Vegan Zucchini Fritters - Traditional Turkish Mücver

These vegan zucchini fritters are a great way to sneak in more veggies! A true Mediterranean treasure from my childhood, this plant-based version is easy to make and so delicious.

This dish is a childhood favorite of mine. Called "mücver" in Turkish, zucchini fritters are a staple in many other countries on the Mediterranean as well. The authentic batter includes many eggs to act as a binder; in this plant-based version, we will substitute the eggs with flaxseeds, chickpea flour, and other starches. See recipe notes for substitutions.

My grandmother's recipe brought delight and comfort to our home so many times, I hope it does to yours as well!

Ingredients for Mücver

• 4 medium zucchinis, peeled and grated
• 2 flax eggs*: 2 tablespoon of ground flax seeds + 4 tablespoon of warm water 
• 2 tablespoon potato starch*
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ⅔ cup chickpea flour*
• ½ bunch parsley, finely chopped 
• 4 scallions, finely chopped 
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• ½ to 1 cup frying oil (olive or sunflower oil*), the amount depends on pan size 
• garnish: parsley and plant-based Greek yogurt

*If you don't have access to any of these binding ingredients, substitute with another type of starch, like cornstarch.

How to Make Vegan Courgette Fritters

1. Make the flax eggs by adding warm water to ground flaxseeds, and set it aside for a few minutes to let it thicken.
2. Drain out the water from the grated zucchini, either by using cheesecloth or by simply squeezing it between our hands.
3. Transfer the drained zucchini into a large bowl and add in chopped parsley, scallions, minced garlic, salt, lemon juice, and flax eggs, then set aside for at least ten minutes to let the zucchini release more water.
4. In a separate medium bowl, combine the chickpea flour, potato starch, and baking soda. When the zucchini mixture is ready, add these thickeners and whisk to make the batter.
5. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a wide frying pan on medium heat. When the oil is hot enough, spoon in 2-tablespoons of batter on the frying pan for each fritter.
6. Fry each side for a few minutes, turning only once until the fritters turn golden brown.
7. Place the fritters onto paper towels. They will absorb the excess oil.
8. This dish needs to be served immediately once fried, but you can make the batter a day ahead. Serve with plant-based Greek yogurt or labneh and more parsley.

Want to cook a full Mediterranean feast? Try these other vegetable dishes in the video below: roasted tahini & pomegranate carrots and beet tzatziki. Add in a chickpea rice pilaf to complete. Step-by-step instructions for the vegan zucchini fritters are included:

Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you make this recipe! Afiyet olsun (bon appetite)!

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