Zucchini + Yam Fritters with Garlic Herbed Yogurt

Zucchini + Yam Fritters with Garlic Herbed Yogurt

(GF, vegetarian | vegan option)
Makes 8-9 fritters
Recipe by Karefull

I am a fan of any vessel that I can use for a dip. Growing up, I loved cheesy potato fritters, dipped in sour cream! Actually, I still do. But I also love making traditional recipes a touch healthier. Enter gluten-free, zucchini and yam fritters! There is a bit of prep work needed for these to work perfectly, but it is well worth the effort. My number one tip is to really squeeze out all the water from the zucchini using a mesh bag or a cheesecloth. These fritters pair well with eggs, avocado and, if you’re lucky enough to live in Victoria, the Root Cellar’s secret green sauce.
Although my version is healthy overall, I know that part of a potato fritters appeal is its indulgence, so if you want to make this recipe a bit more decadent, go ahead and add a handful of sharp cheddar cheese to the batter, in lieu of the nutritional yeast. 

Ingredients 2 zucchini ½ yam, peeled 2 garlic cloves 2 green onions 1 tsp sea salt 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley 2 tbsp lemon juice Zest of ½ lemon  ½ cup oat flour (you can sub for chickpea flour) ¼ cup nutritional yeast 1 egg

 Method

1. Using a cheese grater, grate the zucchini and the yam. You should have 1 cup of grated yam.
2. Mince the garlic, and finely slice the green onions.
3. You’ll need to remove the water content of the zucchini by squeezing all the liquid out of it. You can do this using a mesh bag or cheesecloth. Too much moisture leftover in the zucchini can result in soggy fritters! Lay the cheesecloth out on a surface and add a handful of the shredded zucchini and a pinch of salt. Wrap the cheesecloth around the zucchini and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Do this in batches. You should have 2 cups of dehydrated grated zucchini. 
   
4. Add the zucchini, yam, garlic, onions, parsley, lemon juice/zest, oat flour and nutritional yeast to a large mixing bowl. 
5. Whisk the egg in a separate bowl, then add to the larger bowl and mix all ingredients together.
6. Heat a tbsp of avocado oil over medium heat in a frying pan. Scoop a ¼ cup portion of the batter onto the frying pan and flatten out the shape using the back of a spoon. Let the fritters cook for 4-5 minutes before flipping them over. Repeat with the remaining batter.
7. Serve right away with Garlic Herbed yogurt, eggs and avocado.

Tip: if you don’t have oat flour on hand, you can add ½ cup of large flakes rolled oats to a food processor to create homemade oat flour. Chickpea flour works well too.

Make it vegan: omit the egg and use 1 tbsp of arrowroot powder as your binder. 

Garlic Herbed Yogurt

⅓ cup Greek yogurt

1 clove finely minced garlic

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

1 tbsp finely chopped green onions

Mix the above ingredients together and keep in the fridge until ready to use. Use as a dip or spread for your fritters. 

_______________________________________________

Kare (@_kareful)  is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist in Victoria who loves cooking, eating, design and a curated selection of well-sourced and intentioned items, surrounding themes of efficacy and sustainability, as well as toxin-free and ethically sourced. She is also slowing learning how to make sourdough.