Zucchini Turnovers Snack

nother vegetable which has recently been introduced to Indian cuisine is zucchini. This vegetable resembles a cucumber in appearance but has a firmer texture and seeds which are very tiny and almost invisible. It is an emerald green colour and comes from the family of squash. The only difference is that it is harvested quite early, when it reaches a length of about 25 cm, to prevent it from losing its taste. This vegetable, which is a storehouse of nutrients, adapts itself very well to any cuisine, sweet or savoury. Be it a zucchini fritter or just simply tossed with a few herbs and roasted, it makes a great side dish and is very healthy.

Today I would like to share with you a snack made with shredded zucchini which I have adapted to an Indian taste. This snack can be pre-made and then reheated and served. The use of oil is very minimal in this snack, and it is a good option for those of you trying to avoid deep-fried snacks. We as mothers know that children are fussy when it comes to eating vegetables. I learnt how to play hide and seek with vegetables in many forms when my children were growing up, sometimes in parathas, sometimes in cakes and idlis. There were beetroot parathas, carrot Sindhi kokis, or spinach idlis, etc. But nowadays young mothers are more health conscious and train their children from an early age to eat healthy. Zucchini is definitely a vegetable which should occupy a permanent space in your vegetable drawer.

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup finely grated zucchini
• 1/2 cup chickpea flour (besan)
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 2 tbsps yogurt
• Paste of ginger and green chillies (to your spice level)
• 2 tbsps lime juice
• Salt to taste and a pinch of turmeric
• 1 small potato, boiled, peeled, and grated
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 small tomato, finely chopped
• 2 tbsps finely chopped spring onions
• 2 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves
• 3 tbsps grated paneer (cottage cheese)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp amchoor powder
• Salt to taste

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Method

1. Mix together the besan, 1/2 cup grated zucchini, rice flour, salt, ginger–green chilli paste, yogurt, lime juice, and about 1/2 cup water to get a smooth batter which is not too thick. Keep aside for 15 minutes.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and chopped onions. Sauté till the onions become soft. Add the chopped tomatoes, garam masala, turmeric, amchoor, red chilli powder, and salt. Mix well, then add the grated potato and paneer.
3. Separately sauté 1/2 cup grated zucchini till dry and add it to the potato mixture. This becomes the filling for the zucchini turnovers. At this point you have two options: use the potato filling only, or add the sautéed zucchini as well.
4. Heat a non-stick pan and brush a little oil on the surface. Drop a spoonful of the batter on it; it should spread a little. After a minute, turn it over and place 1 tsp of the filling on one side of the pancake, then fold it over to form a semi-circle.
5. Cook the pancake on both sides till crisp, brushing with a little oil. Serve hot with a sauce of your choice.