22 Jul 2020

Vegan Zucchini Fritters

‘Tis the season for so. much. zucchini. With three staring sadly at me in my refrigerator, it was time to turn them into dinner.

I decided to combine two universal truths. #1 – I can turn almost any vegetable into a “fritter” or a “pancake” and my kids will eat it. And #2, chickpea flour is amazing. As Andy has been tinkering with veggie burger formulas at The Companion, the healthy, protein-packed, super crunch creator, has been top of mind. It binds. It crisps. It belongs in a fritter.

This recipe is endlessly versatile. Just mind the ratio of vegetables to chickpea flour – 1/2 cup flour to 2 cups veggies – and you can turn this into whatever kinda fritter you’re feeling. Broccoli, kale, sweet potato, carrot, corn. Serve as a side or meal. Put it in a pita with a dollop of hummus, serve it with a salad, turn it into a slider. Go nuts.

If you can get your head around the slightly annoying task of grating and draining zucchini, this recipe is a breeze and comes together in about 30-40 minutes. Here’s how…

Grate. You can use a box grater, but if you have a shredder attachment for your food processor, use it. It’s worth lugging that monster out for the quick work it will make of your zucchini and the nice strands it creates.

Drain & Squeeze. Put zucchini in a colander over the sink. Toss with a sprinkling of salt and let it sit for 10 minutes to drain. Wring out the zucchini by pushing against the colander, or wrap in a clean dish towel and wring the ends. I ended up using both methods. This is an annoying, yet important step. No one likes soggy fritters! Once you’ve thoroughly drained and squeezed, you’ll have a much smaller volume of zucchini, like this…

Make the Batter. Now make it delicious – stir in scallions and corn. Don’t like corn? Leave it out. Want to add some herbs or other spices? Now’s the time! Cilantro, basil, parsley, lemon zest, would all be nice. Taste it. Add salt and pepper to taste.

At this point you want to roughly measure how many cups of vegetables you have. For every two cups of vegetables, you’re going to add 1/2 cup of chickpea flour. I had roughly 3 cups of veg, so I added 3/4 cup of chickpea flour.

Then drizzle in the water and mix to combine. You may need to adjust here, with additional flour or water to get the right consistency. You want to be able to form a patty that holds together.

Cook. Using a 1/4 cup, drop your fritters into a generously oiled pan.

Cook 2-3 minutes on each side until golden and delicious.

To serve, I must have a creamy dip. I like to mix together yogurt or sour cream with a squeeze of lemon juice and salt. A little grated garlic is nice, too, if you’re feeling zesty. I had some cherry tomatoes on hand, so I piled those on top with a sprinkling of extra scallion and a squeeze of lemon.

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Vegan Zucchini Fritters

  • Author: Adapted from Kitchn
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: ~10 fritters
Print Recipe

Description

A big high-five to Sheela Prakash from Kitchn for providing the foundation for this dish – the spot-on ratio of vegetables to flour! 

Scale

Ingredients

  • 3 zucchini (medium to large, about 1 pound)
  • 3 scallions or 1/2 cup, sliced thin
  • 2 ears of corn, about 1 cup, cut off cob
  • 3/4 cup chickpea flour 
  • 3–4 tablespoons water
  • Olive or vegetable oil of your choice 
  • Salt for draining and seasoning, pepper to taste

To serve (optional)

  • 1 cup sour cream or yogurt (can use dairy free)
  • 1–2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Grated garlic clove (optional)
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. 
  2. Trim zucchini and grate on box grater (large holes) or use shredder attachment from food processor (recommended).
  3. Put grated zucchini in a colander over the sink. Sprinkle with sale (teaspoon or so) and toss. Let sit for 10 minutes.
  4. Drain zucchini by pushing it against the colander and/or place in a clean dishcloth and wring the water out. Highly recommend dishcloth method.
  5. Place drained zucchini in a large bowl. Add sliced scallion and corn. Taste, season with salt and pepper. Add any additional spices or herbs, if desired. 
  6. Roughly measure how much vegetable mixture you have. This is important to determine how much chickpea flour to add. This recipe should yield around 3 cups of vegetables, but if you have more or less, adjust the amount of chickpea flour. For every 2 cups of vegetables, add 1/2 cup chickpea flour. If you have 3 cups, mix in 3/4 cup of chickpea flour. 
  7. Drizzle in 3-4 tablespoons of water. The batter should be sticky but not runny. Make sure you can form it into a patty and it keeps its shape. Add more flour or water if needed. 
  8. Heat a generous drizzle of oil in a large skillet – either cast iron or nonstick, over medium-high heat.
  9. Drop 1/4 cup of batter into the pan, flattening it with the back of the measuring cup or with a spatula. Leave room between fritters (I could fit 4 at a time).
  10. Cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. If your fritters are browning too quickly, turn heat down. 
  11. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate, sprinkle with salt, then place in the oven to keep warm until you’re done (optional).
  12. Repeat with remaining batter, making sure to keep the pan well oiled in between batches.
  13. For the topping, simply mix together the ingredients to your taste.Â