Zucchini Fritters Recipe (Ejjet Kousa) With Yogurt Cucumber Sauce (Laban Bi Khyar)

Zucchini Fritters Recipe (Ejjet Kousa) With Yogurt Cucumber Sauce (Laban Bi Khyar)

This crispy, savory zucchini fritters recipe (ejjeh) is flavorful, nutritious, easy to make, and a great way to use zucchini when it's in season. And these freeze well, so they're a good option for meal prep!

Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Brunch, Main Course

Cuisine Arabic and Middle Eastern

Keyword Ejjeh, Ejjet Kousa, Zucchini Fritters, Zucchini Fritters Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 243kcal

Author Faith Gorsky

Ingredients

Yogurt Cucumber Salad:

2/3 cup plain yogurt
2/3 cup finely diced Persian cucumbers (or English/hothouse cucumbers)
1 large clove garlic (crushed)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves (or 1 teaspoon crushed dried mint leaves)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (to drizzle on top)

Zucchini Fritters:

2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more for shallow frying)
1 cup yellow onion (diced)
3/4 pound zucchini (shredded; about 1 medium-large zucchini or 1 1/4 cups shredded)
2 large cloves garlic (crushed)
4 large eggs
4 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup minced fresh scallion (green and white parts)
2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base (dissolved in 1 tablespoon water; or omit and add 1 teaspoon salt)
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (optional)
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the Yogurt Cucumber Salad:

Add all ingredients (except the olive oil) to a medium bowl and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt if desired. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Serve chilled, spread into a shallow bowl with the olive oil drizzled on top.

Make the Zucchini Fritters:

Cook the onion and zucchini. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a medium skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook until it starts to soften but not brown, about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the zucchini and cook until softened and the water has evaporated, about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Cool slightly.
Make the fritter batter. Add the eggs, flour, parsley, scallion, dissolved Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base, Aleppo pepper, black pepper, and cumin to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Stir in the zucchini mixture.
Fry the fritters. Add enough olive oil to a large skillet to lightly coat the entire bottom of the pan (we aren't deep-frying and we don't need a thick layer of oil here). Heat the oil over medium heat. Once hot, use a 3-tablespoon scoop to drop the batter into the hot oil. Cook until set and golden on one side (about 2 to 3 minutes), and then flip and cook until set and golden on the other side (about 1 to 2 minutes). Transfer the cooked fritters to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil, and cook the remaining batter the same way, adding more oil to the skillet as needed.

Serve:

Serve the fritters warm (while they're the crispiest) or at room temperature. To serve, arrange the fritters on a platter along with the dish of chilled cucumber yogurt salad.

Notes

Recipe Yield and Serving Size:
- Cucumber Yogurt Salad: This makes about 1 cup or 4 servings with 1/4 cup per serving.
- Zucchini Fritters: This makes about 16 fritters or 4 servings with 4 fritters per serving.
Storage and Make-Ahead:
- Cucumber Yogurt Salad: Store in a covered glass container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Note that the consistency will thin over time as the cucumbers continue to release their moisture, so give it a quick stir before serving.
- Zucchini Fritters: Cool to room temperature and then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can freeze them layered between pieces of parchment paper in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Reheating the Fritters: To reheat, thaw if the fritters were frozen. Then to restore their crispness, reheat them over medium heat in a skillet on the stovetop for 2 to 3 minutes per side, in a 375F oven for about 7 to 10 minutes, or in a 350F air fryer for about 2 minutes per side.
In Print: Recipe adapted slightly from my recipe for Herbed Omelets in my cookbook, An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair.

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