Gluten-Free Veggie Snack:
Courgette & Feta Cheese Fritters with Chilli Mint Yogurt Dip
Gluten-Free Veggie Snack: Courgette & Feta Cheese Fritters with Chilli Mint Yogurt Dip
Once upon a time, in what seems like another lifetime, I ran a restaurant in Cyprus. We used to cook traditional Greek and Turkish Cypriot cuisine as well as weekly specials for the ex-pats such as fish and chips on Friday, Sunday roast dinners (on Sunday of course) as well as the odd curry night. Our meze menu was famous and comprised salads, crusty local bread, chips and at least sixteen dips and starter style dishes followed by numerous cooked meats, vegetables and little boreks (pies) as well as fritters similar to my recipe for today – Courgette & Feta Cheese Fritters with Chilli Mint Yogurt Dip. And, it was that recipe for our “Kabak Köftesi” (little courgette fritters often in the shape of balls) that triggered me to make these over the weekend, and the recent #YogurtStylist contest.
Courgette & Feta Cheese Fritters with Chilli Mint Yogurt Dip
These fritters are made with feta cheese, but I was very lucky to be able to find some Beyaz Penir recently, which is Turkish white cheese and is similar to feta, only slightly creamier, and which gave these fritters an authentic taste of the original restaurant recipe. Feta cheese is perfect for this recipe of course and the combination of grated courgettes, spring onions and garlic marries so well with this tangy cheese, as well as the chilli mint dip too. These little fritters are just perfect for any glut of courgettes you may have, as I am sure lots of gardeners are experiencing this summer, and are gluten-free and vegetarian for any meat-free days.
Gluten-Free Veggie Snack: Courgette & Feta Cheese Fritters with Chilli Mint Yogurt Dip
Before I share the recipe, let me just go back to the #YogurtStylist contest I mentioned before, a competition I was judging and hosting along with the Yogurt Council; well, the winner and runners-up have been revealed and what I hard task I had to choose from all the amazing entries too! I am delighted to announce that Lil from Whip until Fluffy is the overall winner with her fabulous Courgette & Yogurt Loaves recipe and images.…..Lil will be travelling to see me in France in three weeks time for part of her prize which is a food styling workshop with me! To see Lil’s winning entry and all of the other amazing finalists, please pop over to the Yogurt Council’s website here: #YogurtStylist Competion: Winner & Runners Up Revealed. Her winning image which scooped her the £1,000 cash prize is shared below too…….
Courgette and Yogurt Loaves
With thanks to all who entered and special mentioned must also go to the four runners up: @me_and_orla, @kateveggiedesserts, @sylviahappiness and @eat_your_veg who will each receive £100 worth of vouchers for a supermarket of their choice. A collage of their entries is shared below……..and a special thanks to Lou of Eat your Veg for her courgette fritters recipe that also inspired me to replicate today’s recipe.
Yogurt Stylist Runners Up
But back to my recipe for today, my Courgette & Feta Cheese Fritters with Chilli Mint Yogurt Dip, the recipe and some step-by-step images are shared below and I hope you will enjoy this recipe, as much as my customers used to, if you try it! I’ll be back in a couple of days with a new 5:2 diet recipe, a new giveaway, some more seasonal fruit recipes as well as a summer cocktail recipe too……and watch out for my next Singapore and Atlantic Canada posts, have a GREAT week, Karen 
Courgette & Feta Cheese Fritters with Chilli Mint Yogurt Dip
Print recipe
| Serves | Makes about 8 to 10 fritters |
| Prep time | 1 hour |
| Cook time | 30 minutes |
| Total time | 1 hour, 30 minutes |
| Allergy | Egg |
| Dietary | Gluten Free, Vegetarian |
| Meal type | Lunch, Side Dish, Snack, Starter |
| Misc | Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold, Serve Hot |
| Occasion | Barbecue, Casual Party |
| Region | Turkish |
| By author | Karen S Burns-Booth |
Ingredients
- 2 large courgettes, coarsely grated
- sea salt
- 4 Spring onions, chopped finely
- 1 large free-range egg
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely diced
- 125g Feta cheese or Beyaz Penir - Turkish white cheese (crumbled)
- 2 heaped tablespoons cornflour
- freshly ground black pepper
- 125ml thick yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground chilli powder or Pul Biber - dried flaked chillies
- small bunch of mint, finely chopped
- a little oil for frying
- lemon wedges to serve
Note
These tasty courgette and feta cheese fritters are based on a Turkish recipe I used to make when I lived in Cyprus for my restaurant and are a perfect way to use up a glut of courgettes.
Directions
| Step 1 | Put the grated courgettes into a sieve and sit over a plate or a bowl. Add about 2 tablespoons of sea salt and mix. Place a plate or bowl on top and weigh it down with a heavy weight or a large tin. Leave for 30 minutes. |
| Step 2 | Pour the courgette juice away and rinse the grated courgettes well under running water to get rod of the salt. Drain and squeeze any remaining liquid out of them, a good way to to do this is to pop them into a clean tea towel and squeeze them over the sink. |
| Step 3 | Place the grated courgettes into a bowl and add the onions, egg, crumbled Feta cheese and the cornflour - mix well, with your hands is best. Season to taste with the pepper and set to one side in the fridge to chill and firm up a bit. |
| Step 4 | Meanwhile, make the dip; put the yogurt into a serving bowl and add the chilli powder and chopped mint, mix well and set to one side. |
| Step 5 | When you are ready to cook the fritters, heat some oil on a heavy-based non-stick pan and drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the hot fat, flatten the fritters out with the back of the spoon and fry them on both sides until golden brown, firm and crisp - be patient, this can take about 7 or 8 minutes. As you cook them put the cooked fritters on a paper lined plate and keep them warm. Continue to cook the fritters until the all the mixture has been used. |
| Step 6 | Serve the fritters warm with the yogurt dip and fresh lemon wedges - these are perfect with crusty bread and salad accompaniments. |
Courgette and Feta Cheese Fritters
Courgette and Feta Cheese Fritters
I am entering this recipe into my own challenge of Cooking with Herbs for July, as it uses fresh mint!
And, as this recipe uses greens in the form of courgettes and is vegetarian, I am also adding it to Shaheen of Allotment 2 Kitchen’s new challenge called Eat your Greens!
Laura says
These will be perfect for using up some more of the courgettes my mum is growing for me!
Karen Burns-Booth says
Great Laura! I am always after recipes for courgettes, as they we always have a glut!
Glamorous Glutton says
I’ve printed this off for dinner tomorrow, it looks really delicious. You constantly amaze me with your wonderful previous lives!! I’m so looking forward to August. GG
Karen Burns-Booth says
GREAT! Thanks GG and I REALLY hope that you enjoy them as much as my restaurant customers did when I used to make them there!
Heidi Roberts says
Oh another recipe to use the courgettes from the allotment! Looks dellicious!
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Heidi! 🙂
Kate - gluten free alchemist says
I love this recipe. The combination of onion, courgette, cheese, garlic, chilli and mint sounds both unusual and delicious. We have courgettes coming out of our ears in the garden and seem to be using them in every possible permutation…. savoury and sweet. This looks like another recipe that will fit perfectly in the collection! Thanks!
Karen Burns-Booth says
I am so pleased that you like this recipe Kate and it’s always nice to have another GF tucked away to make when certain produce comes into season, such as the prolific courgette! Enjoy if you make these!
Dominic says
oooh, those fritters look so delicious, I particularly love the picture of the raw ones sizzling in the pan!…. love that you could share a little nugget of your life in Cyprus, it must have been a fascinating time and it has clearly influenced you. I must hunt down that cheese, it sounds so intriguing. I’m off to an organic buffalo mozzarella farm today with mum… should be interesting!
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Dom! We both love recipes like this and these will be making a regular appearance on our table throughout the summer now.
Janie says
Amazing recipe and well done to all the winners! Great competition Karen, and I’m only slightly envious that Lil is heading down to hang out with you and soak up your styling skills! Have fun ladies 🙂
Janie x
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Janie! You know you are welcome to visit us in France any-time!
Deena Kakaya says
This is one is utterly for me! I am a fan of the way courgettes moistly bind a fritter together in a very delicate and giving way. Hope its OK to say, that I am not sure which I like more..the fritters of the fab dip! x
Karen says
THANKS Deena! I am delighted that this is a recipe you may make and further more, enjoy! Karen
Choclette says
Karen, you are always so full of surprises – you had a restaurant in Cyprus? Gosh, no wonder you are such a good cook. I think I might have become a regular for your meze nights. These fritters sound scrumptious indeed.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Choclette! Yes, I have had a very interesting and varied life, that has taken me from South Africa to Hong Kong and back, with a few other countries along the way! Glad you like these fritters……Karen
shaheen says
Wow, I know what I will be making with my homegrown courgetttes, I will feel like I am in holidays in Cyprus 🙂 thank you so much for submitting into EatYourGreens.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Shaheen! I was pleased to be able to have something suitable for your great new challenge this month and I hope you enjoy these fritters if you manage to make them!
Felicity Kelly says
I’m always looking for recipes to use up courgettes yum
Nichola says
Just made these – my 7 year old had thirds! Fantastic and so easy. Always looking for ways to use the surplus from my dad’s allotment. Will definitely make again.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks so much for letting me know Nichola! We also love these, and they are a great way to use up the courgette glut as you say!