Name: Zucchini Tomato Chutney
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 - 3 tablespoon Oil (I used 3); 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds; ½ - 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds; 6 Curry Leaves; 3 big fat Cloves of Garlic; 4 - 6 small Green Chilies (broken into 2-3 pieces); ¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder; 2 small Zucchini (about 250 grams or little over ½ lb, chopped); 1 medium sized Tomato (about 150 grams, chopped); 2 - 3 small pods of Tamarind or ½ tablespoon Tamarind pod (washed); 1 - 1 ¼ teaspoon Salt; 2 tablespoon roasted Sesame Seeds; 1 - 1 ½ tablespoon roasted Peanuts

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Zucchini tomato chutney is a South Indian chutney that goes well with rice and tiffins such as idli and dosa. It also tastes amazing as a spread for sandwiches and wraps.

Chutney is a popular condiment in India and there are numerous varieties. There are specific chutneys for specific food. There are chutneys for chaats, tiffins & breakfasts, sandwiches and rice. Depending on the type of chutney, ingredients & preparation varies.

A bowl of zucchini tomato pachadi or chutney.

Post is updated in April 2025 with new content.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Serving & Storage
Substitutions
Tips
Zucchini Recipes
📖 Recipe

Indian chutneys with vegetables are one of my favorites as these are versatile to serve with different kinds of food and also make a wonderful spread for sandwiches and wraps. A few of my favorites are tomato pachadi, red bell pepper chutney, vankaya pachadi and sorakaya pachadi.

In Telugu, chutney is pachadi. Traditionally chutneys are ground in a mortar pestle and hence also called roti pachadi or noorina pachadi in Telugu, depending on the region.

Roti pachadi or noorina pachadi means chutney ground using a mortar and pestle or the process of grinding in a mortar pestle. Since pickles are also called pachadi in Telugu, roti or noorina prefix is used to differentiate between a pickle and a chutney.

We prefer spicy food and zucchini is a bland vegetable. To enhance the favor of the vegetable, spice it up or jazz it with additional veggies. Tomatoes and zucchini blend well in a chutney and addition of green chilies gives it a unique flavor.

Zucchini pachadi without tomato is also good and depending on my mood, I sometimes make with dry chilies or combination of red and green chilies. Process is similar for both zucchini pachadi and zucchini tomato pachadi but ingredients vary a bit.

Green chilies give a required heat and, both tomato and tamarind give a bit of tang to tomato zuchcini chutney. Addition of peanuts and sesame seeds increases the nutrition of the pachadi. Though it is recommended, to keep it simple, one can skip peanuts and sesame seeds.

Ingredients

Zucchini - Use green zucchini. Yellow zucchini has a slightly sweetish taste hence recommend using the green ones. If you wish, you can use both green and yellow zucchini but I never tried it.

Tomato - Use sour and ripe tomatoes. Recommend using vine ripe tomatoes.

Tamarind - gives some tang to the chutney. If tomatoes are very sour, adjust the quantity of tamarind. If using tamarind pods, soak and extract thick juice. Or use store bought or homemade tamarind paste or concentrate.

Nuts & Seeds - Roasted peanuts and sesame seeds powder give the chutney a nice texture and flavor. To keep simple, you can skip but I prefer adding one or both these ingredients.

Chilies - In this recipe I prefer green chilies. You can always use a mix of green and dry red chilies. For red chilies follow the zucchini pachadi recipe which is similar to tomato zucchini pachadi with red chilies.

Tempering - Oil, curry leaves, cumin, mustard and turmeric powder.

Instructions

Step 1 - Wash and cut the veggies and keep aside.

Step 2 - Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, cumin seeds, curry leaves and let the seeds splutter. Add green chilies, garlic and let the chilies change color.

Step 3 - Sprinkle turmeric, salt, add zucchini, tomatoes and give a good stir. Cover and cook on low flame until zucchini and tomatoes are soft.

Step 4 - Throw in tamarind and continue cooking uncovered until zucchini is well roasted.

Step 5 - Add sesame seeds, peanuts and stir. Turn off the flame, add cilantro and let the mixture cool.

Step 6 - Grind the mixture to a smooth or coarse paste, depending on one's preference. Use some water, if required.

Serving & Storage

Serve with dosa, idli or rice. When serving with rice, you can add some chopped onion to chutney. Chutney stays good for 4-5 days to up to a week in the refrigerator. If adding chopped onions, consume within a day or two. You can also freeze leftovers in small containers and use as needed.

Substitutions

Red chilies are good substitute for green chilies. You can use dry red chilies or red chili paste (pandu miram).
Ridge gourd is a good substitute for zucchini. I never used yellow zucchini but you can use a mix of green and yellow zucchini.
Sesame seeds and peanuts give a slightly nutty flavor to the chutney but you can skip them. Or you can use only sesame or peanuts also.

Tips

I normally do not temper the chutney after it is prepared. For a nice presentation, make a tempering with some oil, dry chili, cumin, mustard, curry leaves, turmeric and pour it over the chutney. If tempering the chutney, use less oil to roast the vegetables.
If one is allergic to peanuts or sesame seeds, skip one of them or both. However, sesame and peanuts give the chutney a nutty flavor and makes it a bit more nutritious.

Zucchini Recipes

If you like zucchini, here are more recipes with this vegetable. Zucchini besan stir fry is one quick side dish you can make in under 15 minutes. Zucchini dal is similar to most Indian dals cooked with vegetables and makes a nice summer side dish.

To sneak in some zucchini without anyone noticing it, try zucchini rice. It is flavorful rice that goes well with most gravy curries. For a quick snack, zucchini fritters are a good choice.

Bowl of zucchini tomato pachadi and plate of idli in the background.

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