COURGETTE ROUNDS WITH CUMIN
This courgette recipe is so easy it went straight to Instagram, as a quick video clip without even so much as a method. It’s been extremely popular (especially for those who have lost inspiration getting through a summer glut of this reliable British veg) and it keeps being referred back to, so I do believe it has earned its very own recipe page on the website.
Part of my series of one-veg one-spice recipes (check out the butternut with Ajwain), these courgette rounds are simply sizzled in ghee with a pinch of sea salt, black pepper and toasted cumin. If we don’t count the salt and pepper (which is customary with these kinds of things) then it’s only three ingredients and no technique required other than to allow the courgettes long enough to caramelise without burning them. I love the juiciness and earthy sweetness of this side dish, with just the right amount of bitter from both the cumin and courgette, and as I mentioned in my Instagram post, I would quite happily munch away on a plate of these over popcorn or crisps… and I have a thing for crunchy crisps, so that’s saying a lot.
Serve these courgette rounds with cumin as a side dish, as a delicious texture to a warm salad, or as a kitchari or pilaf topping, serve with a dip or even blend into a dip and enjoy the sweetness of courgettes in a whole new way. For something a bit special on the table, cook up both a standard green and a yellow courgette and arrange together on a plate, checkerboard style. Courgettes are particularly easy to digest as a vegetable, but try removing the skin and seeds if digestion is weak, and be liberal with the cumin.
I have a little jar in my cupboard of cumin that is pre toasted and then ground for just such a purpose, but ready-ground cumin is great too, just a little finer with a little less oomph — it’s also yummy to sprinkle onto avocado, eggs, roasted veggies, cheese on toast and soups. Cumin is a warming spice. Bitter and pungent in taste, it balances Vata and Kapha and amps up Pitta, making it an excellent digestive aid for those foods with cold qualities. Go easy if you’re already overheated!
INGREDIENTS
1 large courgette
1-2 tsp of ghee, or your cooking oil of choice
Ground cumin, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
METHOD
Slice the courgettes into rounds — I usually make them about 1 centimetre thick.
Heat the ghee in a large pan on medium-high. When it sizzles, start adding the courgette rounds. Be careful not to overcrowd them — they need space to caramelise. If need be, cook them in two batches.
Sprinkle a little pinch each of cumin, salt and pepper over the courgettes.
After a couple of minutes, check the underneath of the first one you added and if browned to your liking, you can start to turn them over. I find a pair of tongs useful for this. Then, depending how heavy handed you were when seasoning on the first side, you can add a touch more again here if you feel it would need it. When tender but still with some bite, plate the courgettes up.
Serve hot and fresh from the pan, unless you're building a vegetable pilaf medley. Then, they’ll still be at their best served warm.