Zucchini Fritters (Crispy & Vegan)

zucchini fritters stacked on top of each other with a brass fork inside them placed on a white marble board

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5 from 2 votes

Zucchini Fritters made crispy, tasty and wholesome with wholewheat flour, chickpea flour, herbs and spices.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Snacks

Cuisine: American, World

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Difficulty Level: Easy

Servings:

Calories: 301kcal

Author: Dassana Amit

Ingredients

½ heaping cup/75 grams/2.7 ounces whole wheat flour
¼ cup/25 grams/0.9 ounce chickpea flour or gram flour (besan)
3 cups thickly grated zucchini/2 medium sized/500 grams/1.10 pounds zucchini
⅓ cup finely chopped onions
½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons finely chopped celery stalk
2 tablespoons chopped parsley or cilantro (coriander leaves)
½ teaspoon black pepper crushed or ¼ to ½ teaspoon black pepper powder- add as per taste
½ teaspoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon black salt - optional
½ teaspoon salt or add as required
10 to 12 tablespoons olive oil or sunflower oil or any neutral flavored oil for frying

Instructions

Preparation:

Finely chop 1 medium sized onion, 3 inches celery stalk, 2 to 3 medium garlic cloves and a few parsley leaves.
Rinse the zucchinis first and then pat dry with a kitchen towel. Grate them thickly using a hand-held grater or box grater or a food processor. Do not grate them finely. So use a thicker grater or grate in the food processor. You can peel the zucchini if you want to.

Making batter

Take the grated zucchini in a mixing bowl. Add the chopped onions, garlic and celery.
Add both whole wheat flour and chickpea flour. Season with crushed black pepper (crushed), black salt (optional) and regular salt. Add ½ teaspoon baking powder.
Mix very well. Depending on the water content in the zucchini, the batter can become too thick or thin. If the batter becomes very thick, then sprinkle some water. If the batter becomes thin and runny, then add some wheat flour.

Frying

In a seasoned and heavy 10 to 10.5 inches cast-iron skillet or pan heat 2 to 3 tablespoons oil on medium-low or medium heat. For frying each batch of 3 to 4 zucchini fritters add 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil. Using a serving spoon or ¼ cup measure begin to pour the batter on the pan.
With the back of the spoon or measuring cup, spread lightly. Do not spread thin as the fritters will break.
Begin to fry medium low to medium flame. Fry three to four zucchini fritters at a time.
When one side is crisp and golden, gently remove and flip. Fry the second side till golden and crisp. For even frying you can flip once or twice.
Remove and place them on kitchen paper towels for a brief period just for the extra oil to be soaked up. Do not keep for long as then they stick to the paper towel. You can even use a strainer with a bowl underneath to drain the oil. Make all zucchini fritters this way.
Serve hot with a dipping sauce of your choice.

Notes

Zucchini: Both green or yellow zucchini can be used.
Consistency of batter: Zucchini fritters batter has a thick consistency. If the batter becomes too thin or runny, the fritter will end up becoming soggy. In this scenario, add some wheat flour. If the batter looks very thick, then sprinkle some water.
Cheesy Flavors: To get a vegan cheesy flavor add 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes to the batter. For a vegetarian cheesy flavor, add some vegetarian parmesan cheese or cheddar cheese to the batter. When adding cheese, reduce the salt in the recipe.
Flour: You can make these zucchini fritters with all-purpose flour also. You may need to add more all-purpose flour in the recipe though.
Binding Ingredient: You can use corn starch, rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch in place of chickpea flour or gram flour.
Frying: You can fry the fritters with less oil. But frying in less oil will reduce the crispiness. Use two skillets side by side to quicken up the frying. Use a heavy seasoned pan to avoid fritters sticking to the pan.
Gluten-Free Option: For a gluten free recipe, use chickpea flour entirely for the batter. Thus add ¾ to 1 cup chickpea flour to the batter.
Baking: You can make baked zucchini fritters by adding 1 tablespoon oil in the batter. Line the baking tray with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 to 20 minutes till golden. Halfway through remove the fritters and brush them with oil. Then continue to bake till done.
Serving Suggestions: Serve Zucchini Fritters with any dip you like. You can even serve with sour cream, yogurt or creme fraiche.

Nutrition