Delicious and super easy Greek style zucchini fries in the lightest, crispiest tempura batter. They go wonderfully well as a side with any kind of meat, fish or vegetarian main. They also make a crowd pleasing appetizer to share. Don't forget a big dish of traditional Greek tzatziki sauce for dipping!
Wash your zucchini/courgette and chop off the very ends. Then cut into three or four big pieces, depending on the size. Cut each piece in half so you have 2 semi-circles. Then lay flat (green side up) and slice into fry shapes.
2 medium zucchini
Combine the flour, salt and baking powder in a jug or small bowl. Then slowly add the chilled water and mix until you have a smooth batter.
1 cup plain flour, ¾ teaspoon salt, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, 1 cup soda water
Heat up the oil until it sizzles when you dip the end of a piece of zucchini in it.
1 cup oil
Dip the zucchini into the batter a small handful at a time. Fish out with a fork and place carefully into the hot oil.
Let cook for 2 or 3 minutes, turning once if necessary.
When the fries are puffed up and golden, remove with a slotted spoon. Drain on kitchen paper. Repeat until all the zucchini is fried.
Serve while still hot and crispy with tzatziki sauce on the side (optional - see recipe below).
for the tzatziki sauce
Put the yogurt into a small bowl or dish and add the garlic, cucumber, dill and lemon juice. Mix it all together well.
1 cup Greek yoghurt, ½ clove garlic, 1 cucumber, 1 teaspoon dill, 2 squeezes lemon juice
Grind some black pepper onto the top and drizzle over a little olive oil.
black pepper & a drizzle of olive oil
Video
Notes
How to slice the zucchini: I've described how to do this in the body of the post above. You can also watch the how-to video to 'see' how I do it. You can cut the fries either thick, medium or skinny. You can also fry 'rounds' of zucchini instead of fries. Simply slice the courgette/zucchini like you would a cucumber, then proceed with the recipe as normal. How to keep the fries from getting soggy: Blot the zucchini sticks with paper towels before coating in the batter. Wait until the oil is very hot before cooking, until the end of a fry dipped in the oil sizzles. Serve immediately! Flip the zucchini fries in the oil or not? It depends! I sometimes find that I need to flip the fries over for a few seconds to cook the top. Sometimes though you don't need to do this - it depends how vigorously the oil is bubbling, and how deep the oil is in the pan. Just keep a close eye on them and make a decision as they are cooking.Note about the nutritional info: I've roughly estimated that you'll need around 1 cup or 250ml oil to cook all the zucchini fries. You won't be 'eating' all of this oil, so bear in mind that the calorie count of 1 portion of these fries will probably be less than stated above!