Greek Zucchini Balls: Kolokithokeftedes
from https://foodlove.com/
Greek Zucchini Balls are delicious fried pancakes or fritters with grated zucchini, crumbled feta cheese, and fresh mint served as a vegetarian appetizer with homemade tzatziki sauce. I learned to make these zucchini appetizers at a cooking class in Greece, where they’re called kolokithokeftedes. Here in the States, you might find them referred to as zucchini balls or zucchini pancakes.
The first step in making this Greek zucchini balls recipe is to grate and drain the zucchini. This step removes excess water, which allows the fritters to crisp up better during frying. Moisture is the enemy of crispiness in the kitchen, so the more water you can remove from the vegetables now, the better.
To drain your zucchini before making the batter, grate, and salt the vegetables in a colander. Use 2 teaspoons of salt–I know it’s a lot, but don’t worry, most of it will drain away. Let the zucchini drain for 15-30 minutes, then squeeze it gently with your hands or a clean dish towel to remove most of the water.
4-5 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup crumbled feta cheese preferably Greek
2 large eggs beaten
3 green onions cleaned and thinly sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups approximately self-rising flour (another recipe uses 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs, plus more for coating the balls)
Olive oil for frying
Wash the zucchini and cut off the ends, but do not peel. Grate with a food processor or box grater. Put the grated zucchini in a colander, sprinkle with salt, and mix to coat evenly. Place the colander in the sink and let the zucchini drain for 15-30 minutes. Gently squeeze the zucchini with your hands to remove as much water as possible.
While the zucchini is draining, combine the eggs, green onion, mint, feta, and black pepper in a large bowl. Add the drained zucchini. Mix in enough self-rising flour to make a soft dough, about 1 1/2 cups. [Another recipe mixes in 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs instead of the flour.]
[The other recipe; Pour some breadcrumbs into a shallow bowl and roll each zucchini ball to coat all around.]
Deep fryer cooking instructions: If using a deep fryer, preheat the oil, preferably olive oil, to 375°F. Line a large plate with 3-4 layers of paper towel.
Drop the dough, one tablespoon at a time, into the hot oil, trying to keep the dough in a ball shape. Fry 4 or 5 zucchini balls at a time for 2-3 minutes, until they are medium golden brown. Turn the zucchini balls with tongs as necessary evenly.
Remove the zucchini balls from the hot oil with tongs, a slotted spoon or a spider strainer. Place them on the paper towel-lined plate to drain away excess oil.
Stovetop cooking instructions: If cooking the zucchini balls on the stovetop, put about 1/3 inch of olive oil in the bottom of a 12-inch skillet, and heat over medium-high heat to 375°F.
If you don't have a frying thermometer, you can test the temperature of the oil by dropping in a small amount of batter. The batter should start to bubble and sizzle right away, but the oil should not be smoking hot.
When the oil is hot, drop tablespoons of batter into the oil. Zucchini balls will have more of a patty or fritter shape if cooked in a skillet. Cook 4-5 zucchini balls at a time, about 2 minutes on each side, until medium golden brown. Flip the zucchini balls with tongs halfway through the cooking time. Transfer to the paper towel-lined plate to cool.
Serve the zucchini balls with Authentic Greek Tzatziki Sauce.
The zucchini balls can be fried up to 2 hours before serving them as they taste great at room temperature. They can also be slightly warmed through in a preheated 350°F oven for 5 minutes.
Servings 4 About 20
