This is an amazing curry that is both gentle and strong.

Love Zucchinis! Juicy, fresh and luscious. Amazing vegetables that can be baked, grilled, char-grilled, steamed, fried, sauteed, boiled, mashed, and eaten raw. Full of seeds, but no-one minds. Not when the zucchini are fresh and young. Such soft, gentle seeds.

Zucchini is in season now and for the summer months, here down-under in Australia. Zucchini are prolific bearers, so with many of them in the kitchen I turn to this amazing curry that is both gentle and strong.

Similar dishes include Cauliflower Fry with Ginger, Garlic and Green Chillies, Courgettes a la Grecque, Marinated Zucchini, and Steamed Eggplant and Zucchini.

You may like to browse other zucchini recipes. All of our Indian recipes are here, and our Indian Essentials are here. Or find inspiration in our Late Spring recipes.

We use Australian measurements: 1 tspn = 5ml; 1 Tblspn = 20ml; 1 cup = 250ml.

Zucchini Notes

Don’t use large, old zucchinis for anything other that baking, stuffing or longer cooking. Try to use the smaller, younger veggies whenever possible.

When I first made this dish I didn’t peel the zucchini, but in subsequent times I always peel it. The gentleness of the flavours works best with peeled zucchini.

TIP: Use older zucchinis in your fruit juices. They make the most amazing juice combined with cucumbers, apples, carrots, and summer fruits.

Ingredient Notes

There are a couple of Indian techniques and ingredients that you may not be familiar with. They are explained here.

Zucchini Fry | Indian Stir Fried Zucchini with Spices



Cuisine: Indian

Prep time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 15 mins

Serves: 4 – 6 people, depending how you use it

ingredients

4 medium zucchini

0.5 – 1 Tblspn ghee

2 tspn black mustard seeds

2 dried red chillies

0.5 green chilli

0.75 Tblspn Urad Dal

1 tspn Cumin seeds

Pinch of asaphoetida

2 stalks curry leaves

1 scant tspn tamarind paste dissolved in 0.5 Tblspn hot water

Sea Salt to taste

method

Peel the zucchini and cut the zucchini into cubes.

Heat the ghee in a kadhai, wok or deep frying pan. Add the black mustard seeds and allow to pop.

Add the urad dal and the split dried red chillies. Then add the cumin seeds and asafoetida. After a moment, add 1 stalk of the curry leaves and allow them to splutter.

Now add the zucchini and finely chopped green chilli, and saute with the spices until tender and slightly browned but not overcooked. About half way through the cooking, add the tamarind paste water and stir it through.

Towards the end of cooking add the remaining curry leaves.

When cooked, remove from the heat and add salt if needed to season. Sprinkle with some fresh coriander leaves and serve.

recipe notes

This dish can be served with rice. Especially a plain white rice or a lemon rice. You can add an Indian pickle on the side. Make a chutney or pachadi and add a small green salad. Dinner is served.

Or serve as a side dish with a dal and rice. Add a chutney or pachadi and pickle if you have them.

It is not traditional but you can also use quinoa, barley or other grains as a substitute for rice.

Save

Save