About 5 years back while teaching alphabets to my elder one, I came across "Z for Zucchini". It was the first time I had read about this veggie, so further researched to know what it is exactly. When I read about it here, it dawned on me that all this while what I was buying from supermarket was not cucumbers but zucchini. Both zucchini and cucumbers belong to same family Cucurbitaceae. I also read that unlike cucumbers, zucchini can be served as cooked dish. Though never dared to cook it until I came across a recipe that looked delicious and it had this veggie in it. The below recipe is inspired from Seema Hussain's recipe of Achari Tori. Using zucchini was suggested by another friend. I halved the quantity as this was an experimental attempt. If you like flavors of panchphoran mix then you would surely like the below dish.




Ingredients

250 gms zuchhini
1 tbsp oil [the original recipe mentions mustard oil, since I don't use it , I added mustard seeds]
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp methi dana/ fenugreek seed
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1/2 tsp finely chopped ginger
2 tbsp onion paste
6 tbsp chopped tomatoes 
1/4 tp kalonji seeds
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp tamarind pulp
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 green chilli, slit vertically

Method:

In a pan, heat 1 tbsp oil. Add mustard seeds. Once they crackle, add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cloves. Stir it for few seconds then add methi seeds, fennel seeds, finely chopped garlic and ginger. Saute it for a min and then put in onion paste. Cook this for 3-4 minutes and next put in chopped tomatoes. Sprinkle some water and allow it to cook till tomatoes get mushy and oil starts floating over the masala. Now add kalonji seeds, fennel seeds, tamarind pulp, turmeric and salt to taste. Add zucchini pieces and some water. Stir everything nicely and continue cooking on medium flame till the veggie gets done. Add slit green chilli and simmer for few seconds. Once done switch off the flame and serve it with rotis/ chappatis. We enjoyed this dish with khuboos [Arabic flatbread]



sending this entry to Harini's space and the recipe I liked from her space is potato biryani

Happy Cooking!