Vegan Zucchini Fritters
For these vegan zucchini fritters, zucchini, onions and bell peppers are stirred into a batter of chickpea flour, rice flour, turmeric and herbs like oregano, chives and thyme and then pan-fried to golden crispy perfection on a griddle.
Servings: 12 four-inch fritters
Calories: 103kcal
Equipment
- Food processor or box grater or handheld grater with large holes
- Non-stick griddle or cast iron griddle or skillet
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini
- 2 small bell peppers
- 1 medium onion
- 1 cup besan (chickpea flour)
- ½ cup rice flour
- ¼ cup fresh herbs (chopped. I used a mix of chives, oregano and thyme. Cilantro, mint, parsley, dill and basil are also great choices.)
- 1 teaspoon cayenne (or paprika. Use more or less depending on your preference for heat)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds. Leave it out if you don't have it or use a little more cumin)
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil or any neutral oil (or cooking spray, for frying the fritters)
Instructions
- Grate the zucchini (skin and all), bell peppers and onions using the largest holes on the box grater or in your food processor.
- Place the grated vegetables in a bowl. Add to it the fresh, chopped herbs and all of the remaining ingredients (except the oil or cooking spray).
- Let the batter stand 10 minutes. This will give the veggies time to express all their juices so you know exactly what the consistency of your batter will be. Don't be tempted to add more liquid right after mixing. The batter will look very thick in the beginning but it will loosen up as it stands and the veggies express more moisture. After 10 minutes, if the batter is looking very dry and there are dry streaks of flour you can add a bit of water, but it should not be necessary. This will be a very thick batter but there should be enough liquid to bind all the veggies, flours and spices together.
- Heat a nonstick griddle or cast iron griddle over medium high heat. Oil the griddle or coat with cooking spray.
- Once the oil is hot scoop approximately a fourth of a cup of batter into the griddle and, using a spoon or the bottom of the cup (if the cup is heat resistant) press down on the batter to shape it into a round as thin as possible, about 3 ½ to 4 inches in diameter. A thinner pancake will be crispier.
- Once the fritter looks like it's drying on top and the edges are crispy and golden brown, flip the fritter and cook the other side until done.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Serve with a dollop of vegan sour cream or any hot and sweet sauce. I often eat these vegan zucchini fritters with ketchup and they are delicious. Or eat them by themselves.
- You can substitute the bell peppers in the recipe with other quick-cooking veggies like carrots or cauliflower or spinach in this recipe. You can also use this vegan zucchini fritter recipe as a master recipe to make fritters with almost any quick-cooking veggie, including carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, many leafy greens like spinach and chard, mushrooms and more. Keep in mind that you will need to monitor the moisture in the batter closely as some of these will express more or less juices than the zucchini. Add more flour if the batter is too wet and add water if it's too dry.
- If you use dried herbs cut down the amount to a tablespoon as dried herbs have a more intense flavor.
- Refrigerate: You can store leftover fritters in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- Freeze: Flash-freeze the fritters first by placing them in the freezer on a baking tray without overlapping. Store the pancakes in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to three months.
- Reheat: Reheat refrigerated or defrosted pancakes on a hot griddle coated with oil or cooking spray.
Nutrition
Serving: 1fritter | Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 272mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 665IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg