1,000 Indian Recipes (159 page)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large lentil nugget, broken into
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⁄
₂
-inch pieces

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon mustard seeds

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⁄
₂
teaspoon cumin seeds

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon fenugreek seeds

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon kalonji seeds

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

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⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger

1 cup finely chopped tomato

1 pound banana or any other orange squash, peeled and cut into
¹
⁄
₂
-inch pieces

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

³
⁄
₄
cup water

1 teaspoon ground dried pomegranate seeds

1 teaspoon sugar

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⁄
₄
teaspoon garam masala

1.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat, add the lentil nugget pieces and cook until golden brown. Leaving the oil behind, with a slotted spoon transfer the nuggets to paper towels to drain.

2.
To the oil add the mustard, cumin, fenugreek, kalonji, and cumin seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the asafoetida and turmeric, then add the ginger, tomato, squash, salt, and the fried nuggets.

3.
Add the water, cover the pan and cook, over medium-high heat for the first 2 to 3 minutes and then over medium heat until the squash is very soft, about 25 minutes.

4.
Mix in the pomegranate seeds and sugar, and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the garam masala on top, and serve.

Roasted Baby Zucchini Rounds

Bhunni hui Choti Zucchini

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Zucchini does not grow in India, but I have adapted it for many Indian dishes because it works so well. For this dish, I use the farmers' market variety of baby zucchini—ones that are 4 to 5 inches long and no more than
³
⁄
₄
-inch in diameter. The larger ones can be used, but will not be as tender nor cook as quickly as the baby ones.

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

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⁄
₂
teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, or to taste

15 to 20 baby green zucchini or yellow squash (about 1
¹
⁄
₂
pounds), cut in
¹
⁄
₂
-inch rounds

1 large clove fresh garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ground coriander

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⁄
₂
teaspoon ground cumin

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⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

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⁄
₂
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds

4 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon garam masala

1.
Heat the oil in a nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds and black pepper; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the zucchini, garlic, coriander, cumin, salt,
¹
⁄
₄
cup cilantro, and green chile pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are marked all over with brown spots, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish.

2.
To the same wok, add the tomatoes and stir over high heat until slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add to the zucchini as a garnish. Sprinkle the garam masala and the remaining
¹
⁄
₄
cup cilantro on top, and serve.

Variation:
This recipe also works well with baby crook-neck, patty pan, and Mexican pale green squash.

Spice-Stuffed Baby Zucchini

Masala Bhari Choti Zucchini

Makes 4 to 6 servings

With each zucchini a spicy mouthful, this side dish pairs well with
Spinach with Paneer Cheese
or
Kerala Egg and Potato Curry with Coconut Milk
, along with rice or
chapatis
(whole-wheat flatbreads), and is also perfect as an appetizer. Any leftovers can be used in sandwiches.

¹
⁄
₄
cup store-bought shelled dry-roasted peanuts

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon mango powder

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teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

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⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

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⁄
₂
teaspoon garam masala

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

15 to 20 mixed baby green zucchini and yellow squash (about 1
¹
⁄
₂
pounds)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger

1 large clove fresh garlic, minced

¹
⁄
₄
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1.
Put the peanuts in food processor and process until ground. In a small bowl, mix together the coriander, cumin, mango powder, cayenne pepper, turmeric,
¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon garam masala, and salt.

2.
Wash and wipe dry the zucchinis. With a sharp knife, make a long slit along the length of one side of each zucchini, starting at the bottom tip and stopping about
¹
⁄
₂
inch from the stem, leaving the stem intact. (Do not cut them into 2 pieces; just make a pocket for the stuffing.) Stuff about
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon of the spice mixture into each zucchini pocket. Reserve any leftovers.

3.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook the zucchini (in two batches, if needed), turning each one with kitchen tongs, until golden on all sides. Add the ginger and garlic to the pan and cook about 1 minute. Add the reserved spice mixture, ground peanuts, and cilantro and cook another 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle remaining
¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon garam masala on top, and serve.

Baby Yellow Patty Pan Squash with Chopped Tomatoes