Kohlrabi and Zucchini in Creamy Cumin-Yogurt Sauce

We had a home-garden zucchini that needed to be harvested. Zucchini by itself in this yogurt sauce would be good, or Kohlrabi by itself. But, to make enough to save as leftovers for the next day's lunch, I combined the zucchini and kohlrabi to make this simple dish.




Yogurt-based sauces are quite common in Indian cuisine. Typically, yogurt is added at the end so as not to curdle the sauce. I prefer beating the yogurt separately and folding it in off-heat at the end. If the sauce is made a bit thinner, it makes a delicious soup.

Serve with naan or basmati rice.

Ingredients
3-4 small kohlrabi, diced small
1 large zucchini, diced small
1 small yellow onion, diced finely (optional)
1 tsp turmeric powder (optional)
salt to taste
water as needed
1 tsp oil

for the sauce:
3-4 cups plain non-fat yogurt (or Greek yogurt)
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
6-8 dry red chilies (less if preferred)
4-6 Tbsp dry unsweetened grated coconut

for the tempering:
1 Tbsp coconut oil or canola oil
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal, split
1 tsp chana dal

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the turmeric, then the vegetables, some salt, stir, then add enough water to immerse the veggies, cover and allow to cook till done but not mushy
2. Sauce: Combine the sauce ingredients, all except the yogurt, and blend to a fine powdery paste; beat the yogurt and keep handy
3. When vegetables are cooked through, drain excess water for a thick sauce; add in the ground paste, stir well; then off heat, fold in the beaten yogurt to make the flavorful yogurt sauce
4. Tempering: heat the oil in a small pan, when hot, add the urad dal and chana dal and allow it to turn golden brown, then, add in the mustard and let it pop, turn off heat; add the tempering as garnish. Stir well before serving