Zucchini sabzi

Indian spiced zucchini dry curry with cumin, mustard seeds and fresh coriander

Origin: Northern India

From the journey of Zucchini.

Zucchini arrived in Indian urban markets through British colonial influence and, later, through the growing availability of imported Western vegetables in Delhi and Mumbai. Indian cooks adopted it readily as a substitute for the native lauki (bottle gourd) and tinda (round gourd); gourds that occupy a similar culinary niche in the subcontinent's vast repertoire of dry sabzi preparations. The zucchini's mild flesh absorbs tempering spices readily: the mustard and cumin tadka, the turmeric that turns the flesh golden, the green chilli heat, and the final brightening with fresh coriander. It is now a quiet fixture of the urban North Indian weekday kitchen.

Ingredients

Main

  • 600 g zucchini (about 3 medium), cut into 1cm half-moons
  • 3 tbsp neutral oil or ghee
  • 1 green chilli, slit lengthways
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp amchur (dried mango powder) or lemon juice
  • 4 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Tadka

  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp brown mustard seeds
  • 1 dried red chilli

Spices

  • 0.5 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 0.5 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

Method

  1. Heat oil in a wide pan or kadai over medium-high heat. When shimmering, add the mustard seeds and wait for them to pop; about 30 seconds. Add cumin seeds and the dried red chilli and let them sizzle for 20 seconds.
  2. Add the sliced garlic and green chilli. Fry, stirring, for 1 minute until the garlic is just golden.
  3. Add turmeric, ground coriander, and Kashmiri chilli powder. Stir for 30 seconds to bloom the spices in the oil.
  4. Add the zucchini and salt. Toss well to coat in the spiced oil. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 12–15 minutes until the zucchini is tender and lightly golden at the edges; not mushy.
  5. Sprinkle with amchur or a squeeze of lemon juice, toss once more, then finish with fresh coriander. Serve immediately with roti or steamed rice and dal.
The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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Ingredient originTrade or transit route
Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control
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