It’s winter but never mind, here is a recipe which uses a Summer Vegetable. Zucchini or Courgette is a summer squash which looks similar to Cucumber. It grows abundantly in summer. Unlike Cucumber, the skin of Zucchini is tender and is left unpeeled. Zucchini has a delicate flavor and it cooks very quickly. The key to buying Zucchini is to look for tender, immature ones. The mature ones tend to be fibrous and the seeds will be hard. Here is the recipe for a Kerala Style Thoran with Zucchini.
Zucchini Thoran
Ingredients
- Diced Zucchini – 3 medium
- Sliced Shallots (Kunjulli/Pearl Onions) – 3 or 4
- Grated Coconut – 1/2 Cup
- Finely chopped Garlic – 2 cloves
- Slit Green Chillies – 3 or 4
- Turmeric Powder – a pinch
- Grated Cumin (Jeera) – 1/4 tsp (optional)
- Coconut Oil – 2 tbsp
- Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp
- Curry Leaves – A sprig
- Salt – to taste
Preparation Method
- Wash the zucchini thoroughly and dice it into small bite sized pieces. You don’t have the peel the skin as it is tender.
- Mix together coconut, turmeric powder, shallots, cumin, garlic and green chillies using hands or you can coarsely grind everything together.
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a non stick pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add curry leaves and saute for a minute.
- Add the diced zucchini and coconut mixture along with salt to taste. Saute for 2 minutes.
- Cover the pan and cook on low heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Open the pan and stir fry for another 2 minutes and remove from heat. Do not overcook zucchini. It is a delicate vegetable and will become mushy if overcooked.
