Zucchini Fritter with Baba Ganouj, Cucumber Salad & Pita
It’s lucky that zucchini is so versatile because, come midsummer, there’s a lot of it. Here we’re making super savory fritters, adding cornmeal for a little extra texture. The feta is optional, but it’s worth it: the salty, briny, umami flavor is so good. With tangy baba ganouj and a fresh cucumber salad, all wrapped in a warm pita, it’s probably a crime not to eat this outside.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
For the fritters
2 pounds zucchini (about 4 large squash)
½ pound yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)
2 teaspoons salt
3 eggs
1 ½ tablespoons vadouvan (see note)
½ cup cornmeal
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup fresh dill, washed, dried, and finely chopped
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 (8-ounce) block feta, coarsely crumbled (optional)
Neutral oil (for frying)
For the cucumber salad
1 pound cucumber, roughly chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1 cup picked herbs (parsley, cilantro, and/or dill)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
To serve
Pita bread, store-bought or homemade
Baba ganouj, store-bought or homemade
Lemon wedges
Flakey sea salt
METHOD
Remove moisture from the zucchini and onion. Grate the zucchini and onion on the coarse side of a box grater. Place them in a salad spinner (see note) and sprinkle with the 2 teaspoons of salt. Mix and rest for 10 minutes to give the salt time to draw out as much moisture as possible. Then spin and drain.
Make the fritter batter. In a large mixing bowl, combine the spun zucchini and onion with the remaining batter ingredients. Mix well.
Cook the fritters. Form the fritters into small disks (2-3 inch diameter and ½ inch high). In a large skillet, add a ¼-in deep layer of neutral oil. Heat until the oil is shimmering (about 350°F). Carefully add the fritters and fry until golden brown (about 3-4 minutes per side). Drain on paper towels or a wire rack set over a sheet pan.
Plate. Dress the cucumber salad. Serve the fritters immediately with a dollop of baba ganouj, a generous spoonful of cucumber salad, and several wedges of warm pita bread. Sprinkle with flakey sea salt, and finish everything (except the bread) with a good squeeze of lemon juice.
Note: Vadouvan curry powder can be a little tricky to track down. We usually buy ours from Villa Jerada, our favorite Seattle-based spice purveyor. If your search comes up dry, it’s no problem to sub garam masala, berbere, or madras curry powder. You can also use our recipe to make your own, if you’re feeling ambitious.
Note: You can use a colander for this, but spinning will remove significantly more moisture than unassisted gravity. Not to mention spinning is way faster. You’ll use it twice in this recipe alone (drying your herbs). We highly recommend adding a salad spinner to your repertoire of kitchen tools.
FURTHER READING
