BM Theme – A-Z curries

Thankfully we have reached the final post for the series. It’s zucchini dal for the letter Z. The initial plan was to make Zeera Aloo, but felt Z for Zucchini is a much better choice.

This is a very simple Dal that you can make with any kind of dal. Moong dal, toor dal, Chana dal everything works here. I have used masoor dal. You can make everything in one shot in pressure cooker or do what I did – cook dal separately and then add it to the cooked vegetables. I keep rice and dal together in one shot using Pot in Pot method using stainless steel vessels with separators.

Read on for the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup masoor dal
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 tablespoon ghee/oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds / mustard seeds
• Few curry leaves, optional
• 2 dried red chilies
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1” piece ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped finely
• 1 big zucchini, cut into cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• Salt as needed

Method:

1. Wash and clean the dal. Pressure cook it along with tomatoes and 3 times water (1.5 cups here). I cooked it for 6 minutes in Instant Pot and let the pressure release naturally. Once done, mash it lightly with the back of a ladle and set aside.
2. When the dal is cooking, heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard or cumin seeds, curry leaves and dried red chilies. Once the seeds splutter, add the chopped onion, ginger and garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes until the onions turn pink.
3. Add diced zucchini and all the dry masala spices along with salt. Mix well, add 1/4 cup water, cover and let it cook until zucchini is done. Stir in between to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add some more water if the curry is turning dry.
4. Add the cooked dal and water as needed to bring it to the consistency you prefer. Taste test and adjust seasonings if needed. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat and let it cook for about 5 minutes. Take off the heat and serve with rice.