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Zucchini Stewed in Sour Cream
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients for the stewed zucchini in sour cream. You can also make this appetiser with older zucchini, peeling off the skin and scooping out all the seeds first, but the finished dish won't be quite as delicate. The sour cream should be at least 15% fat.
First, prepare all the vegetables for frying. Cut the onion into thin strips.
Coarsely grate the carrot.
Cut the young zucchini into medium cubes (never peel the skin – it helps the pieces keep their shape, and zucchini this young have no seeds at all).
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion strips in it until barely golden.
Add the carrot to the pan.
Stew it together with the onion until soft and pliable.
Next, add the zucchini to the pan and stir.
Cover the pan with a lid. Stew the vegetables for about 7 minutes, stirring with a spatula roughly 3 times in all.
Now the zucchini is softer but has kept a pleasantly firm structure.
Press the garlic over them through a garlic press.
Add the sour cream.
Stir everything, add salt and season with spices. Stew the mixture uncovered for 1–2 minutes.
The stewed zucchini in sour cream is ready. The natural flavour the zucchini retains with this recipe pairs perfectly with meat, mushrooms, grains and rustic-style potatoes. The dish can be served either hot or cold.
Tips
- 1
Young zucchini with the skin on – the "secret" to the shape. The skin of young zucchini is tender and holds the cubes together. On older zucchini it has to be cut off – and the flavour is worse, too.
- 2
Stewing under a lid for 7 minutes – the "secret" to the texture. Less, and the pieces will be raw; more, and they fall apart into mush. Seven minutes with 3 stirs gives them soft but firm.
- 3
Sour cream at the end – the "secret" to the sauce. If you add it at the start, it curdles during long heating. Added at the end for 1–2 minutes, it stays smooth and coats the vegetables.
- 4
Taking the lid off once the sauce is in – the "secret" to the consistency. Under the lid the sauce is thinned by the steam; without it, the sauce thickens to the right concentration.
FAQ
Which zucchini should I choose? +
Ideally, young zucchini or white zucchini up to 20 cm long with thin skin (750 g is 2–3 medium ones). Alternatives: yellow zucchini (750 g – a brighter colour), round Sicilian zucchini (750 g), young "Gribovskie" zucchini (a CIS classic), a 50/50 mix of green and yellow zucchini (375 g each), or young pattypan squash (750 g – an interesting shape). Freshly picked zucchini straight from the garden is the best option. Don't use overgrown ones with tough skin and large seeds (which have to be cut off and scooped out) or zucchini that has been frozen. For a classic result, use young zucchini with thin skin.
What can I use instead of sour cream? +
Alternatives: thick Greek yogurt (250 g – a lighter, diet option), 20% cream (250 ml – more delicate), a 50/50 mix of sour cream and cream (125 g each), thick kefir (250 g – tangier and slightly more sour), cream cheese plus milk in equal parts (125 g each), or coconut cream (250 ml – a vegan option). Fresh farm sour cream at 25% is the best choice. Don't use thin 10% sour cream (the sauce will be runny) or sour-cream-style spreads made with vegetable fats. For a classic result, use sour cream of at least 15%.
How long does zucchini in sour cream keep? +
In the refrigerator, in a tightly closed container, 2–3 days. Any longer and the zucchini loses its firmness and the sour cream may separate. Before serving, let it stand for 10 minutes at room temperature, or warm it briefly in the microwave for about 30 seconds. I don't recommend freezing it, as the zucchini turns watery once thawed. Freshly made, the dish is at its best about 30 minutes after cooking, once the garlic has infused the sauce; by the second day the flavour is deeper and more garlicky. Don't leave it at room temperature for longer than 4 hours, as sour cream with garlic spoils quickly.
What should I serve zucchini with? +
As a classic side dish: with fried chicken breast or leg; with boiled rice or buckwheat; with boiled potatoes (for a quick supper); with pasta and grated Parmesan; with fried meat or cutlets; with fried mushrooms; with a slice of dark rye bread; alongside a bowl of thick tomato soup; with steamed white fish (hake, pollock); with fresh vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers); with a glass of dry white wine; or with a glass of kvass in hot weather. For a Lenten table, replace the sour cream with Lenten mayonnaise. It is a versatile everyday side dish.
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