1,000 Indian Recipes (161 page)

2.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium heat, add the ginger-cilantro paste and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes.

3.
Add the coriander, turmeric, and salt, then mix in the zucchinis. Cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes, then add the coconut milk, cover the pan, reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchinis are soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with chopped cilantro, and serve.

Manju's Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Manju ki Paneer Bhari Zucchini

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Stuffed vegetables are always fun—a bit of work perhaps, but beautiful to look at and, if your flavors are right, a delight to the palate. Here is one such recipe from my friend Manju Bansal. Make it with the small yellow squash or green zucchini. They are easy to pick up and eat, so they make great finger foods. Serve this over a bed of wilted greens—such as spinach, mustard greens, or arugula—seasoned with chaat masala.

1 cup mashed
Paneer Cheese
(or store-bought) or ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon
Mughlai Garam Masala with Nutmeg and Mace

8 to 10 small zucchini, each cut in half lengthwise

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

¹
⁄
₂
cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1 tablespoon ground coriander

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground fennel seeds

1 teaspoon mango powder

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 large tomato, coarsely chopped

1.
Prepare the paneer in advance. Prepare the masala. Scoop out the white flesh from each zucchini half, leaving a
¹
⁄
₄
-inch thick shell. Place the shells in a large skillet, cut side down. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil over them and cook over medium-high heat until the edges are golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn each zucchini over and lightly cook the other side. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm.

2.
In a food processor, process together the zucchini pulp, paneer (or ricotta) cheese, cilantro, coriander, fennel seeds, mango powder, cayenne pepper, garam masala, turmeric, asafoetida, and salt until smooth.

3.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a small nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the processed zucchini-cheese mixture and stir about 5 minutes. Use it to stuff each zucchini boat.

4.
In the same pan, add the tomato and cook over medium heat stirring until softened and coated with any remains in the pan. Transfer to the zucchini as a garnish and serve.

Quick Spicy Opo Squash
 

Lauki ki Sabzi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This flavorful dish, moist with natural juices, is a summertime favorite that shows up very often in north Indian homes. Commonly called marrow,
ghia,doodhi
, or
lauki
in India, opo squash cooks into a delicate and light dish that, like other summer squashes, is easy on the stomach—a fact that makes it popular with older members of the family.

It cooks up fast in the pressure cooker and can be served with a mung or any other
dal
(dried legume) dish and whole-wheat griddle flatbreads. This dish is somewhat juicy, so you can also pair it with a dry-cooked vegetable or a
paneer
cheese dish such as
Basic Paneer Cheese Scramble
.

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

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

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

1 large onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced

2 large tomatoes, finely chopped

¹
⁄
₂
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1
¹
⁄
₄
pounds opo squash, cut into
³
⁄
₄
-inch pieces (peeled or unpeeled)

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1.
Heat the oil in a pressure cooker over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds, green chile pepper, and turmeric; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil.

2.
Quickly add the onion and cook about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cilantro, opo squash, and salt. Secure the lid and cook over high heat until the regulator indicates high pressure, then cook about 30 seconds more. Remove from the heat and allow the pot to depressurize on its own, 12 to 15 minutes. Open the lid carefully, transfer the contents to a serving dish, sprinkle the black pepper on top, and serve.

Variation:
To make in a saucepan, cook the onion in the oil , add the remaining ingredients, cover, and cook over low heat until the squash is soft, about 40 minutes, adding about
¹
⁄
₄
cup water as needed.

Chayote Squash, Indian Style

Chow-Chow ki Sabzi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Known as
chow-chow
in India, the pale green, pear-shaped chayote squash, popular in the southern parts of the United States, is also a popular south Indian vegetable. That's why my friend Sohini Baliga, who was born in Kerala, relies on it for a quick addition to any meal.

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon cumin seeds

3 dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol, broken

2 tablespoons minced fresh curry leaves, or dried

4 fresh green chayote squashes (about 8 ounces each), peeled and chopped or quartered

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1
¹
⁄
₂
cups water

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

1.
Heat the oil in a medium nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the mustard and cumin seeds; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan and lower the heat until the spluttering subsides.