Pan-Fried Zucchini with Soy Sauce and Garlic

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   This recipe calls for a truly minimal set of ingredients: young zucchini, soy sauce, garlic, sugar, salt, starch, fresh herbs, and vegetable oil for frying. Get everything ready.

2. Step 2:

   

   Wash the zucchini and pat dry with paper towels. If you're using a mature zucchini, peel off the tough skin and scoop out the seeds (frying a mature one takes a little longer). Cut the zucchini into medium sticks. Peel the garlic and rinse it under running water.

3. Step 3:

   

   Make the sauce. Add the garlic to the soy sauce — press it through a garlic press or mince it as finely as you can by hand. Add the sugar, salt, and starch (adjust the sugar and salt to taste; soy sauce is already quite salty, so you may want to leave the salt out entirely). Stir everything together well.

4. Step 4:

   

   Now for the main event. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet and add the zucchini to fry over high heat. Keep stirring the sticks so they don't burn. Fry until the edges are golden, about four to five minutes.

5. Step 5:

   

   Stir the sauce again, since the starch may have settled to the bottom. Pour the soy sauce into the skillet with the zucchini, stirring constantly so the sauce doesn't clump and coats every stick evenly. Careful — the oil can splatter a lot at this stage, so don't get burned! Cook for just 10-15 seconds. Take the pan off the heat and let the zucchini cool.

6. Step 6:

   

   Sprinkle the finished dish with finely chopped herbs, allspice, and sesame seeds if you like. Add ground chili if you're a fan of heat. Serve!