This recipe for Mediterranean Zucchini and Feta Fritters is from Yasmin Khan’s cookbook Ripe Figs. The book is available from your local bookstore or on Amazon here. Khan’s cookbook was a James Beard International Cookbook finalist and was included on The New York Times’ “Best Cookbook” list for 2021. In the introduction of the book, Khan describes her book as “a book about the resilience of the human spirit. And our capicity to endure the most unimaginable challenges and still find happiness in the smell of warm bread baking in an oven, a scoop to pistachio ice cream on a hot summer’s day, or a bowl of roasted pumpkin soup eaten by a roaring fire.”
Khan’s cookbook features recipes from Turkey, Greece and Cyprus. She refers to these fritters as Turkish Mucver. They also are very similar to Greece’s renowned kolokithokeftedes. Take your pick. Either way they are delicious.
This is a great recipe for this time of year as neighborhood vegetable gardens begin to burst with zucchini abundance.(By the way, zucchini is technically a fruit.)
If this recipe inspires you to seek out zucchini fitters, here is another excellent zucchini fritter recipe. This one incorporates carrots and can be found on Blue Cayenne here.
Here is the recipe as I prepared it in my kitchen.
Now I have to get to work on that pistachio ice cream.
Mediterranean Zucchini and Feta Fritters
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini (grated)
- 4 green onions (finely chopped)
- 3 garlic cloves (crushed)
- Large handful dill (finely chopped)
- Large handful parsley (finely chopped)
- 1 t. ground coriander
- 1/2 t. sweet paprika
- 4 large eggs (lightly beaten)
- Zest of 1 large lemon
- 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
- 1/2 t. baking powder
- 2/3 C. feta cheese (crumbled)
- Neutral oil (for frying)
- Salt and black pepper
Directions
- Step 1 Grate zucchini into a colander and sprinkle with 1 t. salt. Toss to combine the zucchini with the salt. Let the grated zucchini drain for about 30 minutes. Squeeze the excess water out of the zucchini. You want to get the zucchini pretty dry.
- Step 2 Combine all of the other ingredients (except the feta) into a large bowl. Mix to combine. Add 1/2 t. salt and freshly-ground black pepper to the mixture. Stir. Stir in the crumbled feta.
- Step 3 Heat 3 T. oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, spoon small pancake-sized scoops of the batter into the hot oil. Fry on each side for about 3 minutes. Use a spatula to press the fritter down into the oiled hot pan. When the fritters are crispy on each side (after about 6 minutes total), remove them from the pan and let them drain on a paper towel. Repeat with additional batches of the fritters. You may need to add some additional oil for additional batches. I pan fried about 3 fritters in each batch.
- Step 4 Serve warm. Garnish with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream and some chopped dill.
