Zucchini Curry (Indian Courgette Curry) - Instant Pot

5 from 10 votes

Zucchini Curry (Indian Courgette Curry) - Instant Pot

This Indian-style Zucchini Curry recipe is creamy and delicious, made with zucchini (courgette) infused with spices. It's extremely easy to make in an Instant Pot pressure cooker or on the stovetop in less than 20 minutes.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Keyword Courgette Curry, indian zucchini curry, instant pot zucchini curry

Diet Gluten-Free, Low Carb, Vegan, Vegetarian

Method Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker, Stovetop

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 138kcal

Author Bhavana Patil

Equipment

Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

2-3 medium zucchini (courgette) sliced lengthwise and then cut into 1-inch half-moon pieces (about 3-3.5 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
1 tablespoon ginger and garlic minced
1 green chili finely chopped
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes finely chopped or 1 can 8 oz tomato sauce (about 1 cup) or crushed tomatoes
½ cup water
salt to taste
2 tablespoons coconut cream or fresh cream, cashewnut cream (optional but recommended)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons coriander leaves

Dry spices:

½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon garam masala

Instructions

Instant Pot Method:

Wash and cut 2-3 zucchini lengthwise, then into half-moon pieces (around 3-3.5 cups).
Press SAUTE mode on Instant Pot. Add oil, and once it's hot, add cumin seeds. Allow the cumin seeds to splutter.
Then add minced ginger, garlic, and green chili. Saute for 30 seconds.
Add finely chopped onions. Saute them for 2-3 minutes or till they turn light brown.
Next, add tomatoes, dry spices like turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, and salt. Cook for two more minutes till the tomatoes turn soft.
Then add the zucchini pieces and water, and mix well. Make sure to deglaze the pot by scraping any spices sticking to the inner pot to avoid the BURN alert.
Seal the lid securely and set the vent to "SEALING". Then, choose the "PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL" setting on high pressure and adjust the cooking time to 1 minute.
When the instant pot beeps, do a Quick Release (QR).
Lastly, remove the lid away from you, add coconut cream or fresh cream, squeeze lemon juice, and garnish with cilantro.
Zucchini Sabji (Courgette curry) is ready, serve hot with chapatis, roti & parathas.

Stovetop Pot Method:

Follow the same steps as the Instant Pot. Cover the Kadai with a lid and cook until the zucchini becomes soft, which takes about 5-6 minutes.
Stir once or twice in between. Add cream and lemon juice once the zucchini is cooked, and garnish with cilantro.

Video

Notes

Tips

Zucchini needs to be fresh and firm. Also, check its taste before cooking it. Some zucchinis might be bitter.
Ensure the zucchini chunks are not cut too thin; otherwise, the small pieces will get mashed in the pressure cooker.
I have prepared this dish in my electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot DUO60 6 QT. If using an 8 qt or a newer instant pot model that is more sensitive to burn issues, add an extra ¼ cup of water before pressure cooking.

Variations

Zucchini can be replaced with bottle gourd (lauki) in this recipe.
You can also add other vegetables like potato, green peas to this recipe.
If you don't have coconut cream, You can also add 1 cup of coconut milk at the end and simmer for a few minutes to make delicious zucchini coconut curry.
If you don't have garam masala on hand, substitute it with curry powder.

Nutrition