Pea-Nutty Squash, A Cheap and Easy Side Dish

    Why oh why is zucchini always the cheapest vegetable out there? If it's not cheap in the  farmers market, it turns up in piles every summer, dropped on the doorstep like some abandoned hero in a Charles Dickens novel by neighbors with too much bounty. It always seems to be there. That's why if I'm looking for something I can squeeze onto a dinner menu fast (if I'm not doing one of my sneaky cheap cabbage dishes), it's gonna be squash, you betcha.
   This recipe was originally designed to be made with chayote squash, but frankly when I was at the market last time, they wanted to much for them so I decided to go with cheaper zucchini and yellow crook necked squash. At 99 cents a pound it was a real no brainer.
   Another thing I love about this recipe is that it contains ground peanuts, or as I cal it peanut powder which in my twisted imagination turns every dish into the circus. Now I don't like circuses (never have) except the Cirque de Soleil which is not really a circus because it has no animals and a branch in Vegas. But I love peanuts and they are just the crunchy topper that makes anyone who's anti-zucchini forget what they're eating.

Squash With Peanuts

So here's how to do my adaptation of this dish:
   Slice and halve:
1/2  lb of zucchini
1/2 lb of yellow crooked neck squash
Set them aside.
In a skillet or kadhai heat 2 Tbs of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot toss in:
 1 tsp of brown mustard seeds
 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds
When the seeds start to turn color and pop add in:
 12 curry leaves (found at many Asian or Indian markets)
 1 cup of onion finely chopped
 1 crushed shallot
 2 serrano chilies slit down the middle
Stir it all around and cook it for about 4 or 5 minutes
Now toss in your squash and 1/2 tsp of garam masala
Stir it all around for about 2 minutes then add:
 1/4 cup of water
 2 Tbs of grated fresh or dried coconut

1 tsp of salt.
 Bring it all to a boil then slap a lid on it, turn down the heat and let it simmer for about 15 minutes or so until the squash is tender.

 Once it's all cooked and ready to serve it's time for the circus. Sprinkle the top with
  2 Tbs of ground up roasted peanuts.

    So there it is, painless, perfect and fast squash. Easy, tasty, making the most of what's always out there and above all cheap in a pinch.
   Coming up next, tricks with POMWonderful and getting ready for my birthday, which is on Saturday. Among the fun, I'm going to Iron Chef Morimoto's restaurant. There will  lots partying over the next several days and since I like to turn every birthday into the equivalent of a week long Indian wedding I'll also be menu planning for next weekends' Indian Birthday Buffet! Follow along on Twitter @kathygori

Two Squash, One Way. Fast Vegetables For An Easy Meatless Monday.

    The great thing about Meatless Monday, is that it always comes just in time. Mainly when we need it the most... like after a non-Meatlesss Weekend. Make that a very non Meatless Weekend. So after the damage has been done, it great to start off the new week with something fresh and green. Or in this case, something fresh and green and yellow.
   The thing I like about this squash dish is that it can be made quickly, it tastes great, and paired with another vegetable dish and some rice or chapatti, it's a meal.  Plus, you feel so guilt free. This squash dish is made with chayote, that pear shaped vegetable which looks like a slightly aging avocado and is frequently associated with Mexican cuisine. It also one of those vegetables that's migrated from one hemisphere to another, mainly from Mesoamerica to...everywhere. In this case South India where the recipe originated.
    Now, not everybody at every time can get hold of chayote, which locovore that I am, was the situation. So I went looking for other squash, less exotic, closer to home. I  decided to dress up the lowly zucchini and the yellow crook necks and take 'em uptown.

Squash With Coconut

   Here's how to do it in less than 30 minutes:

  Take 1/2 lb of zucchini and 1/2 lb of crook neck squash and cut them into 1/2 inch pieces.
 In a large skillet or kadhai, heat about 2 Tbs of coconut or other vegetable oil.
 When the oil is hot toss in:
 1 tsp of brown mustard seeds
 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds
   When the seeds start to sizzle and pop toss in:
 About 12 curry leaves
 1 cup of finely chopped onion
 1 tsp of chopped shallot
 2  fresh serrano chiles stemmed and split up the middle.

Give them a stir, keeping it moving for around 4 or 5 minutes.
Now toss in the chopped squash and 1/2 tsp of garam masala.

Cook the squash for 2 minutes and then add in:
3/4 cup of water
2 Tbs of grated coconut
1 tsp of salt and bring the whole thing to a boil.

  Cover the pan and lower the heat to simmer. Cook the squash for about 15 minutes until it's cooked through. Put the squash in a serving dish and before serving, sprinkle the whole dish with 2 Tbs of roasted ground peanut powder.

And there it is. About 30 minutes from fridge to table, and if you happen to find good cheap local squash in your local farmers market as I did, it's an inexpensive tasty treat, and the peanut powder adds some extra protein punch.
   Coming up next, another Meatless Monday alternative, a rich and creamy cabbage dish without a shred of dairy.