Quick Indian Zucchini Curry

My version of zucchini curry is prepared with basic Indian spices and is a dry sabzi. It's a simple recipe that can be prepared in less than 20 minutes.

Think of curry and you think of a spicy, robust gravy that's heaving with spices and lots of onion and garlic.

Well, this curry isn't anything like that.

I was running out of ideas for a mid-week dinner and only had a packet of courgette in the fridge. Because of how delicate the vegetable is, I've associated it with salads like this zucchini ribbon salad or a light snack like air fryer zucchini fries.

Basically I wanted the flavour of the courgette to come through and not over power so I decided to make a curry recipe that's made without onion or garlic. And I've only used basic spice powders. If you do not have the individual spices to hand, you can use curry powder instead.

I finish with a bit of sugar and lemon juice. If you've seen my Gujarati recipes, you'll know that so many vegetable shaak also have these. The lemon juice gives a little tang and the sugar just brings all the flavours together. Don't worry, I don't actually sweeten the curry.

I love that it's one-pot and all you need to do is a bit of chopping. Generally I make it as a light main but it also works as an easy side dish.

The ingredients ... see, pretty simple!

How to make Indian Zucchini Curry

Begin by preparing all of your ingredients. This recipe cooks fast so I like to have all ingredients ready before starting.

Heat a oil in a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat. Once hot, add a teaspoon cumin seeds and wait until you hear a sizzle.

Add the sliced courgettes and the spice powders.

Season with salt and cook the curry without the lid. This allows the moisture to escape and prevent the sabji from becoming soggy.

Stir fry on medium-high heat until the courgettes are golden brown and tender. Switch to low heat if the curry appears to be burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Once done add sugar and lemon and mix well.

Tips

Add a splash of water to prevent the spices from burning but do not add much water or else the curry will become mushy. The water content from the courgette may be enough.

If the curry is too watery, you can cook off the excess water or add in a small amount of roasted chickpea flour (gram flour) to absorb the moisture.

The curry can also be prepared in the Instant Pot but I would stick to the above method on saute mode rather than pressure cook at high pressure as the zucchini can easily become mushy.

Serving suggestions

It's best paired with round and soft Gujarati rotlis or make chapati made with multigrain atta.

For a complete and well balanced meal, serve as a side dish with daal, boiled basmati rice and Indian kachumber salad. My favourite is this Takeaway style Pilau Rice.

Naan is also an option but I think this curry may be too dry.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container and keep in the fridge up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or stovetop.

I do not recommend freezing as the frozen curry will loose its texture.

Other Indian recipes

Dum Aloo - Bombay potato curry

Authentic Chana Masala - chickpea curry

Aloo Lauki - bottle gourd curry

Brinjal Bhaji - Indian aubergine curry

Tindora nu Shaak - Ivy Gourd Sabzi

Indian Vegetable Curry

As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can't wait to see you all there!

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Pinterest
• YouTube

📖 Recipe