Zucchini Fritters

Zucchini Fritters made crispy, wholesome and so tasty. I make these zucchini fritters for brunch or snacking and they vanish too soon.

Since I have been making these for some time, I thought of  sharing the recipe. These fritters have a nice crispy texture from outside with a soft texture from inside. The recipe is vegan but I have given a gluten-free option in the post below.

About this recipe

1. Eggless & Vegan: This is one easy recipe and made without eggs. So yes it is an eggless and vegan recipe of zucchini fritters.
2. Made with Whole Wheat Flour & Chickpea flour: Usually zucchini fritters are made with all-purpose flour. But this is a wholesome version made with whole wheat flour and yet the texture is light and soft from inside. Adding chickpea flour and baking powder helps in giving a soft texture to the fritters and also makes them crispy from outside. Chickpea flour also helps in binding and is used in place of eggs in the recipe. You can even add gram flour (besan) in place of chickpea flour.
3. Ease one bowl recipe: Yes, this is an incredibly easy one bowl recipe where you just need to keep on adding ingredients and mixing it. There is absolutely no need to squeeze the grated zucchini of all their juices. Since eggs are not used, we will use the zucchini juices to get the right batter consistency. By the way black salt is also added which mimics the eggy aroma due to the presence of sulphur. Though black salt is not an essential ingredient and you can easily skip it.

How to make Zucchini Fritters

Preparation
1. Finely chop 1 medium sized onion, 2 to 3 inches small celery stalk, 2 to 3 medium garlic cloves and a few parsley leaves.

You will need ⅓ cup finely chopped onions, ½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic, 2 teaspoons finely chopped celery and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves.

2. Rinse 2 medium sized zucchinis (300 grams) first and then pat dry with a kitchen towel. Grate them using a hand held grater or box grater or 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
3. Take the grated zucchini in a mixing bowl. I directly grate the zucchini in a mixing bowl.

4. Add the chopped onions, garlic and celery.

5. Add ½ heaped cup whole wheat flour and ¼ cup chickpea flour or gram flour.

6. Season with ½ teaspoon black pepper (crushed), ⅛ teaspoon black salt (optional), ½ teaspoon salt or add as required. Also add ½ teaspoon baking powder. For black pepper you can even add ¼ to ½ teaspoon black pepper powder.

7. Mix very well. Depending on the water content in the zucchini which will vary with with the variety and farming methods used, the batter can become too thick or thin.

If the batter is very thick and floury, then sprinkle some water. If the batter becomes thin and runny, then add some wheat flour.

Frying

8. In a seasoned and heavy 10 to 10.5 inches cast-iron skillet or pan add 2 tablespoons olive oil. For frying each batch of 3 fritters add 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil.

Let the oil become hot. Using a serving spoon or ¼ cup measuring cup begin to pour the batter on the pan.

9. Gently place the batter on the pan.

10. Then with the back of the spoon or cup, spread lightly. Do not spread thin as then the fritters break.

11. Begin to fry medium low to medium flame. I usually fry on a medium low flame so that the insides are cooked well. The cast iron skillet retains heat and this helps in crisping the fritters.

12. Depending on the size of the skillet, you can fry three to four or even more zucchini fritters at a time.

13. When one side is crisp and golden, gently remove and flip. Fry the second side.

14. Fry the second side till golden and crisp. For even frying you can flip once or twice.

15. 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 can 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.

16. Serve zucchini fritters hot with a dipping sauce of your choice.

Expert Tips & Substitutes

• Type of Zucchini: To make these you can use any colored zucchini – green or yellow. In the recipe I have used green zucchini.
• Batter Consistency: The batter consistency is a thick batter. If the batter becomes too thin or runny, the fritter will become soggy and wet from inside. In this scenario, adding some wheat flour helps to get the right consistency. If the batter looks very thick, floury and dry, then sprinkle some water.
• Cheesy Flavors: For a vegan cheesy flavor add 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes. To get a vegetarian cheesy flavor, add some vegetarian parmesan cheese or cheddar cheese in the batter. When adding the cheese, reduce the salt in the recipe.
• Flour: You can make these zucchini fritters with all-purpose flour too. You may need to add more all-purpose flour in the recipe if using it.
• Binding Ingredient: Substitute corn starch, rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch for chickpea flour or gram flour.
• Frying: While shallow frying, you can add less oil. Though frying in less oil will reduce the crispiness. To quicken up the frying process, use two skillets side by side. Use a heavy seasoned pan to avoid fritters sticking to the pan.
• More Veggies: You can even add additional vegetables like grated carrots, finely chopped bell pepper (capsicum) and grated cabbage.
• 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: Make baked zucchini fritters by adding 1 tablespoon oil in the batter. 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. Line the baking tray with parchment paper before baking.
• Serving Suggestions: Serve Zucchini Fritters with any dip or sauce you like. You can even serve with sour cream, yogurt or creme fraiche.

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more veetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.