Zucchini Pachadi ~ Indian Zucchini Chutney

Zucchini pachadi is a spicy, tangy, nutrient packed South Indian chutney from Telugu cuisine. It goes well with plain rice, dosa and also tastes equally good as a spread for sandwiches and rolls.

Chutneys are an integral part of South Indian cuisine and Telugu cuisine is no exception. We make chutneys from pretty much all the vegetables. Though zucchini is not native to India, it looks and tastes similar to cucumber & ridge gourd.

Zucchini chutney recipe is inspired by beerakaya pachadi and sorakaya pachadi. In Britain, France and European countries, zucchini is courgette and if you are from that region, do try this Indian courgette chutney.

Bowl of zucchini pachadi. — Chutney with more dry red chilies, hence a darker color.

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About the Recipe

Zucchini chutney recipe is similar to most vegetable chutneys; roast chilies, basic spices and the vegetable. Then grind it with tamarind and sesame seeds and/or peanuts.

In Telugu, chutney and pickle are both called pachadi and to differentiate between the two, it is prefixed with noorina pachadi or roti pachadi, depending on the region. Traditionally these chutneys are ground in a mortar pestle.

In Telangana it is noorina pachadi meaning a ground chutney and to be more precise, noorina is a term used to specify the process of grinding using a mortar pestle. And in Andhra, it is roti pachadi meaning a pachadi ground in a mortar.

Regardless of what it is called and how it is prepared, these pachadlu are delicious. If you are a fan of South Indian chutneys, try some of these chutneys; tomato pachadi, zucchini tomato pachadi, vankaya (brinjal) pachadi, cabbage pachadi and kobbari pachadi.

Ingredients

Zucchini - use tender medium zucchini and do not peel it.
Chilies - use a combination of green and red chilies. I normally use green chilies but for this recipe I use more red chilies for color. You can always use only green chilies as I have in zucchini tomato pachadi.
Tamarind - use washed and soaked tamarind, and add it when cooking the zucchini. However, my preferred choice is homemade tamarind paste or concentrate. You can always substitute tamarind with lime juice.
Nuts & Seeds - In Telangana region, sesame seeds are must in almost all the noorina pachadlu (plural of pachadi). Some people also add peanuts and I started adding it for protein quotient. Feel free to use both or either of these.
Garlic - I am generous with garlic and feel free to adjust it to your liking and for a no garlic chutney, substitute with some asafetida.
Tempering - Oil, cumin, fenugreek, curry leaves, turmeric and salt.

Instructions

It is an easy preparation. Roast chilies, nuts & seeds and spices separately. Then roast zucchini in the same pan and let cool. First grind the chilies, spices and nuts to a fine paste. Then add zucchini and coarsely grind.

Grinding Chutneys - Some Indian chutneys, specially vegetable chutneys taste better when coarsely ground and a mortar pestle does the best job. In a modern kitchen, I prefer using a food processor over a blender or a mixie.

Using a Food Processor - However, certain whole spices and nuts do not grind well in a food processor. Hence, when using a food processor for grinding chutneys, I use ground spices and nuts.

Grind dry red chilies and fenugreek seeds to a powder and similarly, powder roasted peanuts and sesame seeds. Use these in the preparation, rather than whole. Again, if using an Indian mixie, you skip the above steps and use whole ingredients as is.

SBS Instructions

SBS photo - sauteing spices and chilies in a steel frying pan.

Step 1: Heat oil in a pan, roast red chili, green chilies, curry leaves and cumin seeds.

SBS Photo 2 - sauteing garlic and spices in a steel pan.

Step 2: Then add whole or crushed garlic, fenugreek powder, turmeric and salt. Mix well.

SBS photo 3 - sauteing zucchini pieces in a steel frying pan.

Step 3: Add washed, sliced zucchini pieces and mix well until spices coat the pieces.

SBS photo 4 - cooked zucchini in a steel frying pan.

Step 4: Add tamarind, cover and cook on medium flame until zucchini is soft and cook uncovered until all the liquids evaporate.

SBS photo 5 - roasted zucchini and spices in a steel pan for chutney.

Step 5: Add cilantro, sesame and peanut powder and give a good stir. Let the mixture cool.

SBS photo 6 - coarse ground chutney in a manual food processor.

Step 6: Transfer to a food processor, grind to a coarse paste. I prefer keeping it coarse than grinding it to a fine paste.

Serve & Storage

Serve zucchini pachadi with piping hot rice, with dosa or biyyapatlu (instant rice flour dosa) and, as a spread for sandwiches and rolls. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Serve it cold or at room temperature.

Zucchini chutney in a bowl. In the background are a steel bowl of rice and a bowl of soup. — Chutney with more green chilies and fewer red chillies. Hence light color.

Variation

For a variation, add tomatoes for a zucchini tomato pachadi and depending on how sour the tomatoes are, cut back on tamarind. Substitute zucchini with ridge gourd or ivy gourd (tindora) or even red bell pepper.

Tips

Color - color of the chutney depends on the chilies used. For a brownish color use more red chilies and for a light color , use more green chilies.
Food processor - for a coarse texture, use a food processor or a mortar pestle.
Red chilies and fenugreek seeds do not grind well in a food processor. Hence, first grind these in a spice grinder and then add with the rest of the spice powders during the preparation.

Zucchini pachadi in a bowl with a handle.

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