Kolokithokeftedes
Courgette and feta fritters with mint (κολοκυθοκεφτέδες)
Kolokithokeftedes are what happens to a glut of courgettes in a Greek summer: grated, squeezed, mixed with feta, spring onion, mint and dill, and fried into crisp little patties. Tavernas serve them as a meze with a bowl of tzatziki, and at home they are a light dinner with salad. Outside they are golden and crunchy; inside they stay soft and herby. Use feta labelled vegetarian. Chef's tip: squeeze the salted courgette until it's almost dry; wet courgette is the usual mistake and makes fritters that spit, soak up oil and fall apart.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Toss 1 ⅓ lb courgettes with 1 tsp salt in a colander and leave for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 2: Squeeze the courgettes a handful at a time, then again in a tea towel, until hardly any liquid comes out.
Step 3: Mix the courgettes with 5 ½ oz feta cheese, 4 spring onions, 3 tbsp mint, 2 tbsp dill, 1 egg, ½ tsp black pepper, 2 ⅛ oz plain flour and 1 ⅜ oz dried breadcrumbs. The mixture should hold together when pressed; add a spoon more breadcrumbs if it is too wet.
Step 4: Heat ¾ cup olive or sunflower oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat until a crumb sizzles at once.
Step 5: Drop in heaped tablespoons of the mixture, flatten slightly and fry in batches for 3 minutes per side, until deep golden and crisp. Don't move them until a crust forms or they will break.
12 minStep 6: Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with 1 lemon and tzatziki.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 21 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kolokithokeftedes take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of courgettes?
- Cucumber, same weight (raw dishes only).
- What can I use instead of feta cheese?
- Goat's cheese or ricotta salata, same amount.
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