This curry is inspired by Indian (or Pakistani) cuisine, but it’s adapted for Western palates and ingredients that are easy to find in your pantry.
The key ingredient (aside from the zucchini, of course) is coconut milk.
However, be careful—vegetables cook quickly in coconut milk. The goal is to keep the zucchini slightly crunchy. So, you’ll make the sauce first and cook the zucchini quickly at the very end.
The Spices
You have two options:
- You can use a pre-made curry powder (like Madras curry powder).
- Or you can create your own curry blend with spices from your pantry (if you, like us, have a lot of them!). In that case, toast the whole spices first, then lightly heat the ground spices. Your kitchen will smell amazing!
Recipe
Zucchini coconut milk curry
Servings 2 people
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchinis
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 125 ml ½ cup coconut milk
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- oil
- spices such as: turmeric, cumin seeds and/or powder, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, fennel or caraway seeds, or simply pre-made Madras curry powder.
Instructions
- Sauté the sliced garlic in olive oil. Add the whole spices and toast for another 2 minutes.
- Add the onion and ground spices. Cook for a few minutes until the onion softens.
- Add the coconut milk and diced or crushed tomatoes. Stir in the tomato paste and let the sauce cook for about 10 minutes.
- Add the zucchini, cut into thick half-moons. Cook for just a few minutes, enough for them to cook through but still remain firm.
- Serve with white rice.
Tip: Before serving, sprinkle thin slices of raw onion and red bell pepper on top to add crunch and freshness.