Zucchini in Tomato Sauce- Zucchini ki Subzi (No Onion No Garlic)

Zucchini is a beautiful summer vegetable. No wonder you see more of it around this time of the year. One of my friend  has her own backyard vegetable garden. Since she has a green thumb, there is an abundance of Zucchinis, tomatoes, peppers, okra, green beans, cucumbers in her garden. Thanks to her I get all these fresh vegetables. This Zucchini is from her garden. 

This recipe is without onion and garlic. Feel free to use it in this recipe though. I'm just trying to have a few recipes without using onion and garlic. Its not that we have stopped eating it any more. In India there are certain days which are auspicious to the Hindus. On those days they cook without using onion/garlic. Some seem to follow this and some don't - to each his own. As for me I don't really follow it but I would like my blog to be able to cater to a majority of the people.

Also I love experimenting with food and try to have a minimalist approach. Just because I have  so many ingredients(spices) I could use in my Indian cooking I don't really have to use all of them in the same dish- do I. Just a thought.  

Ingredients :

• 1 medium size Zucchini cubed
• 2 large tomatoes chopped
• 2-3 green chilies chopped
• 6-8 fresh curry leaves
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
•  1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1-2 tsp cumin-coriander powder  
• 3-4 tbsp Olive oil
• salt to taste

Preparation :

• Heat oil in a pan or Kadai.  Add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the curry leaves followed by tomatoes and green chillies. Let it cook on medium heat for about 2 minutes. Next add the dry spices- turmeric, red chili powder, cumin-coriander powder and give it a good stir. Add the chopped Zucchini. Stir it well. Season it with salt. Add about 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook on medium to low flame for about 20- 25 minutes or until  the zucchini is cooked. Check from time to time.
• Your Zucchini Ki subzi is ready to be served. Serve this delicious Zucchini in tomato sauce with Parathas, Naan or hot phulkas (Roti /chapati). This goes well with plain rice as well.      

Lauki with Moong Dal - Bottle Gourd and Lentil

This is a quick recipe and goes well with any Indian bread or even rice. Lauki /Bottle gourd is one vegetable that is not really popular at our house..except that I'm the only one who likes it. So have to find ways to make it more suitable to the palate of my kids and DH. So here is one more way of preparing Lauki.

Ingredients:

• 1 small lauki / 3 cups lauki peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup yellow moong dal washed and kept aside
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 large tomato chopped
• 2 green chillies slit
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• salt to taste
• oil

Preparation : This was cooked in the pressure cooker , hence quick recipe. Heat oil in a pressure cooker pan. Add mustard seeds. When they crackle add onion. Saute till golden brown. Add garlic paste. Fry for a minute. Add the ginger paste, tomato, green chillies. Stir fry for about a minute or two. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt. Mix well. Now add the lauki/bottle gourd. Mix well. Add the moong dal. Add 1 cup water. Pressure cook until cooked. (1-2 whistles). Your Lauki with Moong dal is ready to serve. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.This recipe serves 4.

Brussels Sprouts in Tomato Gravy

Brussels Sprouts look like miniature cabbages and taste a lot like cabbage too. So if you like cabbage I'm sure you would love Brussels Sprouts. For the rest it would be an acquired taste. Its a rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, folic acid, dietary fibre as well as known to have anti-cancer properties.

Ingredients:

• 20 brussels Sprouts cut into quarters
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 large tomato (puree)
• 2 green chillies slit
• 1" ginger grated
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin-cilantro powder
• 1/2 tsp amchur powder(dry mango powder)
• Salt to taste
• oil

Preparation : Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the grated ginger. Fry for about a minute. Add the tomato puree. Fry for about 2-3 minutes. Add the turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin -cilantro powder, amchur powder , green chillies and salt. Fry for another minute or so until oil leaves the masala. Now add the Brussels Sprouts and mix well. Cook covered on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Check it from time to time and if it gets too dry add some water. I cooked mine in the tomato gravy itself as the tomato was quite juicy. Serve it with rice or Phulkas/Roti.

Serves : 4