Summer means so many things: swimming, hiking, farm stands…oh my! As a foodie, I get excited about in season fruits and vegetables and we all know that summer is zucchini season. When I see those zucchini flowers blooming in the garden, I get flat out jittery. Grilled zucchini is a summer staple in my house and I most certainly could eat it every day. No recipe need…just toss with some EVOO and spices (I use garlic powder, salt and freshly ground pepper) and throw them on the grill (I put like to put them in a basket so I don’t have to be nervous about them falling through the grate when flipping them). Sometimes I go a little loca at the Farmer’s Market and end up buying way more zucchini than my family can eat. I just never seem to be able to resist a fresh squash! But thank goodness for all that over buying because that’s how this Zucchini Curry was born.
Thanks to my “you can never have enough zucchini” attitude, I found myself with an abundance of this perfect vegetable and decided I wanted to make something interesting and different; something that highlighted this summer favorite in a whole new way. Hola Zucchini Curry!!!! Zucchini is the star of this dish (although you could also add some eggplant if you wanted) which is why I probably find myself craving it so often. It satisfies my zucchini fix in a fun, flavor forward way.
Curry, curry, curry
When I see the word curry, I immediately think of India and lots of yummy spices. There are so many different types of curry, it’s hard for me to pick my favorite. Curry is essentially a sauce made with a variety of spices (some common and some not so common) depending on the type, typically served over rice, vegetables or meat. Living in the greater New York City area, I am lucky to not only have some excellent Indian restaurants to choose from when I’m in mood for authentic curry, but I also live close to a few specialty markets that sell both obscure spices (perfect for when I’m trying to recreate those masterpieces I’ve tried at my local restaurants) as well as delicious premade curry. There are an infinite number of ways to make curry, but for this recipe I tried to keep it as simple as possible, using pantry ingredients and common spices. If there is spice you don’t like or have, just leave it out, but if you do, make sure to taste your curry at the end to see if you need to add a bit more of the other spices to get a nice, strong flavor.
Get curry-ing!
I love this recipe and can’t wait for you to try it. And if you’re obsessed with zucchini as much as I am, check out these Stuffed Parmesan Zucchini Boats—they boast a totally different flavor palate than this dish, but are always a homerun in my house. I also love adding zucchini to my Pasta Primavera and bet it would also be great in these Loaded Veggie Biscuits. I’m also going to try making my Broccoli Cheese Egg Bake with some of my extra zucchini this season (I’m planning on just mixing it right in with the eggs). Get creative! That’s half the fun of cooking! As always, let me know how your Zucchini Curry comes out by leaving a comment below. Enjoy! Buen provecho!
Easy Zucchini Curry
Equipment
- Stove top
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp coconut oil ( can sub another cooking oil)
- 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
- 4 or more cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large or 3 medium zucchinis, diced (I used about 4 heaping cups)
- 1 tbsp ginger, grated (*if you don’t have fresh ginger, see note)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (can sub sweet paprika)
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp cumin
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- large handful of fresh cilantro (about a ¼ cup), coarse stems removed, chopped; set some aside for optional garnish
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- ½ cup vegetable/chicken broth
- 1 13.5 oz can coconut milk (I used reduced fat)
Instructions
- In a large skillet, warm oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent (about 3 minutes). Add the garlic, zucchini, ginger, all the spices and the cilantro; sauté for 5 more minutes, stirring often. Add the rest of the ingredients, raise heat until liquid comes to a boil and then simmer uncovered until thickened to your liking (about 8-12 minutes), stirring often. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Serve over rice (try using vegetable or chicken broth instead of water when cooking the rice), with a piece of crusty bread or with naan (I buy mine frozen at Trader Joe’s). Garnish with fresh cilantro.
Notes
- If you don’t have fresh ginger, you can use ginger powder, ginger paste or even frozen ginger. I would add a little extra if going this route since it won’t be as potent as the fresh stuff.
- If there is a spice you don’t like or have just leave it out, but be sure to taste it before serving and adjust as needed.
- You could replace one zucchini with a small eggplant if you wanted some variety. You could also stir in a few handfuls of baby spinach at the end.
- When serving over rice, I make ½ cup per person (I usually make 2 cups for this recipe and I use a little under 4 cups of broth instead of water to cook the rice).
