You can grill the zucchini outdoors in the summer, but I usually fry them indoors in a heavy frying pan.
SERVES 6 AS A FIRST COURSE AND 4 AS A MAIN MEAL
• About 2 tablespoons olive or peanut oil
• 2 medium zucchinis (about 6 oz in all), trimmed and cut into long diagonal slices ⅓ inch thick
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Ground roasted cumin seeds (see this page)
• Nice red chili powder
• About 8 fl oz Simple South Indian Tomato Sauce
1. Set a cast-iron frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, spread 1 tablespoon of the oil over the bottom. Arrange a single layer of the zucchini in the pan and let them brown for about 2 minutes. You might need to move the slices around to brown them evenly. Turn the slices over and brown the opposite side, also for about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and cook the remaining slices the same way.
3. Lay out all the zucchini in a single layer in a serving dish and sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper, the ground cumin seeds, and chili powder. Spoon the tomato sauce over their centers and serve.
