zucchini

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ज़ूकिनी, जुकिनी, समर स्क्वैश क्या है? इसका उपयोग,स्वास्थ्य के लिए लाभ, रेसिपी, in Hindi हिन्दी में पढ़ें

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What is zucchini, courgrette, summer squash?

Culinary Uses of zucchini, courgrette, summer squash

Also Known as

Courgrette, Summer Squash

What is zucchini, courgrette, summer squash?

Zucchini is a variety of summer squash. The zucchini is a long, cylindrical vegetable, slightly smaller at the stem end, usually dark green in color. The flesh is a pale greenish-white and has a delicate, almost sweet flavor. Zucchini fruit grows quickly and is harvested within 2 to 7 days of flowering. Tiny, flavorful baby zucchini and their flowers would appear in the markets in mid-spring, to be joined by larger zucchini by early summer, and all three remained a fixture of the Italian table throughout the rest of the summer months. They are tender and tasty when young, but most varieties are tasteless when large and overgrown

How to select zucchini, courgrette, summer squash

Zucchini can be found in the section of health food stores and supermarkets and even local markets. Select smaller zucchini, from 2 to 8 inches (5-20cm) in length, with smooth, unblemished skins. As a general rule you should select the smallest possible zucchini that can be used for the recipe, because larger zucchini are less flavorful and can have bitter overtones.

When buying zucchini, look for squash that is firm and heavy for its size. Do not wash until ready to use. Peeling is not necessary and the skin is thin and very fragile. Although it is available year-round in most markets, prime season for zucchini is May to August. This is why it is often called summer squash. Handle zucchini with care as they are easily damaged. Look for a moist stem end and a slightly prickly, yet shiny skin as indicators of freshness.

Culinary Uses of zucchini, courgrette, summer squash

· Zucchini are the basis for all sorts of dishes, from pasta sauces to main courses.

· The round variety is especially suited for stuffing, though the elongate ones will also work well.

· Come time to cook them, wash them, pat them dry, and trim off the ends (especially the stem end). If theyre small there should be no need to remove the seeds.

· They can be eaten raw or cooked, making them a fast and easy addition to your cooking experience.

· Shred or grate raw zucchini into salads, or cut it into spears for vegetable platters.

· Grill it: Slice zucchini lengthwise, brush it with olive oil, sprinkle both sides with whatever fresh or dried herbs suit your fancy and some salt and pepper to taste. Grill outside on your barbecue or indoors on a grill pan for about 5 minutes on each side until crisp-tender.

· Chilled Zucchini-Basil Soup is the perfect starter for a hot summer night or an afternoon brunch. Make it ahead of time and dish it up right before serving. Add a sprig of fresh basil for a simple but beautiful presentation.

· The Italian version of an omelet, this Zucchini and Leek Oven-Baked Frittata is simple to prepare and versatile. It can be eaten hot or cold, taken to picnics, packed for lunches or served as an appetizer at your next brunch.

· Vary the herbs and cheese and make it a main dish with a salad!

· Heres a super side dish: Sautéed Zucchini with Spinach and Basil Pesto. Whether you make or buy pesto, its great on just about any summer vegetable.

· A kid-friendly recipe for Broiled Zucchini with Cheese. Its got only three ingredients and it will use up a lot of extra zucchini!

· Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes are so moist, you dont need frosting. Scatter a few chocolate chips on top or dust them with powdered sugar and youre ready for a party!

· Slice zucchini lengthwise and roast with sliced onions, add to soups or crudités, or stew with tomatoes, garlic, and basil.

· Roasted zucchini, cauliflower and potato dish with freshly crushed black cardamom, chili powder, garlic, cumin and S&P, lemon juice and was roasted in the oven, for about an hour

· Thinly slice the zucchini, lightly brown then on one side in a pan with olive oil, then turn over, add chopped tomatoes and minced garlic. Cook until tomatoes and zucchinis are cooked, stirring all the flavors together. Salt and pepper, serve. Good hot, good cold, good two days old.

How to store zucchini, courgrette, summer squash

Zucchini are perishable and should be used promptly, but they can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to four days. It can be kept in the fridge for up to one week. When youre ready to use it, wash the zucchini, then slice both ends off. If the skin of the zucchini has been waxed (to extend its shelf-life), peel the skin, but leave the skin on if its unwaxed. Larger zucchini should be peeled first because the skin can be bitter. Softness is a sign of deterioration.

Cooked zucchini should be covered and refrigerated up to two days. To freeze, slice zucchini into rounds, blanch for two minutes, plunge into cold water, drain, and seal in airtight containers or baggies. Frozen zucchini can be kept for ten to twelve months.

7 Health benefits of zucchini, courgrette, summer squash

1. Weight Loss : Don’t be surprised. Zucchini, as a matter of fact, is a water-filled low calorie vegetable which is sure to keep you full for long time. Looking at its calorie count, a cup of chopped zucchini (around 120 g) gives only 19 calories. The amount of fat it contains is very negligible. It does have a good dose of fiber too.

It can be considered as a low carb, non-starchy vegetable which can be a healthy addition to weight loss diets and low carb diets. Combine zucchini with sprouts and red and yellow pepper to make a healthy salad like Zucchini Bell Pepper and Sprouted Moong Salad. This can be enjoyed as a healthy snack in evening time. It is sure to satiate you and avoid reaching out for those unhealthy deep-fried snacks.

Want to try an appetizer using zucchini. Give a try to Zucchini and Carrot Clear Soup.

2. Enhances Heart Health : Zucchini, like apple and pear, are rich in fiber pectin. This is a polysaccharide responsible for lowering cholesterol and keeping your arteries free of plaque. This further reduces the chances of stroke.

Zucchini itself is also low in cholesterol and sodium along with being a good source of potassium (314.4 mg / cup), which promotes nerve and cardiac health. Learn about other potassium rich foods. Moreover, zucchini also abounds in folate – a key nutrient which helps to reduce homocysteine levels and reduce the risk of high blood pressure and heart attacks. You can learn the art of pairing it with other veggies to make a healthy creation like Broccoli and Zucchini in Red Capsicum Gravy.

3. Improves Digestion : Zucchini’s water content plays the major role here. The high water content is necessary to bind stools and enhance its easy movement through the digestive tract. This is the same reason why zucchini is suggested for digestive ailments like constipation, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and leaky gut syndrome.

Click here to know more about the 7 Amazing Health Benefits of Zucchini.

Nutritive Information for Zucchini:

1 Cup of chopped zucchini is about 120 grams

RDA stands for Recommended Daily Allowance.

Energy – 19 calories

Protein – 1.4 g

Carbohydrate – 4 g

Fat – 0.2 g

Fiber – 1.1 g

Vitamins:

35.4 mcg of Folate = 35.4% of RDA (about 100 mcg)

20 mg of Vitamin C = 51% of RDA (about 40 mg)

Minerals:

18 mg of Calcium = 1.8% of RDA (about 1000 mg)

20.4 mg of Magnesium = 5.8% of RDA (about 350 mg)

45.6 mg of Phosphorus = 7.6% of RDA (about 600 mg)

314.4 mg of Potassium = 6.7% of RDA (about 4700 mg)

Glycemic Index of Zucchini

Zucchini has a Glycemic Index of 15 which is low. Glycemic Index are for foods you eat, ranks carbohydrate-containing foods by how quickly they digest and raise your blood sugar or glucose levels. Foods rank from 0 to 50 are low GI, 51 to 69 are medium and 70 to 100 are high. Foods that are high in GI are not suitable for weight loss and diabetics. Foods like Zucchini have a low GI and hence dont spike your glucose level as they are absorbed slowly. Great for weight loss and diabetics.

chopped zucchini

Wash and clean the zucchini. Take a sharp knife, slice it 1/2 inch from the top and bottom and discard it. Place the zucchini on a chopping board horizontally cut it into half from the centre vertically. Cut the half portion into another half vertically. Cut it vertically at regular intervals (approx. ? inch in diameter) to form long strips. Line all the strips together and cut at regular intervals horizontally (approx. ? inch in diameter). If the recipe calls for zucchini to be "roughly chopped," make the pieces slightly larger.

zucchini cubes

Wash and clean the zucchini. Take a sharp knife, slice it 1/2 inch from the top and bottom and discard it. Place the zucchini on a chopping board horizontally cut it into half from the centre vertically. Cut the half portion into another half vertically. Make 1 to 2 more cut in each halve vertically (for example at ?-inch interval) depending on the width of the cubes you require. Then line these pieces together and make horizontally cut (for example at ?-inch interval) to make equal sized cubes.

sliced zucchini

Wash and clean the zucchini. Take a sharp knife, slice it 1/2 inch from the top and bottom and discard it. Place the zucchini on a chopping board it vertically into 2 halves. Place a halve of the zucchini flat on a chopping board and slice them thinly or thickly as per the recipe requirement.

grated zucchini

Wash and clean the zucchini. Take a sharp knife, slice it 1/2 inch from the top and bottom and discard it. You can use peeled or unpeeled zucchini. Hold the thick/ thin end of the grater in one hand and the zucchini in the other hand. Now place the zucchini on the blade and push it downwards using the force of your hands to get grated strands of zucchini. You can grate it thickly or thinly as per the recipe requirement.

diagonally cut zucchini

zucchini strips

For thick and long zucchini strips, peel a zucchini and cut into half lengthwise. Place one half of the zucchini on a chopping board and cut vertically at right angle to make 1/4" thick strips lengthwise or as per recipe requirement. Repeat the same to make more strips as per the recipe requirement.

zucchini slices

Wash and clean the zucchini. Take a sharp knife, slice it 1/2 inch from the top and bottom and discard it. Place the zucchini on a chopping board and cut it across the board to get 3 mm. thick slices or roundels. Thinner or thicker slices can be cut as per the recipe requirement.

zucchini fingers

Wash and clean the zucchini. Take a sharp knife, slice it 1/2 inch from the top and bottom and discard it. Place the zucchini on a chopping board horizontally cut it into half from the centre vertically. Place one half of the zucchini on a chopping board and cut vertically to make 1" thick long fingers. Repeat the same with other half of the zucchini to make more fingers. Depending on the size of the zucchini, you can make approx. 8 to 10 finger from one zucchini.

long zucchini slices

Wash and clean the zucchini. Take a sharp knife, slice it 1/2 inch from the top and bottom and discard it. Place a zucchini horizontally on a slicer, press gently and move it downwards to get long slices. If you do not have a slicer, place a zucchini on a clean, dry surface and make long, thin slices lengthwise using a very sharp knife.