Spicy Zuchini fry and my first award!

I don't know how many of you are like me, but if I happen to like some food when I am eating in a restaurant, I have a tendency to quietly investigate the ingredients in the dish both by tasting and viewing. When I'm satisfied that I have the idea of ingredients, my curiosity catches up, and it continues to linger in my mind until I experiment it in my kitchen. There are many recipes that I have tried like this. There have been exellent outcomes and ofcourse some major disasters too :) But it's just so exciting when something that I have "tasted" in my mind interprets on the plate perfectly, especially with Indian food. Indian food uses so many ingredients unlike western food and its a challenge to replicate the exact taste with lot of guesstimates and assumptions.

This is one such dish that I tasted for the first time in an Indian restaurant when we were vacationing in Canada. The vibrant flavors and the authenticity amused me and I was pleasantly surprised to taste a western vegetable like zuchini so well blended with our authentic indian spices. Naturally, I had to start my investigation right away! The first time I tried and tested it in my kitchen, I couldn't control my excitement, because I had gotten the hang of it in just one shot! Soon after trying a couple more times, it took a permanant place in my recipe book. If I think back, probably just this curiosity and the interest to try new things is what that's driving my motivation and passion for cooking.

I had a lot of different plans for cooking today, but it all changed when a pile of fresh mexican zuchinis caught my attention in my local grocery store yesterday. It immediately reminded me of this wonderful dish and I couldn't resist buying them after that thought. I haven't made this dish in a long time and all the ingredients are pretty common and its made in a few minutes. So, what other good reason do I need to change my plans :) After coming back from the grocery store, I started preparing my favorite zuchini dish and chapathis for dinner. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• Zuchinis - 2
• Onions - 1/2 cup chopped
• Garlic - 2 big pods
• Tomatoes - 1 medium
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Corriander powder - 2 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Corriander leaves - a handful

Procedure:

• Peel and slice the zuchinis in triangle shapes and set aside.
• Mince the garlic and chop the onions finely.
• Heat oil in a pan, season with mustard and cumin seeds. Add the onions and minced garlic and fry until onions turn golden brown.
• Add the zuchinis and all the spice powders along with salt and mix well.
• Turn on the heat and fry the mixture for 3 - 4 mins. No need to add water as the vegetable itself releases enough water to get cooked.
• Simmer and cover for 5 mins. Then add the tomatoes and cover for another 5 mins or until the zuchini is fully cooked.
• Increase the heat to high and let all the water evaporate.
• Add the corriander leaves and keep frying until the vegetable is well roasted and turns to a nice dark red color.

Yummy! and an excellent side dish for Rotis/chapathis.

I feel so privileged to received my first award from my dear friend Vandana. It means a lot to me and is very encouraging and motivating to know that you really enjoy reading my posts. Thanks Vandana! I will pass this award very soon.