Zucchini and Carrot Fritters With Yogurt-Mint Dip

By Melissa Clark

Updated June 7, 2017

  • Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
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Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(849)
Comments
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These crispy fritters, which Melissa Clark developed for her picky daughter, are also an ideal cocktail accompaniment. Hot, salty and crunchy: They can be devoured in one or two bites. To make them, combine shredded or diced carrots and zucchini, lemon zest and scallion with a light batter of flour, egg, milk, coriander and pepper. Let them rest for a half-hour so the vegetables can soften, then drop the battered vegetables by the spoonful into the oil and fry until golden all over. Sprinkle with salt and serve with a creamy dip of yogurt, mint and garlic, and watch them disappear.

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Ingredients

Yield:3 dozen fritters

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, more as needed

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon coriander

  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, more for serving

  • 1 cup milk, more as needed

  • 1 large egg

  • ¼ teaspoon grated lemon zest

  • ¼ teaspoon pepper

  • 2 large carrots, grated (about 1 ½ cups)

  • 1 large zucchini, grated (about 2 cups)

  • 2 scallions, finely chopped

  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

  • ½ cup plain yogurt

  • 1 tablespoon chopped mint

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

  • Olive oil, for frying

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

4 grams carbs; 6 milligrams cholesterol; 70 calories; 4 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 6 grams fat; 61 milligrams sodium; 1 gram protein; 1 gram sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    To make the batter for the fritters: in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, coriander and ½ teaspoon salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, lemon zest and pepper.

  2. Step 2

    Pour dry ingredients into wet; whisk until just blended (do not overmix). Batter should be slightly thicker than cream. If it’s too thick, add some milk; if it’s too thin, sprinkle with additional flour. Stir in the carrots, zucchini and scallions. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    To make the yogurt dip: using a mortar and pestle or the back of a knife, mash together the garlic and ¼ teaspoon salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic paste, yogurt, mint and 1 tablespoon extra virgin oil. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

  4. Step 4

    Fill a wide saucepan with 1 inch of olive oil; heat until the temperature registers 375 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer (or until a small drip of batter browns immediately). Line a cookie sheet with paper towels. Working in batches, drop battered vegetables by the tablespoon into the oil, being sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry, turning occasionally, until golden all over, about 3 to 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer fritters to the cookie sheet to drain. Transfer fritters to a platter or plate; sprinkle with salt and serve with yogurt dip.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
849 user ratings
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Comments

Debi

Has anyone tried baking these or cooking them like pancakes instead of deep frying them? I'm cooking for someone with pancreatitis who can not tolerate much fat.

Sparky

Yes, many times, like pancakes, fried in a little olive oil (or grape seed oil) in a skillet and I have added other vegetables too such as corn or green peas.

Lori

I make a similar thing and pan fry them in a little butter and olive oil. They are by no means deep fried. I do this in my cast iron skillet. While I haven't tried it with this recipe yet, I've done it many times with zucchini corn pancakes and sweet potato latkes. The key for those is to really make sure the zucchini is dry and to make sure they are well set before flipping.

That's how I plan to try these!

Corinne

this recipe had a big mistake. I cup milk was far too much! I had to drain and squish the liquid out before frying as otherwise would have fallen apart. I think 1/2 cup milk would have been more then sufficient. I also had to use 2 eggs. Maybe use breadcrumbs instead of flour. in any case they came out good after draining the excess liquids ( over 1/2 cup of it with all the good seasonings in it)

Tim

Glad some like this, I don't know how. Followed carefully, it resulted in an utter mess. There is WAY too much liquid in this recipe. And who is going to pour $25 of EVOO in a frying pan? Not me. We decided that no adjustment would make this worthy of another try.

Angela

Panko. Does it replace the flour and baking soda (assume so) but requires the coriander/ any spice and salt? Not a cook but have some zucchini from a neighbour and carrots:)

corinne

dont add the milk. i use panko and eggs only.

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