Zucchini Sabzi (or Sabji) is a quick and easy Indian stir-fry made with zucchini squash (courgette), onions, and a few spices in under 20 minutes. This zucchini dish is vegan, gluten-free, keto, and low-carb.
Are you wondering what to make with fresh zucchini (courgette)? Try this simple, healthy Indian-style zucchini stir-fry, which is ready in under 20 minutes with just a few ingredients. Also, check out my Asian-style zucchini stir-fry.
The preparation is very simple, but it results in an incredibly delicious dish that pairs very well with roti, paratha, instant pot white basmati rice, and dal tadka.
This is a dry or semi-dry preparation. If you prefer a curry style, add 1 large finely chopped tomato and frozen green peas. You can also stir in coconut milk to make a creamy Indian zucchini curry.
If you are looking for more ideas with zucchini, then check out these Indian zucchini recipes.
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Ingredients
Gather all the ingredients required for this easy zucchini ki sabji.
- Fresh zucchini: 2 medium zucchini squash cut into ½ inch pieces (about 1 ½ cups).
- Garlic and Ginger: Use freshly minced, finely chopped, or homemade ginger garlic paste.
- Onion: I used the red onions, you can use any variety.
- Green chili: I used 2 Thai chilies. You can skip and add red chili powder instead.
- Curry leaves: These are optional and are added to enhance the flavor.
- Herbs: I used freshly chopped coriander leaves.
- Spices: I used cumin seeds, turmeric, coriander powder, and homemade garam masala.
- Lemon juice: Use fresh lemon or lime juice whenever possible, or substitute with amchur powder (dry mango powder) for a tart flavor.
How to Make Indian Zucchini Sabzi
Wash and cut 2 medium zucchinis into ½-inch long pieces. This should yield approximately 1.5-2 cups.
Heat the 2 teaspoons coconut oil in a pan on medium heat. Add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and let them crackle.
Then add 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste, 2 green chilies (finely chopped), 1 big pinch asafoetida (hing), and 1 stalk curry leaves, and saute for 30 seconds till the raw smell of ginger-garlic disappears.
Add 1 medium onion (finely chopped) and cook until they soften.
Next, add chopped zucchini, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon garam masala, and salt to taste. Mix everything well.
Cover and cook over low heat for 3-4 minutes until the zucchini is fork-tender, stirring occasionally. (I didn't add any water.) Since zucchini contains 95% water, no extra water is needed during cooking.
Once the zucchini is cooked, add 1 teaspoon amchur powder, and 2 tablespoons coriander leaves, mix well, and serve this easy Indian-style zucchini sabzi or zucchini masala hot with roti, paratha, or rice.
What to Serve with Zucchini Sabzi?
Zucchini stir fry pairs well with roti, chapati, instant pot steamed sona masoori rice, or instant pot quinoa along with some cucumber raita and chickpea cucumber salad on the side.
Variations
- You can skip the onions in this recipe, but the sabzi tastes better with them. For a curry style, you can add tomatoes.
- You can replace zucchini with bottle gourd (lauki) or ridge gourd for a similar dish.
Expert Tips
- Zucchini needs to be fresh and firm. Also, check its taste before cooking it; some might be bitter.
- Diced zucchini should be of equal size, and should not be too thick or thin.
- Zucchini contains 95% water, so there is no need to add water while cooking. Cook it on a low flame.
Make-Ahead & Storage
- To Make-Ahead: Prepare the zucchini, onion, ginger, and garlic up to 1 day in advance and store them separately in airtight storage containers in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook.
- To Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: I do not recommend freezing, as the zucchini gets soggy after thawing. But if that doesn't bother you, please feel free to seal the leftovers in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw fully before reheating.
- To Reheat: Reheat on a stovetop in a pan with a tablespoon of water or microwave until warm.
Zucchini Sabzi (Indian Style Zucchini Stir Fry)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
- 2 green chillies finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 stalk curry leaves
- a big pinch asafoetida (hing) optional
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 medium zucchini cut into ½ inch pieces (about 1.5 - 2 cups)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon amchur powder (dry mango powder) (or lemon juice)
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (cilantro)
Instructions
- Wash and cut zucchini into ½ inch long pieces.
- Heat the coconut oil in a pan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds let them crackle.
- Then add ginger-garlic paste, green chilies, asafetida, curry leaves, and saute for 30 seconds till the raw smell of ginger-garlic disappears.
- Add chopped onions and cook until they soften.
- Next, add chopped Zucchini, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and salt. Mix everything well.
- Cover and cook over low heat for 3-4 minutes till fork tender. Stir in between (I didn't add any water). Zucchini contains 95% of water hence no need to add extra water while cooking.
- Once zucchini is cooked add amchur powder, coriander leaves, mix well and serve this easy Indian style zucchini sabzi or zucchini masala hot with roti, paratha, or rice.
Video
Notes
- Zucchini needs to be fresh and firm.Also check the taste of zucchini before cooking it, some of them might be bitter in the taste.
- Zucchini chunks should not be too thick or too thin.
- You can skip onions in this recipe, but sabzi tastes better with onions.
- Zucchini contains 95% of water hence no need to add water while cooking, cook it on low flame.
- Zucchini can be replaced with bottle gourd/lauki
Nutrition
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Sarthak Gupta
Thanks for Sharing mam this Zucchini Sabzi
Bhavana Patil
You are welcome
JaneR
This looks amazing and I'm going to try it with my first home-grown courgettes of the season! Do you know what the carb count is for one portion? It isn't in your nutrition list?
Bhavana Patil
Hi Jane, Let me know how it turns out. I have updated the nutritional value in the recipe card.
Liza Masc
Was so easy to make and delicious. This is a keeper!
Bhavana Patil
Thank you Liza for trying out, glad you liked it.
Su
New-to-me desi zucchini recipe. I made it today, it's very easy and delicious. Simple ingredients and method.
Bhavana Patil
Hi Su, glad you liked the recipe:)
Marguerite
Wonderful easy recipe : make it every week and it is delicious!
Bhavana Patil
Hi Marguerite, Thank you for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback. I am glad you liked it.
Marguerite
This is a great recipe. I just omitted the coriander powder as I am allergic to it.
Despite that we enjoyed the taste
I will definitely keep it in my repertoire!
Thank you
Vina
Thanks it came out very well.
Bhavana Patil
Hi Vina, Glad to know that it came out well.
Anonymous
Turned out great. Thank you.
Bhavana Patil
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback 🙂
Monica L
Delicious! Our first recipe in our newly more vegetarian diet. We added chickpeas and roasted potatoes (used same herbs as rub for the potatoes) and used ghee instead of coconut oil. We served it with a dollop of hummus and we all had seconds. It was filling, delicious and very nutritious. TY for sharing!
Bhavana Patil
Now that's fantastic Monica 🙂 Looks like you made the recipe even more fun and healthier, I will make sure to give that a try too when I prepare it next time, have a great day 🙂
shobha
Turned out well and easy to make
suman
simple and tasty!
bhavana
Thanks for trying!
Anonymous
Easy and new style of making zucchini ,loved it
bhavana
Thank you 🙂
Neerav
Loved it
bhavana
Thank you
Janina O'Brien
Really great! And next time I get to an Indian grocery store I'm going to try this recipe with sabzi!--now that I finally understand what I would do with it. 🙂
bhavana
thats awsome let me know how it turns out.
Anonymous
Tried it my family loved it
bhavana
Thank you
fitoru
Healthy and at the same time delicious. This one is a really must try. And what's best is this is very easy to prep.
bhavana
thank you glad you liked it:)