutrients? Keeping the skin also makes my preparation quicker with not having to peel the potatoes.
How to make Bell Pepper and Potato Stir Fry
This is a dry bell pepper and potato stir fry. I don't add any liquid, except a sprinkle of water to this. The preparation for this dish is minimal as we are not adding any onions or tomatoes like other curry dishes. I add in some garlic to enhance the flavor. Here are the main ingredients for this dish along with some basic spices.
To prepare this stir fry, add the oil to the instant pot heated in Sauté mode. Then add the cumin seeds and garlic, and saute until they change color. Then add the cut potatoes, bell peppers and spices, and stir them well.
Change the instant pot setting to manual or pressure cook mode. Cook on high pressure with vent in sealing position for 2 minutes. Quick release the steam and open the pressure cooker as soon as it beeps. Stir the cooked veggies.
This is such a simple variation to baked potatoes or any other side. You can eat it as a main dish with roti or paratha, along with a yogurt raita. Or eat it as a side with your favorite protein. Better yet, roll it in a roti or tortilla for a veggie wrap...kids love wraps 🙂
This preparation is for 2 people. You can easily double or triple the ingredients, and cook in the instant pot for the same duration.
Check out our other simple stir fry recipe - Aloo beans, Aloo Gobi and Cabbage Peas.
Bell Pepper & Potato Stir Fry - Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 2 Bell pepper cut in long pieces
- 4 Baby Potatoes or 1 large potato. Cut into small pieces.
- ½ tsp Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- 4 cloves Garlic
- ½ tsp Dry Mango powder (Amchur) or ½ tbsp lemon juice
- Cilantro to garnish
Spices
- ¼ tsp Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
- ½ tsp Cayenne or Red chili powder
- 2 tsp Coriander powder (Dhaniya powder)
- 1 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Heat instant pot in sauté mode and add oil in it. Add cumin and garlic.
- Once the garlic turns golden brown, add the cut bell peppers, potatoes and spices. Mix well. Sprinkle water with your hand.
- Change the instant pot setting to manual mode or pressure cook mode, at high pressure for 2 minutes. Keep the vent in sealed position.
- When the instant pot beeps, quick release the pressure manually. The veggies would be cooked. If they are watery, change the instant pot setting to saute mode and stir until you get the desired consistency.
- Stir in the dry mango powder or lemon juice and mix well.
- Garnish with cilantro and enjoy with roti or naan, along with some homemade yogurt.
Notes
- I added both bell peppers and potatoes to this recipe. To make it paleo, you can skip the potatoes or add sweet potatoes.
- I did not add any water while cooking this dry bell pepper & beans, as I don’t like a runny consistency. You can just sprinkle some water with your hand or add about ⅛ cup water, before setting the instant pot in manual/pressure cook mode. If some spices get stuck to the bottom of the pot, mix them in with the veggies. It will only enhance the taste 🙂
- You can certainly make this in a sauce pan. Just allow few extra minutes for cooking. Cover with a lid, which will help to expedite the cooking.
- If you want to increase the quantity, double or triple the ingredients. The cooking time will remain the same.
Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
Hi Meeta
Even though I did not add any water, the recipe was very watery and mushy? It tasted good but wondering how to get the dry curry like in your recipe.
Hi Sri - Just put it on saute mode for couple of minutes after pressure cooking. That will help to dry off the liquid. Hope that helps!
Loved this recipe! So easy and tasty. We had it with your roti recipe and it was delicious!
Hi Meeta
It said it cook for 15 mins. But
It mentioned on the method it cook for 2 mins? It will be ready in 2 mins?
Hi Sheila - The instant pot takes time to come to pressure and release pressure. So even though the pressure cooking time is 2 minutes, I have included the extra time to come to pressure in the total time for the recipe. Hope you enjoy it!
Hi Meeta,
I added 1/8 cup of water in this recipe but it turned out to be very mushy and gravy kind. What can be done to avoid turning it mushy?
Thanks
Sumana
Hey Sumana - Sorry to hear it turned mushy. Do you get a burn message in your instant pot for any recipes? If not, you can try without adding any water. If that does not work, would suggest to cook without pressure cooking in a pan or instant pot.
Hi Meeta, is it ok to turn on the pressure mode without water?
Hey Aswin - The veggies release some liquid which is how this dry recipe works. You can also just add 1/4 cup water and it will still be perfect!
Changing mode from sauté to pressure cook for 2 minutes sometimes takes more than 2 mins for settings to kick in, Veggies stick to the bottom. Am I doing something wrong. New to IP.
Hey Poo - Welcome to the instant pot club! It does take about 30 seconds or so to change the mode. Make sure you are using Saute (Normal) mode for such recipes (Press saute, then adjust or saute multiple times for new models) which will maintain heat at a bit lower level. I also always make sure to keep the ingredients ready so that there is less time lag in adding them. You can also turn off the instant pot in case needed while adding ingredients. Hope that helps!
The recipe worked just perfect. Quick and easy! Thank you:-)
Hey Kruti - Glad to hear you enjoyed the Aloo Bell Peppers subzi. Thank you for sharing back your review!