Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
Spicy Asian Zucchini Recipe
Right here’s a singular zucchini recipe for you – Spicy Asian Zucchini! Meaty zucchini halves seared then smothered with a light chilli-garlic sauce. Fast. Simple. Large flavours. Function a facet or a meat-free predominant with Garlic Rice.
It is a zucchini recipe for everybody who:
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finds themselves scrambling for a fast Asian vegetable sides for meaty/starchy Asian mains. Suppose: Char Siu BBQ pork, dumplings, veg-less stir fries like Mongolian Lamb, Honey Chicken, Peking Shredded Beef (there’s really heaps if you concentrate on it!);
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is searching for one thing totally different to make with zucchini. As a result of you’ve an abundance of house grown or couldn’t resist a cut price on the retailers (the latter is me); or
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simply usually get pleasure from discovering new, tasty methods to make use of greens which might be fast and simple to make. As in – predominant meal worthy.
This Spicy Asian Zucchini ticks all these packing containers. An invention that took place after I was watching a pile of extra zucchinis than any regular individual ought to have (however no one has referred to as me “regular” shortly) at a time when my spicy edamame was on repeat. Very related sauce. Completely different use!
Right here’s what you want for this Asian zucchini recipe. First up – the key ingredient…..zucchinis! 😂
Zucchini
Known as courgettes within the UK and a few components of Europe, the cucumber formed vegetable is at its prime in summer time. However right here in Australia, it’s out there 12 months spherical for pretty good worth.
Dimension – It’s finest to make use of small / medium zucchini round 15 – 18cm lengthy (6 – 7″) so it’s straightforward to prepare dinner via on the range. You’ll be shocked, it solely takes round 3 to 4 minutes. However you probably have gigantic ones (generally they are often!) you would possibly need to lower them into quarters.
Spicy CHILLI GARLIC Sauce
This sauce is nice! Easy with large flavours. Really not that spicy, it’s gentle. I see myself utilizing this in one other recipe within the foreseeable future.
Observe: I put garlic within the photograph beneath, I ought to have included it within the sauce photograph as a result of we sauté it. 🙂
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Sambal Oelak – chilli paste which makes a pleasant sauce for smothering. Made with contemporary chillis, present in giant grocery shops and Asian shops. Fairly spicy eaten plain however mixed with the whole lot else on this sauce, the spiciness is dialled again rather a lot.
Substitute with sriracha (sauce not fairly as shiny) or a not-too-spicy chilli crisp (style and examine) – sauce can have chilli crunch chunks and be oilier (yum!).
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Sesame oil – Use toasted sesame oil which is brown and has higher sesame flavour. Un-toasted is yellow and the sesame flavour isn’t as sturdy. Right here in Australia, toasted sesame oil is customary. Un-toasted is tougher to seek out.
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Soy sauce – Don’t use soy sauce labelled “darkish soy sauce”, method too intense and salty, will break the dish. Any normal “soy sauce”, “all-purpose soy sauce” (just like the Kikkoman pictured above) or “gentle soy sauce” can be utilized.
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Mirin is a candy Japanese cooking wine that’s present in giant grocery shops and Asian shops that’s one among 3 core sauces in Japanese cooking (ie it’s good things!). It brings a depth of flavour and sweetness into the sauce on this recipe. Substitute with honey for a non alcoholic model – sauce nonetheless nice (albeit sweeter) however not fairly the identical restaurant-y complexity of flavour. 🙂
Toppings (& garlic)
As talked about above, the garlic ought to actually be within the Sauce part. 🙂
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Crispy Fried Shallots – an Asian pantry important! Salty, oily, crunchy, terrific garnish for all issues Asian, from soups to salads. I exploit it liberally – it’s a frequent participant in my recipes so I’ve received some primary details about it right here, in case you might be new to it.
Discover it within the Asian part of grocery store however cheaper at Asian shops.
Substitute with something crunchy you could find in your cabinet – croutons, packet crispy noodles), handful of crispy fried rice (I make hundreds and hold it in jars after I make this salad). I’d even use roughly chopped peanuts.
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Inexperienced onion – For freshness. Substitute with finely sliced pink onion or eschallots (US: shallots aka French onions, these small purple-ish onions). I’d toss them via the sauce briefly to make them floppy.
Have you ever ever cooked zucchini halves on the range earlier than? It’s a lot quicker than the oven – 6 minutes vs half-hour. Plus pretty browning on the zucchini that you simply’ll by no means get within the oven irrespective of how excessive you crank it! The zucchini simply goes comfortable and watery. 🙂
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Oil & salt – Minimize the zucchini in half lengthwise, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt then briefly toss.
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Cook dinner – Utilizing a big non-stick pan heated to medium excessive, put the zucchini in lower facet down and prepare dinner for 3 to 4 minutes till it will get good color on it. Then flip and prepare dinner the opposite facet for 3 minutes. Give the zucchini a poke – you need it to really feel tender however not comfortable/mushy/completely floppy, and nonetheless somewhat agency within the center. The residual warmth will end cooking it via.
Doneness – I wish to prepare dinner the zucchini till it’s barely cooked – very crisp tender – so then the residual warmth finishes cooking it via as you’re making the sauce and plating up. “Simply cooked” is my choice as a result of the extra you prepare dinner zucchini, the extra watery/mushy it will get which dilutes flavour.
Nonetheless, when you desire your zucchini totally comfortable throughout, that’s totally as much as you! Through which case I’d advocate utilizing the oven – it’s somewhat laborious to prepare dinner zucchini halves till comfortable on the range. Instructions within the recipe notes.
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Garlic – In the identical pan, sauté the garlic till gentle golden.
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Sauce – Then add the remaining sauce components and simmer for 30 seconds on low warmth till syrupy. Don’t take it too far – I hold making that mistake after I’ve had a number of issues on the go. If it reduces an excessive amount of it will get too salty (although if this occurs, simply add a splash of water to the sauce to skinny it).
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Pour the sauce over the pile of zucchinis. I do it this manner for simplicity – the sauce goes “all over the place” – and I feel it appears good. The opposite method of doing it’s to place the zucchini within the pan and toss to coat evenly.
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Garnish – Sprinkle with the crispy shallots (I’m not shy concerning the quantity I exploit) and the inexperienced onion. Then, serve!
The plain technique to serve that is as a vegetable facet. A wonderful substantial (fascinating!) one that may go alongside something Asian, from stir fries to noodles to Char Sui Pork to gyoza or Chinese language pan fried dumplings (potstickers).
Some instructed mains to serve with this Spicy Asian Zucchini
Having mentioned that, I’ve been having fun with this as meal with a facet of some sort of flavoured rice, similar to:
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Fried rice. My go-to: Chinese language Fried Rice. Private favourites: Nasi Goreng, Korean Kimchi Fried Rice.
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Garlic rice – fast, straightforward, you may make it proper now!
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Baked fried rice – tremendous useful whenever you don’t have day-old cooked rice available. (Additionally, it’s all baked in a single pan. Sure, I mentioned baked. It really works. And I’m a rice snob).
Like to know what you consider at this time’s recipe! Definitely somewhat totally different from the same old zucchini recipes. 🙂 – Johnsat x
Ingredients
- 5 zucchini, small / medium , cut in half lengthways (Note 1)
- 1 tbsp canola oil (or other plain oil)
- 3/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 1/4 cup crispy fried shallots , store bought (Asian pantry staple!) (Note 2)
- 1 green onion stem , finely sliced
- 1 tbsp canola oil (or other plain oil)
- 3 garlic cloves , finely minced
- 1 tbsp sambal oelak (sub sriracha or chilli crisp) (Note 3)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil , toasted
- 1 tbsp soy sauce , light or all-purpose NOT dark soy (Note 4)
- 2 tbsp mirin – sub honey (Note 5)
Instructions
- Toss the zucchini in oil then sprinkle with salt and toss to (roughly) coat all over.
- Cook – Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Place half the zucchini cut side down and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the surface is golden. Turn and cook the skin side for 3 minutes. Pile onto a serving plate and repeat with remaining zucchini.
- Sauce – cool the pan slightly then return to medium heat. Heat the oil then sauté the garlic until light golden. Add remaining Sauce ingredients, simmer for 30 seconds until syrupy.
- Serve – Pour over zucchini, pile on Crispy Asian Shallots and green onion. Eat!
Notes
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.
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