Spicy Asian Zucchini

1. Zucchini – Use small / medium (~15 – 18cm long (6 – 7″) so they cook on the stove or BBQ. If yours are giant, cut it into quarters.

Doneness – I only take the zucchini to barely cooked (ie still pretty firm), it will keep cooking as you plate up. When super soft, it’s quite watery which dilutes flavour. A reader suggested searing then finishing in oven if you want yours super soft, use temps below!

Oven – Won’t get the same seared colour but works fine, also easier to cook through until very soft (stove might overly brown). 200°C/375°F (180°C fan) for 25 minutes or until done to your taste.

2. Crispy Fried Shallots – Asian garnish widely available these days, salty, oily, crispy. Such a frequent player in my recipes I even wrote an About page here. Find it in the Asian section of supermarket but cheaper at Asian stores!

3. Sambal Oelak – chilli paste which makes a nice sauce for smothering. Made with fresh chillis (no oil or flavourings), found in large grocery stores and Asian stores. Substitute with sriracha or a not-too-spicy chilli crisp (taste and check) – sauce will have chilli crunch chunks and be oilier (yum!). A reader also made and loved this with Gochujang!

4. Soy sauce – Don’t use soy sauce labelled “dark soy sauce”, way too intense and salty, will ruin the dish. Any general “soy sauce” or “light soy sauce” can be used.

5. Mirin is a sweet Japanese cooking wine that is found in large grocery stores and Asian stores. Brings a depth of flavour and sweetness into an otherwise simple sauce, is one of 3 core sauces in Japanese cooking (ie it’s good stuff!). Sub with honey for a non alcoholic version – sauce still great but not quite the same restaurant-y complexity of flavour. 🙂

6. Storage –Keeps in the fridge for 2 days though the sauce does go watery because the zucchini will continue to sweat water as it cools. Still tasty though because the sauce is quite intense so it can take some watering down!

Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings.