grilled courgette masala

griddled tori masala

To accompany the mega-rich butter chicken, I wanted a veg-based accompaniment. I was in the mood for courgette so Googled Indian-influenced courgette recipes. Disappointingly there was hardly anything out there; it’s not a particularly Indian ingredient and the only recipe that seemed to crop up was one for “courgette with peas and tomato” which was moving away from the side-dish I was after. There was nothing left but to get creative. I thought about how I would prepare a courgette, and thinly sliced and griddled is one of my favourite. By adding a curry-flavoured oil I was pretty much there. I was really pleased with how they turned out and will stick them out front for another Indian meal some time.

Griddled tori masala:

2 courgettes, thinly sliced lengthways

100ml vegetable oil

1 teaspoon garam masala

3 cloves garlic, grated

Combine the oil with the garam masala and garlic and heat in a pan over a low heat. Once the garlic pieces start to fizz and bubble, turn the heat off and allow it to infuse the oil for 15 minutes.

Preheat a griddle to very hot. Brush one side of the courgettes with the oil and griddle the courgette oil-side down.

After a couple of minutes peek underneath. If the char-marks are starting to appear, brush the raw side and slip them over.

When griddled on both sides, drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with salt and pepper.