Kitchen Improv

Zucchini Masala

Whenever I cook Indian food for friends, they wonder where and how I learned. There seems to be a general misconception that Indian food is a difficult style to cook. I do have a bit of an edge since my family spent a lot of time in Singapore when I was a kid and my mom was able to learn many traditional recipes and techniques from our Indian friends. Though the spice combinations may be complex, reproducing them at home isn’t. Turning out a tasty, freshly prepared Indian dish doesn’t really take me any longer than most foods that I cook from scratch.

I find that the secret is having some key spices on-hand so you can prepare something without a lot of planning and extra trips to the market. I tend to keep turmeric, whole cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, and red chili powders around all the time. I also have Garam Masala, which is a spice blend. Though there are other spices common to Indian cooking, these are the ones most called upon by the recipes I like.

I love the fragrant spices in the Indian Aloo Gobi Masala dish. Potatoes give me hives in my mouth, though, so I just make this recipe with extra cauliflower and enjoy it as a simplified version. During the great zucchini flood of 2008 (aka zucchini, every night of the week) I tried something different by using zucchini from my garden as the base of this dish. I like it better than the original.

Though you may find it convenient to use prepared curry pastes from the supermarket or Indian specialty stores, this really is better if you use the traditional bhuna technique of mixing the individual spices and then pan-roasting them in oil. Yes, it will make your house smell a bit and takes an extra five minutes, but the flavor pay-off is well worth it!

Ingredients
4 cups zucchini, cut into 1-inch cubes.
1 cup fresh tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced (I like to use cherry tomatoes cut in half)
3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds (ground will work, but whole seeds give the dish a better texture)
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon sambal sauce (or sambal powder)
2 teaspoons coriander powder
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Method
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and sauté cumin seeds for about one minute. Add the remaining dry spices and roast in the oil while mixing gently for about two minutes. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for about one minute more. Add the turmeric and gently mix. Next add the tomatoes, mix well, and cook for about five minutes, or until tomatoes become tender. Now add the sambal sauce and zucchini. Mix to coat and cook over high heat for two minutes while stirring occasionally. Turn heat down to medium-low and sauté for 10 minutes or until zucchini is tender, stirring every few minutes. When zucchini is cooked, remove from heat and serve, garnishing with a sprinkle of cilantro.