Red Bell Pepper Raita

We meaning our household has never owned an Apple product till about 3 years ago. How uncool is that? DH & me still don't own any Apple products. We are probably the most uncool people in this side of the Atlantic. DD arm twisted her uncle into buying herself an iPod touch and a couple of years ago we got ourselves an iMac which you guessed it DD hogs most of the time.

The closest I came to buying anything related to Apple was their stock in 2006. I was weighing it against their main rival and went with the latter. A decision I have regretted ever since. The other mistake I made is not to learn to program for the Mac OS. They do not believe in introducing a new programming language every six month and have stuck to one for a very long time. The company that makes the operating system that I chose to cast my lot with believes in making new languages every other day so nobody can really get a handle on it really. If I had put my lot in Apple, in my advanced years I need not learn a new language every other day to be gainfully employed. I am only half kidding here.

Passing away of Steve Jobs makes those of us in the technology business reflect on the simple elegance of his designs and the great success he achieved. He did not eradicate world hunger or put an end to war or promote peace or heck even help the less fortunate among us but he did make communication less about people and more about the gadgets. Those were amazing gadgets for sure, amazing in their simplicity and redefining the tech landscape for years to come. We bow our heads in condolence to the man and the company he found and then resurrect years later. There never will be a tech titan quiet like him.

How fond of you are of Apple gadgets? How many do you own?

Now to the recipe,
Ever since I tried this red bell pepper chutney I buy red bell peppers mostly to make this chutney. I occasionally make sambhar but with green bell peppers mostly. The only problem with bell peppers is that they don't sit well with my digestive system if they are not completely cooked. This raita was an idea from my friend. It is very similar to this zucchini-bell pepper raita.

Red Bell Pepper Raita
Ingredients
1. 2 Red Bell Peppers seeded and diced into 1/2-1 inch dices (the smaller the better)
2. 5 green chilies sliced into small rounds
3. 2 Cups of yogurt whisked
4. seasonings: curry leaves, cumin seeds and mustard seeds
5. salt to taste
6. 1 tsp of oil

Method
1. In a pan heat oil and add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves
2. When the mustard seeds start to pop add the green chilies and saute them for 3-4 minutes
3. Add the bell peppers and saute them till they are completely cooked. (If you like it crunchy leave it lightly sauteed)
4. Add salt put the lid on and let it cook (this step is unnecessary for lightly sauteed peppers)
5. Let cool and add to the whisked yogurt

Serve as a side for spicy curries, stuffed breads or pulavs and briyanis

We had them with aloo paratha.