Zucchini besan sabji, a dry vegetable Indian recipe with zucchini and besan or gram flour.
Confession: for the longest time, I thought zucchini was another type of cucumber that’s only used in raita and salads. I didn’t even know the Indian name for zucchini having never seen this vegetable in Kerala or even Hyderabad.
It seems zucchini is actually a fruit, not a vegetable, and is closely related to ridge gourd, a popular vegetable in India.
Anyway, I wanted try an Indian recipe with Zucchini and went with the easiest option – a quick and simple sabji with besan. Also check out Indian potato fry (no onion, no garlic), yam fry, and sesame tofu recipe.
This is a no-onion no-garlic, Jain friendly recipe.
Zucchini Besan Sabji
Ingredients
- 2 zucchini peeled, washed and cut into small cubes (about 3 cups)
- 3 tbsp of besan / Bengal gram flour
- 1 tsp of red chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
- 1/8 tsp of hing / asafoetida
- 1 tsp of rice flour optional
- Salt to taste
- 1-2 tbsp of oil
- 1 tsp of cumin seeds / jeera
- 1/4 tsp of mustard seeds
- A few curry leaves
Instructions
- Add the besan, salt, chilli powder, turmeric, rice flour (if using), and hing to the cubed zucchini.
- Mix well with fingertips until the zucchini pieces are well coated in the mixture. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds and cumin.
- When the mustard pops and the cumin sizzles, add the curry leaves and the zucchini mixture.
- Mix well until the zucchini pieces are coated in oil.
- Cook on low flame, stirring occasionally, until the pieces are cooked soft. Add salt.
- If you don't peel the zucchini, the pieces will hold their shape and will be firmer, so it's up to you how you want it to turn out.
- Serve hot.
Serve zucchini beasan sabji hot with steamed rice or chapatis.
Do you have any favourite Indian zucchini recipes? Do share in the comment box below!
For zucchini besan sabji recipe in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Urdu etc please use the Google translate button in the sidebar.
Another zucchini lover here. And it is called chappan kaddu in hindi as baby corn is called shishu bhutta. I got to know these names seeing the annual krishi mela at IARI here in Delhi.
The recipe looks really good with curry patta n besan but i think i would do it without rice powder.
Count me in the club who thought Zucchini was another variety of cucumber:)
this recipe looks awesome..I use bellpeppers to make this subzi..I use all three colours of it to make it more colourful…Even i have the recipe in my blog…But love the idea of using zucchini..Will surely try it..
I love zucchini raw and in curries. This is an awesome simple dish.
Gorgeous pictures, and love the recipe. I have a very similar recipe, as courgettes/ zucchini hold their shape very well and are perfect for curries. We grew some in our garden this summer, and they are really fast growing prolific veg, must have had easily 50 – 60 out of that small plant 🙂 I ended up pickling the damn things in the end!
zucchini is not a traditional Indian vegetable. So it is not surprising that you didn't find it anywhere in your local markets. So far, I have never used Zucchini in Indian cooking, so thank you for showing me one way to do so. Sounds absolutely delicious.
Nags 🙂 Zucchini is one of my favs. I have once substituted zucchini in your recipe of chow chow kootu! Also, my amma makes a oats-zuccini soup too, which is like a mix of poondu kanji and oats!
Havent made a sabzi at all, will try!
Havent tasted this veggies,looks and sounds yum
Thanks for the recipe,I have never bought this so far and I thought it is something like a yellow pumpkin kinda veggie 🙂
Archana, what a brilliant idea to substitute zucchini in my chow chow kootu recipe! I love that recipe, it always comes out super simple yet tasty. will try it for sure 🙂