Zucchini is now getting popular in Ahmedabad

Recently, I saw zucchini at a newly opened mall and a few days later, also had some in a soup, a salad and pasta at a restaurant. Zucchini appears to be getting popular in Ahmedabad. As far as appearances go, green or yellow, it looks like cucumber and is like a mix between doodhi and cucumber, as it is white from within, yet the taste is different and not easy to define. It is also not easy to find, as it is available at a few speciality vegetable shops. Zucchini is often added to salad and pastas. It also makes excellent bondas, when cut into roundels, dipped into a spiced chana ata mixture and deep fried.


These bondas used to be available at a well known restaurant, but no longer so. A dear friend in Vadodara grows giant zucchinis on her farm and serves an incredible salad of zucchini with lettuce, red, green and yellow bell peppers, all soaked in a delightful olive oil dressing. If she does not make a salad of the same, she makes it into a stir fried vegetable with the addition of mushrooms, carrots, baby corn, spring onions with salt plus pepper and a dash of Soya sauce. The best part about zucchini is that, it does not need to be cooked for long, as it gets done in a jiffy and can be also eaten raw or even made into a curry with brinjals and tomatoes.

One can also make it into a mouth watering baked dish, with cheese. Zucchini can be very addictive once you get used to its rather bland but different taste. Recently, I met my American friend Joanne over coffee and she told me how she had tried to make zucchini bread. All you need to make zucchini bread is flour, oil, eggs, salt, sugar, vanilla, baking flour, cinnamon powder, crushed walnuts if you want a crunchy bread and of course, zucchini, grated or chopped or shredded. Beat eggs till light and fluffy, add oil, sugar and vanilla, add zucchini and mix well, add nuts, grease a loaf pan, pour the mixture and bake till done. 

The appearance of zucchini at some shops and many restaurants in Ahmedabad, is the perfect example as to how eating habits are changing in Gujarat.