Zucchini Dal

Introduction About Zucchini:

The zucchini  or courgette is a popularly cultivated summer squash which often grows

to nearly a meter in length, but which are usually harvested at half that size or less.

Zucchini can be dark or light green and generally have a similar shape to a ridged
cucumber,although some round varieties are also available.

A related hybrid,the golden zucchini is a deep yellow or orange color.

In a culinary context,zucchini is treated as a vegetable,which means it is usually cooked
and presented as a savory dish or accompaniment.

Botanically,however,the zucchini is an immature fruit,being the swollen ovary of the
female zucchini flower.

Ingredients:
Zucchini - 1 (Medium - Diced)
Red Onion - 1 (Medium - Finely Chopped)
Tomatoes - 1 (Large - Finely Chopped)
Green Chillies - 2 (Long - Slit Lengthwise)
Garlic Clves - 4 (Chopped)
Ginger - 1 Small Piece (Chopped)
Toor Dal - 1/2 Cup
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp.
Coriander Leaves - Few (For Garnishing)
Salt - To Taste


Tempering Ingredients:
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp.
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp.
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp.
Whole Red Chillies - 2 (Split into half)
Garlic Cloves - 2 (Crushed/Roughly Pounded)
Curry Leaves - Few
Oil - As Required


Method:

Soak the toor dal for 30 mins to an hour.Wash it thoroughly with lukewarm water
and set it aside.

Chop the onions,tomatoes,garlic cloves and ginger finely.Keep it aside.

Slit the green chillies and dice the zucchini into small pieces.Set it aside.

Cook the toor dal with diced zucchini,chopped onions,tomatoes,garlic
cloves,ginger,slited green chillies,1/4 tsp. of turmeric powder,a tsp.
of oil and only 1 cup of water (not more than that as zucchini will leave
enough water on its own) for 4 to 5 whistles.

Once the pressure is released,mash the cooked dal and veggies.Set it aside.

Heat a small pan with some oil and when its hot add mustard seeds and let it
splutter.

Then add cumin seeds,crushed garlic,whole red chillies,curry leaves and
asafoetida and fry for few seconds.

Now add the cooked dal and veggies with enough salt and stir it well.

Let it cook for another 5 mins.Remove from the heat and garnish
with some coriander leaves.

Serve it hot with plain rice or chapathi/roti.


Note : Moong dal/Green gram dal can be substituted with Toor dal.

          If using moong dal,dry roast the dal until nice aroma exists
         and wash it thoroughly.Soak it for 30 mins to an hour.Then follow
         the same method/procedure to make zucchini dal with moong dal.



For the health benefits of Zucchini,please visit :
http://www.natural-homeremedies.org/blog/health-benefits-of-zucchini/


Nutritional Value :

The zucchini fruit is low in calories (approximately 15 food calories per 100 g
fresh zucchini) and contains useful amounts of folate (24 mcg/100 g), potassium
(280 mg/100 g) and vitamin A (384 IU [115 mcg]/100 g. 1/2 cup of zucchini
also contains 19% of the recommended amount of manganese.