Low Carb Zucchini masala curry

Dosa or Poori with Masala is special!! But, instead of using the carb rich potatoes, let us make a zucchini masala curry that is low carb, healthy and delicious.

This South Indian style stir fry will give you a new and tasty way to use up the zucchini stash in your refrigerator. Zucchini is such an under rated vegetable. It is so tasty, yet so neutral that it can take up any flavors and absorb it. You are going to love this recipe!!

Health Upgrades

1. 1 cup of cooked diced zucchini has only 42 calories compare with 1 cup potato has 133 calories. The total carbohydrate is also a low 9g per cup versus 31g per cup for potato. That’s a fantastic swap to lower calories as well as carb count!!

2. Cashews contains more carbohydrates than most nuts, mostly in the form of starch. Use walnuts instead, that is a source of omega-3. 

Time Upgrades

The original recipe requires us to boil and mash potato separately to get it ready for masala. But, in the upgraded version, zucchini is soft enough to get cooked directly in the pan. It takes less time (~12 minutes) and there is one less pan to wash, yay!!

Step by Step Photos

Low Carb Zucchini masala curry recipe

Ingredients

1. Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
2. Urad dal – 1 Tblsp
3. Chana Dal – 1 Tblsp
4. Hing (Asafoetida) – 2 pinches
5. Ginger – 1 in (finely minced)
6. Green Chillies – 1-2 chopped (based on your family’s spice level)
7. Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
8. Walnuts – a handful
9. Coriander leaves – 1/2 cup chopped
10. Zucchini – 2 medium size peeled and diced
11. Onion– 1 large (sliced thin and long)
12. Frozen green peas – 1/2 cup (optional – bumps up the protein level)
13. Oil – 2 tbsp

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Put handful of walnuts in a sheet pan, roast in the oven for 10 min.

3. Add oil to the pan.

4. Add mustard seeds, wait till they pop. Then add the chana dal, urad dal and hing.

5. Add sliced onions, minced ginger and chopped green chilies and saute for a couple of minutes. No need to brown them, just a quick saute is enough.

6. Now add chopped zucchini, peas, turmeric powder and salt.

7. Close the lid and let it cook for about 8 minutes, opening the lid to stir every 2-3 minutes. .

8. Once the curry achieves the desired consistency, add walnuts and chopped coriander leaves and mix.

Ta-da!! Upgraded masala curry ready.

Conclusion

I hope you give this tasty South Indian style Zucchini masala curry recipe (as a side dish for poori or dosa) a try. Have you tried this technique or used other low-carb veggies? How was it?

Post your thoughts, ideas or photos of your dishes down below. The community will benefit from your input. I look forward to it!!