What to cook with capsicum

Capsicum wants high heat and a short cook. Two minutes on a screaming pan gives you charred edges and a crunchy middle; ten minutes gives you something limp and sweet that nobody asked for.

It is the backbone of Indo-Chinese cooking and of every jalfrezi and kadai. In all of them it goes in near the end, comes out early, and gets tossed back through at the last moment.

Worth knowing: Cut it into squares for stir fries and strips for rolls. The shape decides how it eats.