Zucchini Stir-fry With A Kerala Touch – Zucchini Thoran

“Tring........…tring.... ", the phone rings around 11.00-11.30pm, when a middle aged couple has just hit the bed and try to get some sleep. As the phone continues to ring, some sort of tension builds up because of the untimely phone call, that too a long distance ring tone, and when they answer the phone, the person at the other end, with a very sheepish smile on her face asks,"Mummy….should I add ginger to this XX dish?" and mother who is now relieved that it’s not someone calling in to share some dreadful news, asks “Oh…dear…how many times have I told you this recipe ??” !!!! And when mother is just about wrap up the call, father in an impish tone reminds loudly from behind, “Tell her not to forget to add salt too !!" :D

Yes, it has happened umpteen times to my mother as her careless daughter does not have the habit of writing down the recipes as and when her mother shares it. It is not that I deliberately wanted to disturb them at those odd hours but I really did not have much options those days, when I was just beginning to learn cooking and had not much idea on the basic concoctions and tricks of the trade and still wanted to cook and serve the food as it was prepared back home at my place. This untimely calls used to happen until I got a feel of cooking and until my friend, RR who is an excellent cook in authentic Kerala cooking, came to US with her family and from then onwards, I pester my friend all with the basic silly doubts and hence, needless to say, my mother is able to get some incessant sleep these days :)

It was RR who suggested sometime back a recipe for Zucchini/Courgette to be prepared in Kerala style and I did like the idea of using a foreign vegetable in a traditional Kerala recipe and the taste was appealing to me as well. But as usual I did not note down the recipe and next time when I wanted to prepare that side dish, she was unavailable and that‘s when I started cooking Zucchini in the same way I prepare other vegetable thorans/Stir-frys. Now this is a regular in our house and CJJ’s one of the favourite side dishes to go with Fish curry. :)

Ingredients: -

• 2 zucchinis
• ¼ cup grated coconut
• 1 small onion/shallots finely chopped
• 1-2 small cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 4-5 green chilies finely chopped
• A pinch of cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp mustard seeds
• ¼ tsp urad Dal/black grams
• 1-2 dry red chilies
• Salt to taste
• 2tsp oil

Directions: -

1. Trim off the ends and halve the zucchini lengthwise and make 3-4 strips of each half and dice them into small pieces. No need to peel off the skins and remove the small seeds.
2. Crush and blend the coconut well with finely chopped small onion, garlic, green chilies, cumin seeds, turmeric powder and salt using your hands OR put all the ingredients in a small food processor and pulse 1-2 times.
3. Heat oil in a pan and when it is steaming hot, splutter mustard seeds, followed by urad dal and dry red chilies. Add the chopped zucchinis to the pan and cook them covered for 40-60 seconds in medium heat. Remove the lid, add the grated coconut mixture and cover it cooked for another 40-50 seconds in low flame. Again stir gingerly and do a ‘taste test’ here and add salt if required and when it reaches perfection, turn off the heat, serve with warm rice and fish curry :)

Tips: Zucchini, Cucumber and Melons are cousins and they are all popular for their tender flesh. Because of the tenderness, it’s better not to overcook the zucchini, to retain its delicate flavour and firmness as well as not to make it too soft and watery. And if you are like me who do not entertain the idea of your mustard seeds popping out of the pan and dancing all around, making the entire cooking area a mess, keep a lid on the pan immediately after you throw in the mustard seeds :)

Well, Sushma of Recipe Source thinks that its a "lovely tip" to be sent for her Monthly Cooking Tipology Event and how can I say NO to this sweet lady ? :)

Luv
Shn