Recipe for Zucchini Chutney

Name: Recipe for Zucchini Chutney
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 Cup Chopped Zucchini; 3 tbsp Sesame Seeds; 1 tbsp Sesame Oil; 2-3 Green Chillies; 1 tbsp Cumin Seeds; 1-2 Cloves Garlic; Salt, to taste; 1 tsp Tamarind Pulp; ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder; 1 tbsp Sesame Oil; ½ tsp Urad Dal; ⅓ tsp Asafoetida; 5-6 Fresh Curry Leaves; ½ tsp Cumin Seeds; 1 Dry Red Chilli

Zucchini is not a commonly used ingredient in India. However, many Indian recipes can be made with it. Its neutral taste and high water content make it similar to vegetables like Bottle Gourd, Ridge Gourd etc, which are common in Indian cooking.

Today’s recipe is inspired by a common chutney recipe used in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh in India. Here, I am talking about Dosakai Chutney. Dosakai, also commonly known as a sambar cucumber, is a slightly sour vegetable commonly found in south India. Due to its sour taste, it is an ideal vegetable for making chutney. Chutney made with Dosakai is commonly served with hot steamed rice and ghee.

Recently when I had plenty of Zucchini in my fridge, I was thinking of the various recipes I could use them in. That’s when I got the idea of using it for making chutney using the same recipe that I used back home for making Dosakai Chutney.

In this recipe, I have replaced Dosakai with Zucchini. Since Zucchini is not sour, I have increased the quantity of tamarind to give this chutney a tangy taste.

So, let us start:

Ingredients needed for Zucchini Chutney:

1 Cup Chopped Zucchini
3 tbsp Sesame Seeds
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
2-3 Green Chillies
1 tbsp Cumin Seeds
1-2 Cloves Garlic
Salt, to taste
1 tsp Tamarind Pulp
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder

For Tempering:

1 tbsp Sesame Oil
½ tsp Urad Dal
⅓ tsp Asafoetida
5-6 Fresh Curry Leaves
½ tsp Cumin Seeds
1 Dry Red Chilli

Method to make Zucchini Chutney:

On medium heat, toast the sesame seeds. Keep them aside.
In a pan, heat oil. Fry cumin seeds, slit green chillies and turmeric powder. Take them out.
Grind the toasted sesame seeds, fried cumin & green chillies, tamarind pulp and chopped garlic in a mixie jar.
To this ground mixture, add chopped zucchini and salt.
Grind to a fine paste.
Transfer this paste to a serving bowl.
Prepare the tempering by heating oil in a pan. Add urad dal, cumin seeds, curry leaves, dry red chillies and asafoetida. Fry on medium heat for a few seconds.
Put this on the prepared chutney.
Serve with hot steamed rice and ghee.

Recently, when I made this chutney, I served it with steamed rice, cauliflower sabzi ( cooked in the South Indian style) and Rasam.

Equipment used in the recipe:

Cutting Board: https://amzn.to/3n9IXjM
Knife Set (includes a bread knife): https://amzn.to/3Lg64Bj
Mixer:
Option 1 Bosch:https://amzn.to/3LzMbGF (Perfect for Indian cooking, with great reviews)
Option 2: Preethi:https://amzn.to/3n9XCLH ( I use this. It is perfect for Indian cooking, but priced higher than Bosch)
Pan: https://amzn.to/3PD2SDx

Ingredient sourcing in Germany:

You can get some of this recipe’s ingredients from a German Supermarket. However, Indian ingredients can be purchased from any Indian shop near you or Spicelands. They are a big store in Frankfurt, delivering all across Germany.

Here’s the recipe in printable format: