Zucchini Meatballs Vegetarian Curry Madhur Jaffrey Food

ZUCCHINI "MEATBALLS"-VEGETARIAN CURRY - MADHUR JAFFREY

Steps:

• 'Meatballs'.
• Wash, trim and grate the zucchini - use the regular grate size on your grater, grating too fine may make it too soggy. Put into a bowl and sprinkle with the 1/2 tsp salt. Set aside for about 1/2 an hour.
• Once the zucchini has sat for about 1/2 an hour, squeeze out as much liquid as you can, using your hands or pressing through a fine mesh colander. Reserve the liquid you press out, it will be used in the gravy.
• Dry out the bowl and put the zucchini back in, add the minced chili, onion, ginger and 2 tbsp of the cilantro (reserve the rest of the cilantro for garnish).
• Sift the chickpea flour over the zucchini mixture. Mix well and form into about 20 balls. If they're too large, they won't cook well in the middle unless you fully immerse them in oil. I prefer to use as little oil as possible for frying, so I flatten them out a bit to make frying easier.
• In a skillet or wok heat about 1 1/2 inches of oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, put in about 5 or 6 of the balls - or as many will fit in one layer with room around each of them. Fry for about 2 minutes, turning them until you get a nice even brown coat. I suggest you test one to get a feel for how long it will take to fully cook inside since it really depends on how large you make them, and how much oil is in your pan.
• Remove with a slotted spoon and leave to drain on paper towel. Continue with the rest of the 'meatballs', then set aside.
• 'Gravy'.
• Use about 5 tbsp of the oil from the frying and put into a skillet or saute pan. Heat the oil over medium heat and add onion once the oil is hot. Fry the onion for about 7 or 8 minutes, or until the onion begins to brown and become translucent. Take care not to burn the onion. Once cooked, take the pan off the heat for a moment and add the turmeric, cayenne, ground cumin and coriander. Stir and then return to the heat.
• Add the tomatoes and let that cook for about 5 minutes to combine flavours.
• Add 1 cup of the zucchini 'juice' -- if you are short, top up with water to reach 1 cup.
• Bring to a boil the lower the heat and let the sauce simmer gently for about 15 minutes. Up to this point, you could prepare the recipe in advance.
• To finish, (reheat if you have made in advance), add the cream, garam masala, roasted cumin and salt. (To roast the cumin, just put it in a dry really hot pan for a few minutes taking care not to burn). Mix sauce well and bring to a simmer.
• Add the 'meatballs' and gently spoon the sauce over them, trying not to break any of them. The meatballs turn soft in the sauce, so only cook enough to warm them through and then serve immediately with basmati rice and/or roti or naan bread. Garnish with the reserved fresh cilantro and cashews if using.

WINTER SQUASH AND WILD MUSHROOM CURRY

Steps:

• In a wide skillet, heat oil over medium-high. When hot, add squash cubes in one layer. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes, letting cubes brown slightly, then flip and cook for 2 minutes more. Use a slotted spoon to lift squash out, and set aside.
• Cut a lengthwise slit in each chile to open it, but leave whole. (This helps the chiles heat the sauce without making it too spicy.)
• Add shallots, salt lightly and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves, if using, and let sizzle for 30 seconds, then add garlic, coriander, cayenne, turmeric and chiles. Stir well and cook for 30 seconds more.
• Add mushrooms, season with salt and toss to coat. Cook, stirring, until mushrooms begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Return squash cubes to skillet, stir in coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Lower heat to medium and simmer for another 5 minutes. If mixture looks dry, thin with a little water. Taste and season with salt.
• Before serving, stir in lime juice. Transfer to a warm serving dish and garnish with cilantro.

ZUCCHINI MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, zucchini shreds, egg, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Form into large meatballs, mine were about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter and I made 16 meatballs. Place into a glass baking dish (I used a smaller 7x11-inch glass dish, what you see above. Then top each meatball with a little pasta sauce.
• Bake the meatballs in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through. Cooking time will vary depending on size and thickness of the meatballs.
• Cook the pasta as directed.
• Serve Zucchini Meatballs over pasta and sauce with a side of veggies. We had green beans!

CURRY POWDER - JAFFREY

Steps:

• Heat small, heavy skillet over medium-low heat.
• Add coriander, cumin, peppercorns, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cloves and chilies.
• Stir until spices smell toasted and aromatic, about 5 minutes. (A few of the spices will darken a shade.)
• Add turmeric; stir 10 seconds.
• Turn out onto clean plate to cool.
• Transfer spices to coffee or spice grinder, in batches if necessary; grind finely.
• Use immediately or store in air-tight container in cool, dry place for up to 2 months.