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You are here: Home / Indian recipes / Pan-Fried Summer Squash With Cumin and Mustard Seeds

Pan-Fried Summer Squash With Cumin and Mustard Seeds

January 4, 2010 By Laura 9 Comments

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I am frequently stumped by Indian vegetable side dishes. You know, dishes that do not take much effort as they are there for health and color but are complementing dishes that take much more time and effort. Then I got Monica Bhide‘s Modern Spice for Christmas. Her vegetable chapter is a treasure trove of exactly the kind of recipes I am always looking for.

So for this year’s big Indian feast with my in-laws, I made Bhide’s Pan-Fried Zucchini and Yellow Squash with Cumin, albeit changing it up a bit (and hence leading to a different name). While the dish was not the star or even the co-star of the meal, it was the perfect complement to those richer, protein-heavy dishes.

Pan Fried Indian Squash and Peppers

Pan-Fried Summer Squash With Cumin and Mustard Seeds
Adapted from Modern Spice

1 T vegetable oil
1 T ghee (for a less special occasion, use all vegetable oil if you prefer)
1 1/2 t dark mustard seeds
1 1/2 t cumin seeds
1 small-medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 medium zucchini, diced
2 medium yellow squash, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 t ground turmeric
red chile pepper flakes, to taste (or heat tolerance–I used a pinch)
salt to taste
juice of half a lemon
chopped cilantro leaves to garnish

Heat the oil and ghee in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and fry until they turn grey and pop. While they are popping, add the cumin seeds (which burn faster than the mustard seeds and hence need to be added later).

When the mustard seeds are done popping and the cumin seeds are darkened and fragrant (but not burnt), add the onion and fry until darker and somewhat caramelized, about 10 minutes. Then add the zucchini, yellow squash and red bell pepper. Fry over high heat for 8-9 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the turmeric and chile pepper flakes and cook for another minute, until the spiced are well incorporated into the vegetables.

Sprinkle with some salt, the lemon juice and cilantro leaves, then taste for more salt or lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Filed Under: Indian recipes, vegetarian, zucchini

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Comments

  1. Grace says

    January 4, 2010 at 10:22 am

    breaking out the summer squash recipes in the dead of winter, eh? you rebel, you! this looks great, laura–so colorful and flavorful!

    Reply
  2. Matteo says

    January 4, 2010 at 2:45 pm

    looks great!!!!Rich of summer colors!

    Reply
  3. Lynda says

    January 4, 2010 at 4:37 pm

    Colorful and delicious looking! I love summer squash and think I could eat most of the pan full, by itself, of course! 🙂

    Reply
  4. noble pig says

    January 4, 2010 at 4:57 pm

    What beautiful colors in the middle of winter!!

    Reply
  5. Olive Tree Guitar Ensemble says

    January 4, 2010 at 9:17 pm

    Hi, it's a very great blog.
    I could tell how much efforts you've taken on it.
    Keep doing!

    Reply
  6. Amy says

    January 6, 2010 at 11:05 am

    OMG I am craving zucchini now…

    Reply
  7. Vegetable Matter says

    January 7, 2010 at 10:12 am

    I keep seeing references to Monica Bhide and her book — must look for it. Your dish is so colorful and sounds delicious. The spices might actually warm us up despite our cold weather.

    Reply
  8. Tasty Eats At Home says

    January 7, 2010 at 2:29 pm

    Monica Bhide's book is on my ever-growing wish list. I think I might just need to move it to the top! This sounds awesome.

    Reply
  9. Family Cuisine Food And Recipe says

    January 11, 2010 at 8:44 pm

    Thank you for sharing. Cheers!

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Laura and I am a recovering history major who has re-channeled all of my passion for learning about the history of different countries to learning about their food culture. That doesn’t mean every dish on here is strictly authentic, but it does mean that even my adaptations are not undertaken lightly. My goal is to show you–by doing–that these dishes are possible in your kitchen. Including desserts because I have quite the sweet tooth! Read More…

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