Pakistani Zucchini (Courgette) Curry
The original Zucchini Curry recipe adored by thousands! 12 simple ingredients are all you need to transform boring zucchini into this flavorful Indian & Pakistani-style Zucchini (Courgette) Curry, called Toriyan or ‘torai ki sabzi’ in Urdu. This is an easy, one-pot vegan curry recipe that will have you (and even your kids!) loving Zucchini.
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“…It blew my mind. I can’t stop thinking about it, weeks later! I had no idea courgette could taste so good, I will definitely be growing it again just to make this amazing curry.”
Kath
What’s so special about this recipe?
I originally published this zucchini recipe back in 2017. Since then, I’ve had hundreds of people reach out and share how much they love this curry. Here’s what I think makes this recipe special:
- The cooking process brings out the sweet and rich flavors of zucchini. This plays well with the earthy, spicier flavors of this vegetarian curry.
- An extra onion adds another layer of caramelization and complements the zucchini.
- The spices are subtle, which make the final dish pronounced in flavor, but not overwhelmingly spicy.
Notes on the Ingredients
I was tempted to give the onions and tomatoes in grams, but this dish allows for plenty of variance and I wanted the recipe to reflect that. Here’s what you need to know about the ingredients:
- Green Chili Pepper – You can use Serrano, Thai chilis, or other suitable green chili pepper. You need just a small amount to add adequate heat and flavor.
- Red Chili Powder – This is Pakistani and Indian style red chili powder. Substitute cayenne if you don’t have it. Since the spice level of red chili powder varies from brand to brand, start with the smaller amount and increase as desired.
- Onions – This recipe works well with sliced onions (similar to okra curry), which contribute to the overall flavor and texture. For large onions, you may prefer to quarter them before slicing. If you’d rather just finely chop them, that’s okay too.
- Zucchini (Courgettes) – Traditionally peeled but you can leave it unpeeled if you’d like. Just note that unpeeled zucchini may take a little longer to disintegrate into the curry.
How to Make Zucchini (Courgette) Curry
The method can be simplified into 4 Steps:
- Sauté the onions until golden. Don’t brown them too much because once you add the garlic and ginger, the onions will deepen even more in color.
- Add the tomatoes, salt, and spices. Once the tomatoes soften, add the zucchini along with a bit of water.
- Cover and allow to cook for 7-10 minutes. Once the zucchini is soft and the water has dried up, use a wooden spoon to break the zucchini into pieces.
- Lower the heat, cover, and allow the zucchini to cook for another 15-20 minutes. Uncover and sauté out any excess moisture, using your spoon to break up any remaining bits.
How to know when it’s done:
The final dish shouldn’t have water content from the zucchini floating around. When in doubt, sauté a little extra. Once the oil separates from the curry and the zucchini is very well cooked, you’re done!
A note: I’ve had several people share pictures of their finished product with a bit more ‘curry’ and not fully reduced down. If that’s how you prefer it, that’s okay too. Make it your own!
How to Serve
This dish pairs perfectly with just about anything, but roti, naan, paratha, or any other bread go exceptionally well with it. Rice is another reader-favorite pairing.
As for freezing the Zucchini Curry, freezing would most likely affect the texture because of the water content of zucchini. Although, I have heard many readers do freeze it! For best results, reheat the curry on stovetop.
More Popular Vegetarian Curry Recipes:
- Easy Spinach and Potato Curry (Aloo Palak)
- Easy Mixed Vegetable Curry
- Potato & Cauliflower Curry (Aloo Gobi)
- Baingan Bharta (Smoked Eggplant Curry)
- Chana Masala (Chickpea Curry)
Tried this recipe? If you have a minute, please consider leaving a comment telling me how it was! If you have a photo of your dish, please feel free to upload it and share with others. If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creations. I truly love hearing from you. Thank you!
Pakistani Zucchini (Courgette) Curry | Toriyan (Torai ki Sabzi)
Watch the Video
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (79 ml) grapeseed or other neutral oil
- 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
- 5-6 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 inch piece ginger, crushed
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 medium tomato, cubed
- 1 tsp salt, or more to taste
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
- 1/4-1/2 tsp red chili powder, or to taste
- 3 large (1 to 1 1/4 lb) (454-567 g) green zucchini squash (courgette), peeled and cut into 1/8-inch half-moons, (weighed after chopping)
- 1 small green chili pepper (such as Serrano), sliced
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 cup (4 g) chopped cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in a nonstick or heavy bottomed skillet over high heat. Add the onions, and sauté until they are lightly golden (~8-10 minutes).
- Lower the heat to medium and add the garlic, ginger and cumin seeds. Sauté until the raw smell of the ginger and garlic disappears (~1 min). Add the tomato, salt, coriander powder, black pepper powder, and red chili powder. Sauté for a minute, then stir in the zucchini and 1/4 cup of water. Mix well, ensuring that the zucchini is well coated.
- Cover and let cook on medium heat for 7-10 minutes, stirring once in between. Once most of the water has dried up, use a wooden spoon to break the zucchini into pieces. Add the sliced green chili pepper and turmeric and sauté for a few minutes.
- Lower the heat to the lowest setting, cover and continue to cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring half-way. If you’re afraid it will stick to the pan, add a splash of water. Uncover and stir well. If needed, raise the heat to high to sauté any extra moisture for 3-5 minutes. Taste and adjust salt.
This is an update of a recipe that was originally published in 2017. Since then, it’s been updated with new pictures and video!
290 Comments on “Pakistani Zucchini (Courgette) Curry”
Hi,
Can you freeze this dish?
Farhat
Hi Farhat, I think freezing would affect the texture because of the water content of zucchini. But I know many people do freeze it! For best results, reheat on stovetop.
We love this recipe. It’s also pretty flexible and forgiving. A great standby in summer (as it is at the moment here in Australia) when one has a glut of zucchinis and is tired of all the usual ways of using them up. I have frozen some for next winter too. Delicious.
Thank you for sharing Rosemary! It is one of our favourite ways to use zucchini as well 🙂
Thank you for sharing. Easy going, authentic and love it can go for vegan 🌱
Glad to hear you enjoyed the Zucchini Curry!
This was absolutely delicious and very simple to make. I found I had everything the recipe needed in my store-cupboards without having to go to the shop, which is always welcome. I will be trying more of your recipes ASAP!
Yes! I’m all for recipes you don’t have to run to the store for. Hope you get to try many more!
Loved the idea of this, but didn’t think much of the flavor of this, or lack thereof. May be that I didn’t use enough salt, but if so….
I will not be making it again.
Hi Ze’ev, So sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy the Zucchini Curry. One possibility, as you mentioned, could have been it needed more salt. Another possibility is if the spices were not fresh. That could effect the amount of flavour as well. We hope you will give another recipe a try!
This courgette curry is delicious. It’s a great way to use up the abundance of summer courgettes. Flavourwise it’s warm and comforting. I ate way more than usual because it’s so good!
Hi Ann, Thank you for sharing your review! We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed the Courgette Curry!
Do you think this would work well with eggplant as well? We love the zucchini curry. Just wondering if we can use other vegetables and have the same effect
Thank you, Tess! You will love both my Baingan Bharta and Aloo Baingan. Both are designed to bring out the best of eggplant!
This was delicious! It didn’t serve 4 though, my husband and I ate it between us and we’re not big eaters.
Thanks for the tip, Mirjam! Glad you both enjoyed. 🙂
Had a lot of zucchini so was keen to try this recipe – what a delightful surprise! Absolutely delicious. It’s now a new family favourite curry. And I’m happy because it’s vegetarian…
Thank you! This is one of your favourite vegetarian recipes!
This is SO good! I used cumin powder and ginger powder as that is what I had on hand, and it was still phenomenal.
Thank you Rachel! It is one of our favourites recipes 🙂