Zucchini Thogayal Recipe with step by step photos. South Indian style zucchini thogayal that can be served either as a side dish with rice or as a main dish when mixed with rice and served along with chips and pappads.
It can also be served like a chutney with idlis and dosa.
I have used yellow zucchini here in this recipe but you can also use the green one. Both the variant tastes the same in this thogayal.
This thogayal tastes almost like peerkangai thogayal and I love eating both zucchini and ridge gourd raw.
As the zucchini has high water content, to add more body to the thogayal, I add curry leaves as I always get a big bunch of them for free every time I buy veggies.
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A lot of it gets left over even by the next time of shopping.
So what better way to use up the curry leaves which are actually healthy because of their high iron content.
But you can also use either coriander leaves or mint leaves in it s place but personally I prefer using curry leaves.
Stepwise photos to make Zucchini Thuvaiyal:
1. Heat a pan with 1 tsp oil. Add urad dal and whole dry red chilies. Roast over low flame till the dal becomes golden brown in color and the chilies turn slightly dark. Drain and transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2. Add curry leaves and saute over low flame till it shrinks in size. Transfer to the same bowl.
3. Add 1 more tsp oil to the pan. Add sliced zucchini and saute over low flame.
4. Cook till the edges start to shrink and slightly change color. Transfer to the same bowl.
5. Once all the ingredients cool down, transfer them all to a mixer jar.
6. Add soaked tamarind, salt and grind to a coarse paste adding little water that was used to soak the tamarind.
7. Heat the same pan with 1 tsp oil. Add mustard seeds and let it crackle. Add the ground zucchini thogayal, stir well and cook for 30 seconds.
8. Switch off stove. Take the pan off fire and transfer the zucchini thogayal to a serving bowl.
Serve as a side dish with rice, idlis or dosas.
Zucchini Thogayal Recipe details as follows:

Zucchini Thogayal Recipe
Ingredients
- Zucchini - 1
- Curry leaves - 1/2 cup
- Urad dal - 1 tbsp
- Whole dry red chilies - 5 to 6
- Tamarind - 1 small gooseberry size
- Oil - 2 tsp
- Salt - to taste
For tempering:
- Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
- Oil - 1 tsp
Instructions
Preparation:
- Wash and wipe zucchini dry. Slice into thin roundels and keep aside. You can use either green or yellow zucchini.
- Soak tamarind in little water hot water for 5 mins.
To make Zucchini Thogayal:
- Heat a pan with 1 tsp oil. Add urad dal and whole dry red chilies.
- Roast over low flame till the dal becomes golden brown in color and the chilies turn slightly dark.
- Drain and transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Add curry leaves and saute over low flame till it shrinks in size. Transfer to the same bowl.
- Add 1 more tsp oil to the pan. Add sliced zucchini and saute over low flame.
- Cook till the edges start to shrink and slightly change color. Transfer to the same bowl.
- Once all the ingredients cool down, transfer them all to a mixer jar.
- Add soaked tamarind, salt and grind to a coarse paste adding little water that was used to soak the tamarind.
- Heat the same pan with 1 tsp oil.
- Add mustard seeds and let it crackle. Add the ground zucchini thogayal, stir well and cook for 30 seconds.
- Switch off stove. Take the pan off fire and transfer the zucchini thogayal to a serving bowl.
- Serve as a side dish with sambar or rasam rice, or add 2 to 3 tsp thogayal to hot white rice, drizzle sesame oil or ghee, mix well and serve with pappads.
- Serve this as a chutney as a side dish with idli or dosas.

Fantastic recipe. Detailed explanation with helpful pictures. Will be checking your site for more recipes.
Thank you Aarti.