Zucchini Fries with Marinara Sauce

I guarantee even picky eaters will love these! Serve them as an appetizer or as a side dish. They are healthy and delicious! My daughter loves, loves, loves these. It’s her favorite way to eat zucchini and her only complaint is that I don’t make enough.
Ingredients:

• 3 medium (7 oz each) zucchinis sliced into 3″ x 1/2″ sticks
• 1 large egg white
• 1/3 cup seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• cooking spray
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• salt
• fresh pepper
• 1/2 cups quick marinara sauce for dipping

Directions
In a small bowl, beat egg whites and season with salt and pepper. In a ziplock bag, place breadcrumbs, garlic powder and cheese and shake well. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
Dip zucchini sticks into eggs then into bread crumb and cheese mixture, a few at a time and shake to coat. Place the breaded zucchini in a single layer and spray more cooking spray on top. Bake at 425° for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with 1/2 cup marinara sauce for dipping.

Marinara Sauce 

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 small bay leaf
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• salt and fresh pepper to taste

Directions:
In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until golden, being careful not to burn.
Add crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, and bay leaf. Stir and reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer about 15 – 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add fresh basil.

Zucchini Roses with Puff Pastry

 Ingredients to make 6 roses:                                

• 1 medium Zucchini (about 12 oz, 340 gr)
• 1 frozen puff pastry sheet, thawed
• 1 cup of crushed tomatoes
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• a couple of leaves of fresh basil
• 6 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella
• oregano flakes
• garlic infused olive oil (optional)
• salt

Preparation time: 20 minutes to prepare, plus 45 minutes to bake
Directions:
1. Thaw the puff pastry if you haven't done so. It should be outside the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
Prepare the tomato sauce: in a small pan, saute' for one minute the crushed garlic clove with one tablespoon of olive oil. Add the crushed tomatoes and salt to taste. Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes. Add the basil leaves after about five minutes. Turn off the heat when ready.

2.  Slice the zucchini and  Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with garlic infused olive oil, if you have it, or regular extra virgin olive oil.

3. Unwrap the puff pastry (9 in x 9 in) over a clean and lightly floured counter.  Using a rolling pin stretch the dough a little, in one direction, trying to keep it in a rectangular shape. Cut the dough in 6 strips, about 2 in x 9 in (5 cm x 22 cm).

4. Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C). Spread about one tablespoon of tomato sauce on each strip.

5. Sprinkle each strip with about one tablespoon of shredded mozzarella .

6. Place the zucchini slices as shown in the picture.

7. Sprinkle with oregano.

8. Fold up the bottom of the dough.

9. Carefully roll, seal the edge and place in a silicone muffin cup. No greasing is needed for silicone muffin mold. Make sure to spray regular muffin tin.

10. Do the same steps for the other 5 strips. Bake for about 40-45 minutes,on the lower rack. Check after the first 30 minutes. If the top of the eggplant slices are starting to burn, cover with aluminum foil for the remaining of the time.

Zucchini Usili

This is one of the most exotic, nutritious and wholesome dry curry as it is a combination of lentils and vegetables.  To ensure that the curry is light and fluffy, follow the method of breaking the dal as it is outlined in the recipe.  Some people may break the dal directly in a pan but personally I have found the method in this recipe has never failed for the past 20 years!!!
This dish is a family favourite!!!

Ingredients
1½ Cups Finely Chopped Zucchini
2 Tbs Water (to cook the Zucchini)
¾ Cup Toor Dal
¼ Cup Channa Dal or Yellow Split Peas
2 Cups Water (to soak the dals)
1-2 Red Chillies
½ Tsp. Turmeric Powder
1-2 Tsp. Salt
For Seasoning
2 Tbs. Oil
1 Tsp. Mustard Seeds
1 Tsp. Urad dal
¼ Tsp. Asafoetida Powder
Few Sprigs Curry Leaves

Preparation
Soak the toor dal, channa dal, red chillies in about 2 cups of water for 2-3 hours
Drain the water and grind the above into a soft mixture
Steam the ground mixture in a pressure cooker for 5 minutes (without placing the weight)
When it cools down, scoop a tablespoon of the mixture, add a drop of oil and blend it for a few seconds in the blender.
The mixture turns powdery. Repeat the process for the entire mixture and keep aside.

Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
When the mustard seeds crackle, add the urad dal, turmeric powder, asafoetida powder and curry leaves and fry it till the urad dal turns golden brown.
Add the powdered mixture and fry for about 2 minutes.
Gently fold in the zucchini and salt.
Fry it on a low flame for 3 minutes.



Note: There is another method of breaking up the soft mixture in order that it becomes powdery. Add the soft mixture directly into the heated pan with the seasoning.  Gently stir the mixture on a medium flame till it starts to break up and becomes powdery
The other vegetables that can be used to make this dish are cabbage, banana flower, chokoes

Zucchini Raitha

Zucchini Raitha

This raita is a lovely change from the more common cucumber raita. Madhur Jaffrey, the recipe author, writes in Eastern Vegetarian Cooking that she can eat it by the spoonful, all by herself. It can also be served warm, however, I've only tried it cold. Madhur Jaffrey calls this dish yogurt with courgettes, but I think it is a dish that we usually refer to as raitha.

2 medium zucchini (about 12-14 oz, 340-400g)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion
350 ml plain yogurt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1/16 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/16 teaspoon cayenne pepper (use as much as you like)

Directions:

1
Trim zucchini and grate them coarsley. Put them in a bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt. Toss to mix and set aside for half an hour.
2
Drain zucchini and press out as much liquid as you can. Separate the shreds so you do not have lumps.
3
Peel the onion, cut in half lenghtwise, and then cut into fine, half-moon-shaped slices.
4
Put yogurt in bowl. Beat it lightly with a fork or whisk until smooth and creamy.
5
Heat oil in a 8-in/20-cm frying pan over a medium flame. When hot, put in the mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop (just a matter of seconds), put in the onion. Stir and fry for about 2 minutes or until slices are translucent. Add the zucchini. Stir and fry for another 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and let zucchini cool slightly. When cooled, fold it into the yogurt. Add the remaining 1/4 tsp salt, pepper and cayenne.
6
If you wish the to eat the dish cold, cover and refrigerate it.
7
If you wish to eat it warm, put the yogurt-zucchini combination in a double boiler over a low flame. Then heat, stirring in one direction, until warm. Do not let it boil. I used it as sidedish for my Veg kichidi

Zucchini Coconut Rice

Zucchini Coconut Rice

I always make sure to include varieties of veggies in my daughter’s diet.Luckily she loves pastas and pulaos,and that makes my life quite easier.I don’t follow any recipe while cooking for her,usually I fix something with the ingredients available in my pantry.This was one such dish which i prepared for lil’ Bhumika kutty,but we all loved it and slowly it became our favorite.
The recipe follows..
 
Ingredients:-
Cooked Rice – 2 cups
Zucchini cut into small dices – 1
Chopped Onion – 1/2
Cherry Tomatoes Sliced – 5
Ginger powder – 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp
Dry Red chilly- 1
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Grated coconut – 1/2 cup
Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
Salt – to taste
Oil – as needed

Method:-
Heat oil in a pan and allow mustard seeds and jeera seeds to splutter.Add in onion and saute till onion turns translucent.Now add all the powders and fry it for a while.Throw in zucchini pieces and salt ,cover it and cook for 7-8 minutes.Add grated coconut and tomato slices and cook for 5 more minutes stirring now and then .Mix in cooked rice and simmer for 2-3 mts.Serve hot with raita/papad.

Zucchini Masiyal/Dal

Zucchini Masiyal/Dal,Pineapple rasam and thogayal

Zucchini is one of the vegetables that I came to know and use only after coming to the Germany, but something I regularly buy during summer. It is very versatile and can be used in anything from subzis, sambar, chutneys etc. I love the mellow, sweet taste it renders.
This week, I tried to use zucchini in a typical south Indian preparation called ‘Masiyal’. The word ‘masiyal’ actually means ‘mashed’. This dish is mildly spiced mashed zucchini, along with some creamy moong dal. It can be used as a side or spooned on top of rice to make a satisfying meal. Also, this is a no onion, no garlic recipe – perfect for people who fast. This is a very adaptable recipe too, for variations.

Zucchini Masiyal/Dal

Ingredients:
4 medium, tender zucchini, chopped fine
1/3 cup moong dal
1 small marble sized ball of tamarind, soaked in water and extracted
3 green chillies slit
2 red chillies
1/2 tsp mustard
1 tsp urad dal
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida
2 tsp oil
a sprig of curry leaves
salt, to taste

Method:
Place the moong dal in a sauce pan with enough water to cover. Let cook until soft and creamy. Set aside.
In another pan, heat 1 tsp oil. Add the slit green chillies, and let it infuse the oil. Next, add the zucchini and saute for a min. Add the turmeric and salt, cover with a lid and let cook for about 5 minutes, or until the zucchini is soft and can be mashed with the back of a wooden spoon. Mash it coarsely and add in the tamarind water. Let it cook for another 2-3 minutes. Finally, add the cooked moong dal and let it all come to a boil together. Check for salt and switch off stove.
In a seperate pan, heat the oil for tadka. Add in the mustard, let it splutter. Add the urad dal, asafoetida and curry leaves. Spoon the tadka over the masiyal and serve hot with rice or roti.

zucchini Palu Posi Kura/zucchini curry

zucchini Palu Posi Kura/zucchini curry

Usually Ridgegourd curry is prepared with milk.I substituted it with Zucchini because they all belong to same family!!! I guess!!! ;) Zucchini is a very low in fat and high in dietary fibre and it contains almost 95%percent of water. Since its water content is high it is obviously a cooling agent to our bodies. It is known to be a good natural medicine for curing urinary disorders and also a comforting food for those who suffer from constipation frequently. People who want to shed weight can include a big portion of this vegetable in their daily diet to keep the stomach filling with fewer calories. Also it is rich in iron and vitamin c and b complex. Today am showing you a simple curry using this wonderful vegetable by giving a little twist with fresh creamy milk. It is very easy to prepare and can be served with rice and any kinds of breads or chapathi or roti.