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The low-calorie zucchini requires little cooking, writes Pushpesh Pant There is an old saying in Hindi — Desi murgi vilayati bol implying that someone betraying his native heritage is trying to mimic the manners and mores of foreigners — a sure sign of inferiority complex. Recently, after a particularly satisfying meal at a friend’s house we are tempted to turn the adage on its head. What we were served was angrez tori bharwan with cheeni gobhi chatpati and satranga salad composed of multi-hued sweet bell peppers — a delightfully light meal that was a treat for sore eyes. What surprised us was the appearance of what is conveniently labelled by our local vegetable vendor as English vegetables in Indian garb. The angrez torai turned out to be zucchini, cheeni gobhi jugalbandi was played by pairing broccoli with pak choy and the salad worked its magic thanks to the charming cousins of Simla mirch. To be honest, we thought surrendering broccoli to the Chinese was not quite proper and zucchini we felt is a closer relative of hara kumhara than torai but we shall let that pass. Isn’t a squash a squash when all is said and done? Zucchini till very recently was considered an exotic and expensive ingredient and was eschewed. Thanks to the abundant supply, it is more readily available and much more affordable. It has a distinct delicate flavour and is low in calorific value. It requires little cooking. Forget boiling, stir-frying etc — a little steaming or cooking in its own juices on low heat is the ideal treatment. Ditto for radicchio or pak choy. Sure beats the cabbage any time. Ice burg lettuce has an edge on taste but lacks colour. For weight watchers, bharwan zucchini is a fantastic fulfilling flavourful dish. The filling avoids paneer, dried fruits and nuts that are the trademark of Awadhi delicacies and stays blissfully true to bearable lightness of saut`E9ed mushrooms and spring onions with just a sprinkle of diced carrots and tomatoes. The beauty is that the spicing can be altered to suit individual palate preferences — a large pinch of mixed herbs, Chinese five spice powder or (resist the temptation if you can — it will overpower poor zucchini) good old chat masala. Equally enjoyable with phulka or rice. Bharwan zucchini
Zucchini (select tender pieces) 500 gm Method Wash and pat dry the zucchini. Cut in halves. Scoop out the flesh and chop in small pieces. Wash well the mushrooms and dice. Clean and wash the onions, tomatoes and carrots and chop into very small pieces. Put a non-stick pan on flame line it with a thin film of oil and cook the zucchini flesh, carrots and mushrooms. Sprinkle the herbs or masala along with salt of choice and add tomatoes and onions when moisture almost evaporates. Add chopped onion greens in the end. Allow it to cool. Then stuff this filling in the hollowed zucchini and put it on the same pan. Let it cook on low heat for about 10 minutes turning it delicately to ensure that heat is applied evenly. Slice and serve after adjusting seasoning.
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Ingredients
