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  • Serves 3
  • 45 minutes
  • Difficulty Medium
  • 13 Ingredients
By

50 Comments

The Bengalis have a delicious dish of little aubergine rounds nestling in a lightly creamy mustard and yogurt sauce. It is truly tasty and forms the inspiration for this barbecued dish. Here I make the sauce separately (and very quickly), adding some tomatoes to the basic recipe, and have swapped the aubergines for zucchini, which work so well with the mustard flavours.

This Barbecued Zucchinis with Bengali Sauce is an amazing side dish for any barbecue, but also makes a lovely, light course for vegetarians, in which case I sometimes add ricotta and/or two large handfuls of chickpeas for protein. A Bengali would use mustard seeds but, when you grind mustard seeds, they can sometimes turn bitter, so unless you are already familiar with this delicious but fickle spice, use the prepared mustard as I do here. It works just as well, you just lose a little extra body. The sauce is also delicious with some barbecued chicken and fish, so maybe make some extra!


Ingredients (serves 3)

  • 3 tsp prepared English mustard, or 2 tsp brown mustard seeds (see introduction), or to taste Salt
  • 10g roughly chopped root ginger (peeled weight)
  • 3 large garlic cloves, halved
  • 3½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more to brush the courgettes
  • ½ tsp panch phoran
  • 3 - 4 Indian green finger chillies, stalks removed, pierced with the tip of a knife
  • 3 quite rounded tbsp thick Greek yogurt
  • 1 large tomato, chopped
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • 3 courgettes (zucchini), sliced diagonally into 1.5cm thick rounds
  • 150g ricotta
  • Handful chopped coriander
  • 2½ tbsp pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted in a pan until puffed up

Method

  1. If using mustard seeds, soak them in 60ml water for 15 minutes. Add a large pinch of salt, the ginger and garlic and blend until smooth. The mustard seeds do not need to break down completely. It will smell lovely and mustardy.
  2. If using prepared mustard, blend the ginger and garlic with some water and mix with the mustard and some salt.
  3. Heat the oil in a small non-stick pan. Add the panch phoran and, as the seeds pop, reduce the heat, add the green chillies and fry for another 10 seconds.
  4. Add the mustard seed paste (if using), cleaning the blender container with a little water and adding it to the pot. Cook for a few minutes or until the garlic smells cooked and has darkened ever so slightly. Add the yogurt, most of the tomato, salt and turmeric and stir continuously until it comes to the boil. Stir in the prepared mustard (if using) and splash of water and return to the boil, it should have the consistency of light cream. Adjust the mustard and salt to taste: it should be punchy, the vegetable can take it. Set aside.
  5. Preheat the barbecue to medium - hot.
  6. Brush the courgette slices with olive oil, place on the grill rack and cook, until charred on both sides, around 2 minutes each side. Meanwhile, place the mustard sauce in a flameproof pan on the barbecue as well, to reheat the sauce, or just reheat it on the hob.
  7. Place the courgettes on your serving plate, top with the ricotta, then the sauce, reserved tomato, coriander and pumpkin seeds. Serve hot.

From Anjum Anand's newest book 'I Love India'. Available now online or in all good bookstores.

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  • Great way to use zucchini.

    Reply

  • This sounds super yummy. I live zuchinni.

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  • Love the sound of Bengali Sauce.

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  • Looks sooooo good. Loooong list of ingredients, a bit involved but I reckon it’ll be tastey

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  • Oooo this looks amazing!!!

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  • Sounds nutritious and a somewhat unique recipe.

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  • Looks and sounds interesting and healthy

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  • This sounds healthy.So many ingredients here.

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  • A great looking recipe,it would be delicious to eat!

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  • That looks wonderful, thanx for sharing

    Reply

  • Looks and sounds so good

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  • This looks the best, I cant wait

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  • Creative recipe which I have not see before, keen to try. Like zucchinis and eggplant and suggestion to add ricotta cheese and chickpeas.

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  • Yummy I’m a big fan of zucchini’s

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  • this looks so different

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  • I really enjoyed the coffee and it gave me nothing to think oh this is different. If I didn’t know it was plant based

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  • This looks amazing. Unsure of some ingredients, but feel I can make an awesome version of this.

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  • Great recipe – thanks for sharing. I was scared you’d added the sauce prior to BBQ’ing and was so glad to find it is just added after the zucchinis are BBQ’d.

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  • Looks and sounds healthy and delicious. I haven’t heard of panch phoran though.

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  • Thanks for sharing, I love grilled zucchini with roast pumpkin seeds !

    Reply

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