Zucchini Paratha

I was hanging on to the very last half of the home-garden zucchini after the Zucchini Three Ways, wondering how best to use it, and it struck me to just grate it and fold it into the paratha dough I was making the other day.

Serve with any of the favorite curries or dals/koottus, an array of chutneys, or even just pickles and thokku.

Since I don't measure exactly for roti/paratha dough, this is a rough estimate - adjust water/flour as needed to get a dough that can be rolled flat and cooked on the griddle without getting sticky or brittle.

About 4 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups grated zucchini
water as needed (zucchini has quite a bit of water)
salt to taste
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tsp turmeric powder (optional)
2 Tbsp Smart Balance™ Omega Butter Light with Flax Oil (or any other favorite butter substitute)

Very much like in the Flaky Paratha recipe, combine the ingredients using a little water at a time, and knead to a smooth elastic dough, pinch off balls and roll flat adding layers by folding. Pan/griddle cook.

Home-garden Zucchini Three Ways

After the round of Zucchini breads and soups and curries and grated fritters/hash and what-not, we had one last home-garden Zucchini left from this season's harvest.

Not quite the fan of fried foods (and not because I don't like the taste or anything), I was trying to resist the urge to make a snack feast much like the pakora/bajji my mom used to make on rainy days... it seemed like a perfect overcast day with a hint of Autumn in the air.

Rather than deep frying, I went with shallow frying. And that's how these hot delicacies came into being in my kitchen and disappeared in a short time. I used just one half the large foot-long 4½ inches diameter home-garden zucchini for this and it was plenty.

Technically, they are not cooked up in three different ways, but, three different batters make for an interesting spread. Kids liked the Shredded Wheat one the best as it was the crunchiest for them.

Simply cut into preferred shape about 2 or 3 millimeters thick, dust with flour, keep handy. Prepare the batters and keep handy as well. Shallow fry in batches. Serve with favorite dip/sauce or chutneys. I went with a quick and easy favorite: Combine equal parts of ketchup and Sambal Oelek for a Hot+Sweet Chili Sauce. Kids preferred just the ketchup, of course.

The quick picture I took doesn't justify the taste and the satisfaction it gave us that day.

Zucchini 65: Very much like the Hong Kong Bitter Melon 65 recipe, the rich red light batter seemed like a good first way. So, I shallow fried a batch using much the same batter as before.

Zucchini Tempura: Much like my usual vegetable tempura batter, this is light and crispy and best enjoyed right away. Any standard recipe for tempura batter is fine - prepare the batter just before frying and use it up quickly.

Shredded Wheat Breaded Zucchini: Shredded wheat cereal has lent itself to a few other dishes as a breading ingredient, much like in breaded chicken recipe shared here. I use the unfrosted, plain old shredded wheat, of course. Combine it with some stale old cheese crackers to form a crunchy coating for any breaded-and-fried dish.

What should I do with the last half of the home-garden zucchini? I've been asking myself as I eye the half dozen on more butternut squashes that are ready to be picked in the garden which is getting ready to close down for this year.

Home-garden Yellow Squash, Chard, Green beans, Tomatoes

Another delicious meal straight from the garden: the yellow Mexican squash was ready to be picked. Some chard, green chilies, green beans and tomatoes were ready as well. They all came together for this simple vegetable medley, with some corn kernels and onions.


Simply sauté together till vegetables are cooked but not mushy. Add favorite spices. I used one of my favorite store-bought paste: Maggi™ "Kitchen Secrets"™ Bhuna Masala Paste for Vegetables and Dal.

Bok Choy, Edamame, Opo Squash, Chana Dal Salad

As with most recipes that just pop into existence in my kitchen, this Bok Choy, Edamame, Opo Squash, Chana Dal Salad also happened quite by accident where I open the fridge and stare at the few remaining things that need to be used up before my next trip to the market.

Will they go together? How should I cook them? Should I make it a side or the main course? What flavors will go well with this combination? I don't answer all these questions and plan a dish in great detail. Most simple meals at home just come together because I felt like it and threw things together for a quick meal. Work and kids don't leave me with the luxury of planning elaborate and exotic menus, but, I do manage to take a quick picture of some of the dishes I cook, so I can share it here.

The inspiration for this salad was the simple koottu my mom used to make with Kadala Paruppu, aka Chana Dal. My koottu recipes here have a slightly non-traditional edge.

I had some cooked chana dal in the fridge that needed to be used up. About half an opo squash leftover after using it for my favorite Opo-Squash Mor-Kozhambu, which I drink like a soup rather than have with rice as is done in India.

Some fresh green chilies from the garden, a few heads of baby bok choy after the Luffa, Snake Beans, Baby Bok Choy dish the other day, plus about half a bag of frozen edamame came together for this simple steamed vegetable salad.

Ingredients
Opo Squash, cut into chunks
Carrots, cut into chunks or rounds
Baby Bok Choy leaves separated and cleaned
Edamame par-cooked frozen (as it cooks faster)
1 cup cooked chana dal
2 or 3 fresh mild green chilies from the garden

Flavor with mild curry powder and salt, or simply use a favorite vinaigrette.

Preparation

1. Steam the vegetables (flavored with a pinch of salt) to desired doneness
2. Flavor as desired and serve warm or cold