Red Pepper Kinpira

Kinpira refers to a style of cooking that means to saute and simmer. The method lends itself to most any sort of  any crunchy or starchy vegetable. It is a very popular okazu or side dish served along with rice.

2 red bell peppers
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)

Mix the sugar, soy sauce and red pepper flakes in a small bowl and set aside.
Remove the top and bottom of the pepper, then cut down the side to open the pepper and remove the seeds. If your pepper is particularly long, cut it in sections so each section is about 1 inch long.
Cut each section into matchstick strips, about 1/4 an inch wide or smaller.
Once your pepper has been cut, place a skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and wait until the pan is hot. Add the red pepper to the pan and stir to coat in the oil. Saute for about 5 minutes until the pepper has just softened, stirring occasionally. Once the pepper has softened, add the soy sauce mixture and stir constantly until the moisture has dissolved. Once the moisture has dissolved, serve immediately or let cool and serve at room temperature.