An easy recipe for Sri Lankan Malu Miris/ capsicum curry made with coconut milk, vinegar sugar, and spices. A delicious curry that can be made in a hurry. Definitely try this out if you love Malu Miris/Capsicum.
Malu Miris
Malu Miris is the Sinhala term for Capsicum annum or hot Banana peppers which are also known as Hungarian wax peppers. I use Hungarian wax pepper variety that is moderately hot. But if you want to make the mild curry, then go for mild banana peppers/ yellow wax peppers. Always use the smaller banana peppers for this curry. Since we're going to slit the pepper into four, it's hard to keep the shape with larger banana peppers. And they tend to break. The peppers I used here are about 4 inches long.
I don't remove the seeds since I don't mind the spiciness. But if you don't handle the heat, then definitely remove the seeds. And don't forget to use gloves when you remove them.
Other ingredients
I also add Maldive fish flakes (Umbalakada) to the dish for some extra flavor. But if you want to make this vegan, skip Maldive fish flakes and it would be totally fine.
I'm using Sri Lankan curry powder. But you can use any mild curry powder you like. If you want to know how to make Sri Lankan curry powder, go to my Chicken curry recipe. I included the curry powder recipe there.
Vinegar and sugar are very important in the recipe. Don't skip both of them. You need sugar to balance vinegar taste and wise versa.
I also use a bit of mustard powder. If you don't have this ingredient, take the same amount of mustard seeds and grind it using mortar and pestle. Do not add a lot of mustard seeds, it can add some bitterness to the dish.
Serving suggestions:
This Malu Miris curry is perfect for a Sri Lankan style dinner or lunch party to serve with Sri Lankan yellow rice, and Red chicken curry or pork curry. The amount given in the recipe is enough for 4 people. But you can easily double or triple the recipe as you like. But make sure you use a wide pot for cooking. All the capsicum pieces have to touch the bottom of the pot.
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Prep Time: 10 minsCook Time: 20 minsTotal Time: 30 mins
Servings4
Description
An easy recipe for Sri Lankan Malu Miris/ capsicum curry made with coconut milk, vinegar sugar, and spices. A delicious curry that can be made in a hurry. Definitely try this out if you love Malu Miris/Capsicum.
Ingredients
9 -10 Small banana peppers/malu miris
1/8tsp turmeric powder
1tsp curry powder
1 1/2tsp Maldive fish flakes(Umbalakada)
1/8tsp mustard powder
1/2tsp sugar
1tsp vinegar
salt to taste
2tsp oil
3tbsp chopped onion or sliced shallots
1/2cup thick coconut milk
bit of black pepper to sprinkle
Instructions
Trim the stems. Slit all the banana peppers/ capsicum into four using a small knife. Remove seeds if you don't like heat.
Mix turmeric, curry powder, sugar, salt, mustard powder, vinegar, oil, and Maldive fish flakes with Banana peppers. All the banana peppers should coat with spices. Use your hands to mix. If the peppers are hot, then don't forget to use gloves.
Add chopped onion or shallots and mix well again. Arrange the banana peppers into one layer. All the peppers should touch the bottom of the pan.
Turn on the heat, and sear the peppers until they get some brown spots. Do not stir. Using a fork or tongs, turn all the banana peppers and let them sear again for a few minutes. Do not use very high heat as it can burn the spices.
If you see water oozing out of the banana peppers, then turn the heat high and let it cook uncovered until all the water is gone. Then sear again to get the brown spots on medium-low heat.
If you feel like it's too dry and burning, add a bit more oil.
Then add half a cup of thick coconut milk and gently mix with banana peppers.
Let the curry cook a bit in medium-low heat. Taste the gravy. Adjust salt if needed. If it tastes vinegary or sour, add more sugar to balance the flavors.
Let it cook on low heat until you get the desired amount of gravy. Gently stir and turn the capsicums for even cooking. If the coconut milk seems boiling, then pick up the pot, swirl it for a couple of times, reduce the heat and put it back on the stove. If you need more gravy, you can add more coconut milk too.
When the dish is done, sprinkle some black pepper on the top.