Zucchini Pancakes
Published April 7, 2009
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
FOR THE PANCAKES
3 medium zucchini (about 1 pound), shredded
Salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 large eggs, beaten
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 scallions, finely chopped
⅓ cup finely chopped dill
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 to 6 tablespoons vegetable oil, more as needed
FOR THE YOGURT SAUCE
⅔ cup plain yogurt
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ teaspoon salt
Nutritional analysis per serving
7 grams carbs; 59 milligrams cholesterol; 149 calories; 6 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 11 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 217 milligrams sodium; 5 grams protein; 2 grams 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
FOR THE PANCAKES
- Step 1
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place zucchini in a colander over a bowl, and mix with ½ teaspoon salt. Allow to drain for five minutes. Transfer to a cloth kitchen towel, and squeeze hard to extract as much moisture as possible. Squeeze a second time; volume will shrink to about half the original.
- Step 2
In a large mixing bowl, combine zucchini and eggs. Using a fork, mix well. Add flour, ½ teaspoon salt, olive oil, feta, scallions, dill and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Mix well, add baking powder, and mix again.
- Step 3
Place a cast iron skillet or other heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and heat until shimmering. Place heaping tablespoons of zucchini batter in pan several inches apart, allowing room to spread. Flatten them with a spatula if necessary; pancakes should be about ⅜ inch thick and about 3 inches in diameter. Fry until golden on one side, then turn and fry again until golden on other side. Repeat once or twice, frying about 5 to 6 minutes total, so pancakes get quite crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels, and keep warm in oven. Continue frying remaining batter, adding more oil to pan as needed. Serve hot.
- Step 4
For yogurt sauce: In a small bowl, combine yogurt, garlic and salt. Mix well, and serve on the side or on pancakes.
Private Notes
Comments
The authentic recipe is much simpler and less fattening: Use one egg only. Scallions, cheese, olive oil, baking powder, black pepper are not needed. Add 1 Tbsp of dried mint. Dill weed can be dried also (1 Tbsp). The consistency of the batter: You should be able to drop the batter into the pan easily. This is not supposed to be doughy. Once in the pan, slightly flatten it with a fork/spoon. Definitely squeeze out the water of zucchinis really hard before mixing the other ingredients.
To easily get excess moisture out of zukes:
-wrap shredded zukes in a tea towel, then spin them in the lettuce spinner
Or for more fun:
-wrap shredded zukes in a tea towel, then step out outside and swing the towel around in a large circle at your side. Helps if you have a teenager around.
How much (in weight) is "3 medium zucchini"? PLEASE give more concrete measurements?
These were fantastic. Everyone loved them, especially kids. After reading comments, I used 1 egg and I baked at 385 for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. I also replaced half the feta with grated tofu for extra protein. Will make double next time!
I had a couple of leftover pancakes for breakfast…really good!
Easy to make and light and fluffy - everyone devoured these as a pre-dinner snack. I forgot to buy the feta so I subbed half grated sharp cheddar and half well-drained cottage cheese. We just needed to add a bit of extra salt.