Zucchini Gojju / Zucchini Curry

What do you think is a 'Recipe'? List of ingredients and some instructions to follow? If that is the case, there are lot of people like me who cannot follow a 'Recipe'. To me, a good cook or good chef is the one who has imagination and a very good sense of the ingredients. Each ingredient tastes differently when combined with something else. That is how all different dishes have emerged. If I remember how my grand mother made something, it was different compared to what my mother made. If I make the same dish, it'll be different for sure. I am not saying that my version is better than theirs. I am not even saying their version was better than mine. It is just different. I am just writing because of the recipe for this dish. I didn't learn this from anyone. It is just my imagination and trial that led to this. There could be other people who make this as a standard dish, but not in my place.

If you are from Karnataka, you must know about Gojju. I am posting the same, but did it a little differently.
Here goes my recipe..

Ingredients:

• Zucchini - 3 large peeled and diced into big chunks
• Oil - 2 TBSP
• Salt - to taste
• Jaggery / brown Sugar - 2 - 3 TBSP or to taste
• Tamarind - half of a lime size (Or 3/4 tsp of paste)
• Curry leaves - a few
• Red chillies - 8 or more to taste divided use
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric - a big pinch
• Bengal gram dal / kadale bele - 2 TBSP
• Coriander seeds / Dhaniya - 1 TBSP
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
• Sesame seeds - 1 tsp
• Coconut shredded - 1/2 cup
• Hing - 1/2 tsp

Method:
In a pan, dry roast bengal gram dal, coriander seeds, all but one of red chillies. When they are almost done, add cumin, fenugreek, sesame seeds. Roast till all the spices are golden. Set aside. In a pan, heat oil. When hot, add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add reserved red chilli, curry leaves, hing. Now add the chopped zucchini pieces, turmeric, salt and stir. If using tamarind and not the paste, soak it in 1/4 cup of water and extract the juice. Cover the pan with lid and let zucchini get soft. Meanwhile, grind the roasted ingredients with coconut adding very less water (you can use the tamarind juice instead of water). into a smooth paste. When the zucchini is cooked, add this paste, jaggery and add the tamarind extract. You can add some more water at this point to get the desired consistency. Check for salt and adjust if needed. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 2 - 3 minutes and turn off. It tastes great with rice and goes very well with chapathis, rotis too.

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