March Tauri
I love my family for making me the most delicious vegetarian dishes when we get together. I have been a pescatarian for the last 20ish years; maybe the only Pakistani pescatarian in the world hahahahahaha! My darling parents, siblings, aunts, and uncles have always made me separate dishes at their dinner parties.
If one of them asks me what I would like to eat, my answer is almost always Tauri — either that or bhindi, but that’s a whole separate conversation. Tauri is a type of zucchini but has a thinner skin and is often found at Pakistani grocery stores. If you live in a bigger US city, they are easy to find. If not, you can make this recipe with zucchini.
Tauri
Prep Time
7 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Serves
4
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup high smoke point oil
- 1.5 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 medium onion
- 1 large tomato
- Spices
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp coriander (powdered)
- 1 tsp the hottest chili powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 lbs tauri
- 2 fresh chillies
- 3 tbs fresh coriander
- 1 tbs tikka masala (this is cheating)
Kitchenware
- 3 qt saucepan
- spatula
Steps
- Heat oil in a 3-quart saucepan on medium.
- Add cumin seeds and cook just until fragrant (avoid browning them).
- Stir in onions and cook until translucent.Add tomatoes and cook until they become mushy, using a spatula to help.
- Add spices except tikka masala, and cook for 1-2 minutes.Add sliced zucchini (tauri) and ½ cup water.
- Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- When tender, add fresh chilies and tikka masala.
- Cook for a few more minutes.
- Garnish with coriander and serve with naan, roti, or rice.
Also, I cannot believe, I have tikka masala in this recipe. I am majorly opening myself up to all the aunties hating on this recipe but it is seriously the best cheat code. Next month’s recipe is for the perfect roti but meanwhile, you can get a frozen Naan from Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods.