A delicious and easy-to-make lunch box rice recipe featuring capsicum and potatoes, perfectly spiced with vaangi baath powder. Watch the detailed video below to see how I prepare this potato-capsicum rice in a pressure cooker and how I serve it.
Packing lunch boxes is a daily task for many of us. Variety rice recipes are a great option because they are quick to prepare and stay moist when packed. You’ll find plenty of lunch box recipes on the blog, so don’t forget to check them out!
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Why you’ll love this recipe
This potato capsicum rice pairs well with raita and can be ready in under 30 minutes. Using a pressure cooker simplifies the process. Yes, some chopping is required, but capsicum and potatoes are among the easiest vegetables to cut. If you love this combination, you might also enjoy my potato capsicum curry with panch phoron spice.
Though it’s an ideal lunch box recipe, it’s perfect for any meal. In fact, it’s a fantastic choice for bachelors looking for a simple, satisfying dish. You can easily swap the potatoes and capsicum for other vegetables. The vaangi baath powder adds incredible flavor, making this recipe incredibly versatile. I often use it in BBB (Bisi Bele Bath) and other South Indian rice recipes like ridge gourd rice and zucchini rice.
Ingredients needed
To Temper: Oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, and curry leaves.
Aromatics: For this potato capsicum rice, I used only onion, but you can also include a couple of crushed or chopped garlic cloves for added flavor.
Vegetables: Potatoes and capsicum are essential for this recipe. While green capsicum adds a vibrant touch, I also used red capsicum for extra color. Feel free to skip it or use any other colored bell peppers of your choice.
Spices: Vaangi baath masala is the only spice blend needed for this dish. I opted for store-bought masala for convenience.
Rice: I prefer using sona masoori rice for this recipe. Though I have tried basmati, my go-to choice remains sona masoori as it yields fluffy rice when cooked in an electric or regular pressure cooker, provided it’s aged rice.
Apart from these ingredients we need salt, water and cilantro. Please check the recipe card for exact measurements.
Dietary Specifications
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-Free (ensure the asafoetida is gluten-free)
- Vegan-Friendly (skip ghee)
- Nut-Free
VVK Tip
To prevent discoloration, soak the chopped potatoes and capsicum in water before cooking.
How to make potato capsicum rice in Instant Pot
- Turn on the Instant Pot and set it to sauté mode. Once the display indicates it is hot, add oil. After about 30 seconds, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, and curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds crackle.
- Next, add the chopped onion and sauté until it turns soft and translucent. Then, mix in the chopped potatoes, capsicum (both colors), vaangi baath powder, and salt. Stir everything well. Pour in 2 cups of water, making sure to scrape the bottom to prevent sticking. Add the rinsed rice and cilantro and mix well.
- Secure the Instant Pot lid, set the vent to the sealing position, and cook in rice mode. Allow the pressure to release naturally. Open the lid and gently fluff the rice using a fork.
- Serve hot with raita or any curry of your choice.
Recipe Notes
- If vaangi baath powder is unavailable, substitute it with a mix of sambar powder and garam masala.
- You can use other grains instead of rice, adjusting the water and cooking time accordingly:
- Brown or hand-pound rice: Use 2.5 cups of water per cup of rice and cook for 20 minutes.
- Millet, quinoa, or basmati rice: Use 1.5 cups of water per cup of rice, cook for 2 minutes, and release pressure after 5 minutes.
- Adjust salt and spice levels to suit your taste.
- Storage: This rice stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat before serving.
Enjoy your potato-capsicum rice with raita, papad, or curry!
Stove-Top Pressure Cooker Method:
For those using a stove-top pressure cooker, follow the same steps for tempering and sautéing the vegetables. Then:
- For sona masoori rice, cook for three whistles.
- For basmati rice, cook for one whistle.
- For millet, cook for two whistles.
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Loved this recipe?
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📖 Recipe
Potato Capsicum Rice
Equipment
- Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
Ingredient Details: 1 cup = 240ml; 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml;
- ½ tbsp oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp asafoetida
- 5 to 6 curry leaves
- 120 grams onion a little over ¾ cup
- 140 grams of potato one big potato, 1 cup
- 120 grams green capsicum one medium-sized
- 38 grams of red capsicum optional 1.5 cups capsicum
- 1 tbsp vaangi bhath powder
- 1 tsp ghee optional
- 1 cup sona masoori rice
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Turn on the Instant Pot and set it to sauté mode. Once the display indicates it is hot, add oil. After about 30 seconds, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, and curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds crackle.
- Next, add the chopped onion and sauté until it turns soft and translucent. Then, mix in the chopped potatoes, capsicum (both colors), vaangi baath powder, and salt. Stir everything well. Pour in 2 cups of water, making sure to scrape the bottom to prevent sticking. Add the rinsed rice and cilantro and mix well.
- Secure the Instant Pot lid, set the vent to the sealing position, and cook in rice mode. Allow the pressure to release naturally. Open the lid and gently fluff the rice using a fork.
- Serve hot with raita or any kurma of your choice.
Video
Notes
- If vaangi baath powder is unavailable, substitute it with a mix of sambar powder and garam masala.
- You can use other grains instead of rice, adjusting the water and cooking time accordingly: Brown or hand-pound rice: Use 2.5 cups of water per cup of rice and cook for 20 minutes.
- Millet, quinoa, or basmati rice: Use 1.5 cups of water per cup of rice, cook for 2 minutes, and release pressure after 5 minutes.
- Adjust salt and spice levels to suit your taste.
- Storage: This rice stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to 2 days—reheat before serving.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.
Originally posted in 2018, this recipe has now been updated with a recipe card, fresh images, and nutritional details.
Awesome recipe and my favorite. Will try my hand today and wish me good luck.♥♥♥
Thanks.
Nice rice but why did you have used here Vangi Bhat POWDER?
I like the flavor of it. So went with that.