Turkish Zucchini Fritters with Yogurt Dill Sauce

Until a few years ago, before I discovered this recipe,  the thought of zucchini outside of bread made me want to gag. This recipe, slightly adapted from the amazing Claudia Roden’s Arabesque, has now elevated itself to one of my favorite recipes during this, the abundant zucchini season.  The recipe, as Claudia describes it, is originally from Turkey and is part of the meze (think tapas) tradition.

The fritter is made by lightly sauteing onion and zucchini, then tossing with feta, mint, dill, a bit of flour and a few eggs.  The batter is sauteed into little golden pancakes and can be eaten immediately, eaten cold, or reheated later.  They therefore work well for a picnic or potluck.  Although technically an appetizer,  I find them more than sufficient as a light summer dinner with a few other meze selections.

As I was frying them, I made an impromptu yogurt dill sauce to drizzle over them.   I’ve included that recipe too, below.

Zucchini Fritters
Adapted from Claudia Roden’s Arabesque.  Serves 4.

1 large onion, diced
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for frying
1 pound zucchini, coarsely chopped
3 eggs
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper
2 to 3 sprigs of mint, chopped
2 to 3 sprigs of dill, chopped
7 ounces feta cheese, crumbled with a fork

Saute the onion in 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until golden brown.  Add the zucchini and saute a minute or two longer, until soft.  Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and flour until smooth.   Add the salt, pepper, mint and dill, and mix until smooth.  Next, fold in the feta, followed by the onions and zucchini.

Heat a preferably nonstick frying pan over medium, and add enough olive oil to just coat the bottom.   Spoon about 2 tablespoons of batter into the pan for each fritter. I fit about three fritters in the pan per batch.  Cook on one side 2-3 minutes until golden brown, then flip and cook about another 2 minutes on the other side.  Both sides should be lacy-looking and crisp.  Repeat until all the fritters are cooked.  Drain on paper towels.

Yogurt Dill Sauce
(impromptu creation)
1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
4-5 sprigs of dill, finely chopped
1/2 tsp-1 tsp salt, depending on your taste

Beat yogurt with a fork until smooth, you may need to add a little water if it seems to thick.  Add dill and salt, mix again.  Feel free to add a bit of chopped mint if you have extra, or a smashed clove of garlic.  You can dip the fritters directly in the sauce or drizzle a bit on top.