Mucver (Courgette / Zucchini Fritters) are small vegetable pancakes that contain courgettes, egg, flour, spring onion and fresh herbs. You can serve these tasty and crispy fritters as an appetiser, finger food, side dish or even as a light lunch.
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Mucver is the Turkish name for courgette fritters and they are very similar to Indian pakoras or Jewish latkes. They are very popular and loved in Turkey and are often served during the summer as a vegetarian side dish.
These small patties are typically shallow fried in a pan until golden and crispy but can also be baked in the oven or in an air fryer.
Why This Recipe Works?
- These delicious fritters are very easy to make and need only a few ingredients you might have in hand.
- It is versatile, you can add grated carrots or crumbled feta to the mixture or change the herbs to adjust to your taste.
- You can serve them as an appetiser, snack, side dish or finger food. They are also great for picnics or lunch boxes as they can be eaten cold or at room temperature.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Courgettes - Use fresh, young courgettes as they will have less water and more flavour than bigger ones.
- Herbs - I use flat-leaf parsley, dill, and mint (both fresh and dried) for this recipe but you can use different herbs you have in your fridges such as basil, chives or chervil.
- Egg - It binds the mixture together and adds flavour.
- Flour - It gives a crispy texture to the fritters while they stay soft inside. You can substitute it with rice flour or cornflour for a gluten-free version.
- Spring onion - I use the green part of spring onions for this recipe but you can use any type of onions as long as you chop them finely.
- Seasoning - Adjust it to your taste.
How to Make Courgette Fritters?
Courgette fritters are very easy to make with a few tips and steps to follow:
Grate the courgettes and place them in a colander. Sprinkle with a little salt to get rid of excess water and leave to drain for 10 minutes. Place in a tea towel or absorbent paper towel and squeeze out excess water then transfer in a large bowl.
Add the spring onions, fresh and dried mint, parsley, dill, egg(s), flour, salt, freshly ground black pepper and baking powder to the grated courgettes and mix well.
Heat a large frying pan on medium heat and add the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, drop a heaped spoonful of the mixture into the hot oil and gently press to flatten it out a little. Depending on the size of your pan, fry 4 or 5 fritters at a time.
Fry for a few minutes until they are golden brown then flip them using a spatula. Fry the other side for a few more minutes and place them on a plate layered with a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Related Recipes
For more delicious vegetarian dishes why not try:
Courgette fritters are best when served warm or at room temperature.
I usually serve these delicious vegetable patties with a yoghurt-based dipping such as Yoghurt Dip (Haydari), Mediterranean Whipped Feta Dip or Cacik (Turkish Yoghurt With Cucumbers).
You can also serve them with a bowl of salad such as Tabbouleh or Summer Chickpea Salad for a sustainable lunch.
Yes, you can easily freeze courgette fritters once they are cooked and cooled down to room temperature and keep them frozen for up to 3 months.
I suggest making the mixture just before cooking them. The courgettes can let out extra liquid as they stand in the batter, which could make it too thin.
You can prepare the batter in advance and add the grated courgettes to the batter just before cooking.
Top Tip From the Chef
Try and get as much water out of your courgettes as possible for a crispier mücver. It is very important not to rush this step and get rid of the excess water from the courgettes as it will affect their texture.
I hope you enjoy the process of making these flavourful Turkish courgette fritters as much as you enjoy eating them! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!
Mucver (Courgette Fritters)
Equipment
- 1 Grater
Ingredients
- 2 medium courgettes (approximately 400 g) (grated)
- 4 spring onion (green part only, sliced)
- 6 sprigs fresh mint (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- 2 tablespoon parsley (finely chopped)
- 2 tablespoon dill (finely chopped)
- 1 large egg (or 2 small eggs)
- 4 tablespoon flour (60 grams)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil (for frying)
Instructions
- Grate the courgettes, place them in a colander, sprinkle with a little salt and leave to drain for 30 minutes.
- Place the grated courgettes in a tea towel or absorbent paper towel and squeeze out excess water then transfer in a large bowl.
- Add the spring onions, fresh and dried mint, parsley, dill, egg(s), flour, salt, freshly ground black pepper and baking powder to the courgettes and mix well to form a thick batter.
- Heat a large frying pan on medium heat and add the vegetable oil.
- When the oil is hot, drop a heaped spoonful of the mixture into the hot oil and gently press to flatten it out a little. Depending on the size of your pan, fry 4 or 5 fritters at a time.
- Fry for few minutes until they are golden brown then flip them using a spatula. Fry the other side for few more minutes and place them on a plate layered with a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Nutrition
FOOD SAFETY
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
Ayla Clulee
Best way to cook courgettes!
Lilly
Made these today and they turned out fantastic! Thank you for the recipe.
Teresa
Delicious! I halved the recipe to have for lunch by myself and it was a real treat.
Ayla Clulee
So happy you loved it, Teresa!
Debs
Perfect, uncomplicated, well-balanced ingredients, easy to make, and with outstanding, appetising results. Any cook can do it.
Ayla Clulee
Thank you so much, Debs, I’m glad you’ve enjoyed them!
Joy
This is such a simple recipe. They came out delightfully crispy on the outside and soft and delicious on the inside as promised. Thanks for such a lovely recipe.