Carrot and Zucchini Fritters with Creamy Herb Sauce
Serves 4
For Fritters:
2 medium zucchini, grated
3 large carrots, grated
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
⅓ cup wheat flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt, divided
3-5 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying
For Sauce:
¼ cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon of each dried herb and spice (no problem if you don’t have all the herbs and spices on hand, use what you have and it’ll still turn out delicious!)
Thyme, Oregano, Basil, Coriander, Rosemary, Ginger, Dill, Turmeric, Onion powder, Garlic powder
For Fritters:
Grate the zucchini and carrots into a large bowl. Toss with ½ teaspoon salt and let the veggies sit for 10 minutes.
Transfer the grated veggies to a cheesecloth and strain out as much liquid as you can. You can discard the strained liquid.
You want to squeeze out as much liquid as possible because too much moisture will make it harder for the fritters to bind and hold their shape when frying!
Transfer the strained veggies back to the large bowl you were using. Add the eggs and Parmesan cheese to the bowl and mix it in with the zucchini and carrots.
In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Once combined, add this flour mixture to the zucchini and carrots mixture and blend the two thoroughly together.
Heat a skillet over medium heat. As the pan is heating up, add 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, use a large spoon to scoop 1-2 tablespoons of the mixture into the skillet. Use the back of the spoon to press down on the mixture to form a uniformly thick fritter. Add additional fritters until the skillet is full, but don’t crowd the pan!
Flip the fritters once the side starts to turn a golden brown. And continue frying until the other side also turns a golden brown. Once golden brown throughout, remove the fritter from the skillet and let it rest on a paper towel-lined plate. Working in batches, continue frying the remainder of the batter.
When the pan looks dry, add additional oil.
Be aware that the longer you fry, the hotter your pan and oil will get! So, if the pan starts to smoke, remove any fritters, as you don’t want them to burn, remove the skillet from the heat, and turn down the stove temperature. Continue frying once the pan has cooled down.
For Sauce:
In a medium bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, and salt. Mix everything together until smooth (there may be larger pieces of yogurt and sour cream you’ll need to break down), well blended, and no more white streaks appear. Set aside.
Add all of the dried herbs and spices to either a food processor or mortar and pestle. Blend until the mixture is turned into a powder. Add this to the yogurt mixture and incorporate it well. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preferences.
Refrigerate and set aside.
When you’re ready to eat, drizzle the sauce overtop the fritters.
Enjoy!
