Zucchini Fritters with Chickpea Flour

September 4, 2020

By Anna Varriano

Thanks to the pandemic, many folks had time on their hands to plant their very first veggie garden, or perhaps to expand their existing one. I’m seeing tons of posts on social media where folks are giving away zucchini as they can’t keep up with what their gardens are producing! With so much local zucchini available right now, whether its from your own garden, a family or friend’s garden, a farmers market, or the grocery store, zucchini fritters are a great way to enjoy them.

I love these fritters as they are made with chickpea flour. That means they are wheat-free/gluten-free. Chickpea flour is a good source of fibre and contains a wide variety of health-boosting vitamins and minerals, such as  calcium, magnesium, and B-vitamins, including folate.  These fritters are easy to make, great for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, or snacks, and you can spice them up to suit your taste. This recipe makes 6 to 8 medium-sized (about 4 inches in diameter) fritters. 

Enjoy!

You Will Need:

  • 3 cups of grated zucchini (1 really big one or 3 to 4 medium-sized zucchini … and see Step 1 re: prepping them)
  • 1 cup of grated white onion (1 large onion should be enough)
  • 1 cup of chickpea flour (I got mine at Bulk Barn this time around)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp of baking powder
  • 1 TBSP of chopped fresh parsley
  • 1.5 tsp of salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground pepper
  • 4 TBSP water
  • 3-4 TBSP of olive oil and butter (for frying)
  • Optional: spices to your liking, e.g. cumin, curry powder, oregano

Step 1: Prep the Zukes

If your zucchini is a big bubba, like mine was, with thick skin and lots of seeds, cut it up, scoop out seeds, and peel. You won’t have to do this with the average-sized zucchini you buy at the store. I only ended up using 1/2 of my giant zucchini … the other half got turned into 2 dozen muffins.

Step 2: Grate the Zukes

You can grate the zucchini using a box grater or a food processor or other appliance with a grating blade. I used my food processor. Once it’s grated, transfer it into a bowl.

Step 3: Drain the Grated Zuke

Zucchini has a high water content (it’s on my list of 10 Ways to Eat Water), so it’s important to get all that water out or you’re going to end up with zucchini soup instead of zucchini fritters. Sprinkle the grated zucchini with a good pinch of salt, mix it all up, then let it sit in the bowl for about 10 minutes or so. You can move on to the rest of the prepping in the meantime.  After 10 minutes, place the grated zuke in a colander and squeeze all the water out. I did it over a measuring bowl only because I wanted to show you how much water came out … see?

Step 4: Grate the Onion

I used my food processor with grating blade again for the onion. You can see there’s quite a bit of liquid in the bottom of the food processor. Make sure you drain off the liquid. No need to salt and squeeze like you did with the grated zucchini – just drain it well. I just put it in a colander and tossed it a few times, then set it aside to drain.

Set 5: Make the Batter

First, whisk together the 2 eggs, 1.5 tsp of salt, and 4 TBSP water.

Next, add the 1/2 tsp of baking powder to the chickpea flour and mix well. Then add the flour to the eggs and mix well. It should be quite thick, but still be able to slowly ‘drip/fall’ off the whisk. If you find it’s too thick, add a bit more water.  

Step 6: Mix It All Up!

Add the drained grated zuke and onion, the parsley, and the salt and pepper (and any other herb or spice that strikes your fancy) to the batter and mix it all together until it’s well combined. 

Step 7: Fry Them Fritters!

On medium-ish heat (every stove is different), and using a pan that you know won’t end up with everything sticking to it (I used my trusted seasoned cast iron pan) heat the 4 TBSP of butter & olive oil (2 TBSP of each) until it is hot enough for frying. You can test it by putting a tiny bit of batter in the pan and see if it starts to ‘sizzle’. When the butter and oil are hot enough, ladle the batter into the pan, then encourage it to spread out into 4-inch circles by gently using the bottom of the ladle. You want the fritter to be a bit thicker than a pancake. Let it cook for a few minutes, flipping only when the bottom is nicely browned (check by gently lifting up and edge with a spatula/flippy-thingy). Cook a few more minutes until both sides are nicely browned. If the fritter is under-cooked, the middle will be gummy. Yuck.

Repeat with remaining batter. I keep the cooked fritters warming in our toaster oven while I cook the remaining batter.

Step 8: Serve!

These fritters are great for breakfast with soft poached or fried eggs on top, lunch or dinner with a salad and/or other veggie sides, or on their own as a snack (I’ve been known to eat refrigerated leftover ones as is). Great topped with your favourite salsa or chutney too! You can keep any leftover fritters in the fridge for a few days. They also freeze well in a container or freezer bag – just make sure you put parchment paper between each fritter so they don’t freeze together in one big lump. 

Enjoy!

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