I have a soft spot in my heart about mücver – the delicious Turkish zucchini fritters. It was mücver that started my cooking lessons.
Several years ago we had a lovely German family living next door. To be nice and welcoming, one day I presented them a plate of zucchini fritters. My dear neighbour liked them very much and wanted to learn more. She gathered several other friends of hers and I was able to start off with my first cooking lesson. Then the rest followed. So even now, I will never forget her and the zucchini fritters story.
What are zucchini fritter ingredients?
The list for making Mucver is not very long:
- 2 medium zucchini – about 500 grams (17.6 oz) – will be enough to have a large plate of zucchini to serve for 4-8.
- 2 small carrots – about 150 grams (5 oz) – will balance help balance the watery zucchini in the muser mix.
- Flour – up to 185 grams (6.5 oz) – you should add the flour gradually and stop adding when the mixture thickens and blends enough to hold together. I cannot give the exact amount of flour as the water of the vegetables and the size of the eggs will make a difference.
- 10 grams of baking powder
- 3 medium-sized eggs.
- 5-6 sprigs of chopped parsley.
- Salt, pepper and paprika to taste.
Then there is a list of nice-to-have, optional ingredients:
- Dill
- Dry mint flakes, cumin
- 50 grams (1.7 oz) crumbled feta or white cheese
- Garlic clove and 1-2 green onions, chopped well.
How to prepare zucchini fritters?
Grate the zucchini and the carrots using the coarser side of the grater. Do not use a food processor as the vegetables leave out too much of their water if you do so.
Toss all the ingredients – except the flour and the baking powder – in a large enough bowl mix just enough to blend. Then add about 3/4’th of the flour. Once you obtain a consistency that the mix will hold together when frying stop adding the flour.
If the mixture turns out too liquid add a little bit more flour, if starting to get very dry stop adding flour. You might want to taste some before starting to fry to adjust the spices to your likes.
Start frying as soon as the mixture is ready.
Why are my zucchini fritters soggy?
It is always good to be quick when preparing this recipe, as zucchini leaves out considerable amount of its juice when set aside. So get all your other ingredients ready and in a bowl, except the flour and then start grating the zucchini.
If you notice that the zucchini is very watery while you are grating after you are finished grating squeeze out the excess water by pressing down in a colander or by just squeezing the grated zucchini in your hands. Only then add the zucchini to the other ingredients.
Once the mixture is ready do not let it sit, move on to frying immediately. If you have to wait cover and keep in the fridge and drain the excess water if any and add a bit more flour if necessary before frying.
How to fry zucchini fritters?
Use a large skillet if available. Heat the oil over medium heat. Toss in a piece of the mucver mix to test if the oil is ready, if the oil sizzles immediately, you can start frying your mucver. Choose an oil with a high smoke point and neutral flavor such as olive oil, coconut oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, corn oil or vegetable oil. I use sunflower oil, if not light olive oil for frying.
Use a tablespoon for placing mucver mix in the oil, make sure they do not touch each other. Wet your tablespoon with the oil so the Mucver mix does not stick on it and pat each fritter on top with the back of the spoon to flatten. Flip sides when one side is crispy. Move to a plate with kitchen towels to soak up the excess oil.
You can serve warm or chilled. A scoop of plain or garlicky yogurt will be a good companion. You can keep it in the fridge for 2-3 days when fried.
All my family love these zucchini fritters, I hope yours will enjoy it too. A lovely way to have vegetables. If you do not like the frying you can try my Baked Zucchini Fritters Recipe.
Enjoy and share.
Zucchini Pancakes
Ingredients
- 3 zucchini – about 500 grams
- 150 grams carrots
- 25 grams parsley
- 25 grams dill optional
- 50 grams feta or white cheese optional
- 3 eggs
- 185 grams flour
- 10 grams baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon mint optional
- ½ teaspoon cumin optional
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 150 millilitres olive oil to fry
Instructions
- Wash, peel and grate the zucchini. Use the harder side of the grater. Sprinkle with salt. Keep it aside, waiting to leave out the excess water.
- Wash, peel and grate the carrot. Use the medium side of the grater.
- Wash and then chop parsley and dill.
- Wash and grate the cheese.
- In a mid size bowl break and whisk the eggs and and the spices whisk again. While adding spices adjust according to how salty your cheese is and how much spice you like.
- Put the zucchini in a colander and squeeze out the excess water by pushing down the zucchini. Later add to the eggy mixture. Also add the grated carrot.
- Add gently, slowly the flour and the baking powder. The amount of water in zucchini may change; so the amount of flour might change. Add enough flour to achieve a mixture that is fluid but not too liquid.
- Heat oil in a frying pan. Place spoonful of the mucver mixture and pat each one on the top to make flat and so the middle of it is cooked as well. Make sure that each mucver is not touching the other. Cook both sides until golden brown over medium heat.
- Take out and place on a paper towel to drain excess. Serve warm or cold with plain yogurt.
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