Zucchini pickle

Zucchini pickle

Yes you read it right.... Zucchini pickle. A very dear friend is on special diet and has many restrictions. It pushed me more to add a something etc on her plate in the restrictions of foods. Made it oil free and it's good for the body. It tasted good. I refrigerated it just to be in safe side. 

2 zucchinis cut into sticks

2 tsp roasted methi ground coarse

2 tsp roasted mustard ground coarse 

1/2 tsp haldi

1/4 tsp hing

1 tsp red chilli powder

Salt to taste

Juice of 2-3 limes

Method

Cut zucchini into sticks and dry overnight or for few hrs in the sun.

In a bowl mix all the ingredients together. Toss very well.

Put into a clean and dry jar and keep in fridge.

Just toss each day twice a day to mix spices.

You can add olive oil too if u like. 

The pickle would be ready in 3-4 days. 

Enjoy! 

Zucchini chutney

South Indian cuisine is such a fascinating cuisine and my family craves it constantly. My friend Uma is very good with her stuff and specially the chutneys. Learnt a basic from her and decided to experiment with zucchini. It was most amazing. I have tried this with carrots too.

INGREDIENTS

2 sliced zucchinis

1 sliced onions

4/5 cloves garlic

1" piece of ginger

4 red chillies

Curry leaves a few

2 tbsp oil

1/5 tsp hing

1 tsp urad dal

Walnut size ball of tamarind

1 large tomato or 2 tbsp tomato paste 

1 tsp mustard seeds

Salt as per taste 

 

METHOD

Heat 1 tbsp oil, add hing, garlic, red chillies, ginger, onion ,tamarind and zucchini.Add tomato in case uou are not using paste.Cook till golden .

Cool and grind to paste.

Heat oil and add mustard seeds, urad dal and fry till golden.

Add curry leaves and add the paste.

Add salt and tomato paste and cook for 5 mins.

Serve out with idlis , dosa or rice balls .

Zucchini and tofu lasagne - A quick recipe

        Lasagne is a wonderful dish where you get all the tastes and nutrition in one dish. This time I tried making a non fuss one pot lasagne dish which just needs baking and no cooking otherwise. It tasted really wonderful and the cherry tomatoes added that special zing when you bite into the juicy almost cooked tomatoes.
Serves : 4-6
Ingredients
lasagne sheets                         14 nos
Zucchini sliced                       500 gms
Sliced onions                         3 nos
Cherry tomatoes halved         500 gms
Grated tofu                            200 gms
Red bell peppers chopped     1 no
Chopped garlic                      2 tbsp
chopped basil                        5-6 leaves
Pasta sauce                            500 gms
White sauce                           500 gms
Olive oil                                2-3 tbsp
Grated cheese                        200 gms
Italian seasoning                    2 tsp
Pepper                                   1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method
Soak the pasta sheets in hot water for 5-10 mins.
In a baking dish, pour some olive oil in the base.
Layer up the zucchini, onions,bell peppers,cherry tomatoes and garlic.
Drizzle some olive oil on this.
Sprinkle salt, some Italian herbs and pepper.
Pour half the tomato sauce ,spread it and sprinkle half the tofu.
Put one layer of pasta sheets.
Layer up half the white sauce and some cheese.
Repeat the layers one more time.Add the basil too.
bake in a pre-heated oven at 200 deg for 45 mins or till the top is a nice golden brown.
Serve hot.

Zucchini and chana dal sabzi

       I looked into my fridge and found one zucchini staring back at me.Was wondering what to cook with it for the three of us which is nice.My tongue was dying for some different taste of zucchini.One thing led to the other and soon I made this preparation which was relished by us with hot rotis.It has the goodness of green vegetable and the proteins from lentils.I also make it with gravy and serve it with rice.
Ingredients
Zucchini chopped into1cm cubes                                 1 no
Horse gram(chana dal) soaked                                    3/4 cup
Chopped onions large                                                 1 no
chopped tomatoes                                                      3 nos
chopped garlic                                                           1 tbsp
chilli powder                                                              1/2 tsp
coriander powder                                                       2 tsp
tumeric powder                                                          1/2 tsp
bay leaf                                                                      1 no
oil                                                                              1 tbsp
cumin seeds                                                               1 tsp
garam masala/hot spice                                              1/2 tsp
hing                                                                           1/4 tsp
Amchur powder/lime juice                                         1 tsp
salt to taste                                                                                                
Method
Heat oil in a pan.Add cumin and hing and let them crackle.
Drop in garlic and let them get golden.Put in onions and let them get brown.
Add the tomatoes and salt and cook till a bit soft.
Put in the lentils without the water.Turn them and add about 1/2 cup water and cover to cook.
When half cooked, add the spices and saute.Now add the chopped Zucchini.Mix well and cover to cook.
Turn them now and then and make sure it does not get burnt.
Make sure the lentils and vegetable does not get mushy and the vegetables has no water left.Add the amchur powder and mix.Serve with hot rotis.

TIP-
You can also put water in it and make it into a curry which you can eat it with rice.Just make it a little more cooked and the lentils need to be a bit mushy.

Zucchini and bell pepper dal

I like to combine lentils with some vegetable as it brings 2 things into one dish so more nutrition, taste and less work! In India I made ridge gourd with lentils which my kids really relished.So here I tried it with zucchini and it was loved by my family.I team it with some rice and salad or even a hot roti is lovely with this dal.Thin it a bit and it could be eaten almost like soup.
Ingredients
Red lentils(lal masoor)     100 gms
zucchini chopped             500 gms
sliced red bell peppers     1 no
chopped onions               1 no
chopped tomatoes           2 nos
chopped garlic                 1 tbsp
chopped ginger                1 tsp
lime juice                          1 tbsp
ghee                                1 tbsp
cumin                               1 tsp
hing                                  1/4 tsp
haldi                                1 tsp
chilli powder                     1 tsp
coriander powder            1 tsp
salt to taste
browned roasted onions    1/2 bowl

Method
Wash and soak the lentils.Heat ghee ,put in hing and jeera and let them splutter.Add the chopped garlic and ginger and saute.Add the onions and let them cook till slightly golden.Add the zucchini and cook till golden.Put in red bell peppers and turn them around for a while.Add the chopped tomatoes and cook.Put in haldi, coriander powder, chilli powder and salt.Put in dal and add about 2 cups water.Cover and cook till the dal is cooked and make sure the vegetables are not over cooked.Adjust the consistency of water.Add the lime juice.Pour into a bowl and top with browned roasted onions.Serve hot.

Stuffed Zucchini

I like to work with all local ingredients that are available near me .Its fun to try new things with limited and new ingredients and its great to see the surprise on my family's face each time I am able to put a new dish which they never thought about.Not only it is great way to use seasonal things which are nicer as far as nutrition goes and also they keep the excitement high and you don't get bored of cooking.
This a lovely dry vegetable.I use it as a starter or a side dish for my Indian meal.It is spicy,juicy and very succulent.Its simple and at the same time tastes very exotic.
Ingredients
Zucchini                             3 nos
baby potaoes(halved)         6 nos
chopped tomato                  1 no
chopped onion                     1 no
crushed garlic                       3/4 tbsp
chopped coriander                2 tbsp
hing                                     1/4 tsp
crushed peanuts                   1/4 cup
besan(Chickpea flour)          1/4 cup
chilli powder                         1 tsp
Coriander powder                 2 tsp
haldi                                       1 tsp
Amchur(dry mango powder)   1/2 tsp
lime juice                                1 tsp
saunf crushed                          1 tsp
garam masala                          1/2 tsp
sugar                                      1/2 tsp
salt to taste
oil                                           2 tbsp                                

Method
Cut zucchini in 3" pieces and slit them 3/4 way through on one side " + " this way to enable stuffing in.In a plate add crushed peanuts, besan,hing,coriander chopped,garlic,onions,tomatoes,spice powders ,sugar,salt and 1 tbsp oil.Mix well so that they become into a thick filling.Take the zucchini and open the crossed side carefully and stuff as much filling as you can into it.They are very fragile and so be very careful so as not to break them.Mix the left over stuffing with the potatoes.Heat oil in a non stick pan and arrange all the vegetables in it.Mix a bit to coat in oil and then cover and cook on low heat.Turn them to slightly brown on all sides.They get cooked quite easily and tend to dry up.Sprinkle water if required and cook till potatoes too are cooked and all the masala is coated on the vegetables and leaves the pan.Serve it hot sprinkled with chopped coriander with rotis or as starter.