Courgette Fritters with Harissa Yoghurt
These courgette fritters lean on the logic of Turkish mücver: crisp on the outside, tender within, and packed with enough aromatics that they don't taste like damp veg held together by flour. Preserved lemon and toasted cumin give them a sharp, fragrant backbone, Parmesan adds savoury depth, and a dual-flour mix keeps them light rather than heavy. Paired with a quick harissa yoghurt, they work as a starter, a lunch with a simple salad, or part of a summer spread off the grill.
Courgette Fritters with Harissa Yoghurt
Crisp, golden, mücver-style courgette fritters packed with preserved lemon, cumin, and Parmesan, served with a sharp, cooling harissa yoghurt dip.
Ingredients
- 4 medium courgettes
- 1 medium brown onion, very thinly sliced
- 20g fine salt (for drawing out water)
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 70g gram flour (chickpea flour)
- 45g plain flour
- 45g Parmesan, finely grated
- 1 preserved lemon, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, lightly toasted
- 2 garlic cloves, grated on a microplane
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 4 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (mint, coriander, or spring onion tops, combined)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Rapeseed, sunflower, or light olive oil (for shallow frying)
- 200g thick Greek yoghurt
- 2 tsp harissa paste
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 pinch of salt
- Baby salad leaves
- Lemon and olive oil dressing
Instructions
- Coarsely grate the courgettes and thinly slice the onion. Toss both with the 20g fine salt in a colander, then set aside for 20 minutes to draw out the water.
- Line a colander set over a bowl with a clean tea towel, add the salted vegetables, and wring hard until no more liquid comes out and the veg is dry and compact (aim to lose about half the raw weight).
- Toast the cumin seeds in a dry pan until fragrant. In a large bowl, combine the squeezed vegetables, beaten eggs, gram flour, plain flour, Parmesan, preserved lemon, toasted cumin, garlic, lemon zest, herbs, and black pepper. Mix well.
- Rest the batter for 10 minutes so the gram flour hydrates and the mixture firms.
- Fry a small tester piece of batter in a little hot oil, taste, and adjust salt only if needed—the preserved lemon and Parmesan are already salty.
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wide frying pan over medium-hot heat. Drop in heaped tablespoons of batter and flatten gently to about 1cm thick and 10cm wide. Do not crowd the pan.
- Fry for 2–3 minutes per side until deep golden and crisp. Remove and keep warm in a low oven while frying the rest, topping up oil between batches.
- Whisk the yoghurt, harissa, lemon juice, and salt together. Serve the fritters piping hot with salad and harissa yoghurt alongside.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
133Protein
7 gSugar
3 gCarbs
14 gFat
5 gApproximate values per fritter
The carbs come primarily from the dual flour mix and natural courgette sugars, while the healthy fats and protein come from the eggs, Parmesan, gram flour, and frying oil.
Ingredient Notes
Courgettes and Onions Courgettes are mostly water, which is the enemy of a crisp fritter. Salting and wringing them hard is non-negotiable. Slicing the onion as thinly as possible allows the strands to weave through the batter, binding the fritter together so it cooks evenly rather than breaking apart in the pan.
Gram Flour and Plain Flour Gram flour (chickpea flour) is the secret weapon here. It browns deeply, crisping harder than wheat flour while holding moisture inside, and brings a faint, nutty richness. Plain flour balances it out, giving a tender set so the fritters don't end up dense.
Preserved Lemon and Parmesan Preserved lemon brings a funky, floral sourness that cuts through the fried batter, while Parmesan adds umami and salt. Because both ingredients carry heavy salt, hold back on adding extra salt to the main batter until you’ve fried a tester piece.
Harissa Yoghurt Thick Greek yoghurt is essential here—thinner yoghurts will run when hit with the lemon juice. The harissa brings a smoky, gentle heat that matches the toasted cumin inside the fritter.
Kitchen Notes
The Squeeze is the Whole Dish Courgette is roughly 95% water. If you skip wringing it out, that water turns to steam the moment it hits hot oil, leaving you with soggy, grey fritters. You need to lose about half its raw weight in liquid. Wring it in a clean tea towel until your hands ache.
Let the Batter Hydrate Don't rush the 10-minute rest after mixing. Gram flour absorbs liquid slower than plain flour; giving it a few minutes allows the starches to hydrate, thickening the mix naturally so it holds its shape in the pan without adding extra flour.
Nail the Oil Temperature Shallow fry in a medium-hot layer of oil. If the oil is too cool, the fritters will act like sponges and soak it up; if it’s too hot, the exterior will brown before the egg and flour set in the middle. Look for a steady, gentle shimmer and an immediate sizzle when the batter hits the pan.
Always Fry a Tester Preserved lemons vary in saltiness, as does Parmesan. Before frying the whole batch, drop a tiny spoonful of batter into the pan, cook it, and taste it. Adjust the black pepper, lemon, or salt in the bowl before continuing.
Variations
Gluten-Free Version Swap the 45g of plain flour for an all-purpose 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend, or use 100% gram flour. Using all gram flour will result in a slightly nuttier, denser fritter, but it crisps exceptionally well.
Feta Swap If you don't have Parmesan, crumbled feta is a classic alternative. It won't melt into the batter in the same way, but it gives pockets of salty, creamy tang throughout.
Herb Flexibility Dill, mint, parsley, or coriander all work here. A combination of mint and dill leans traditional Middle Eastern, while coriander and spring onion tops give a punchier, greener finish.
Serving Suggestions
As a Starter or Small Plate Serve three fritters hot off the stove over a swoop of the harissa yoghurt, topped with extra fresh mint leaves and a wedge of fresh lemon.
With Grilled Meats These are a natural side for sumac-rubbed chicken thighs, lamb chops, or grilled halloumi. The sharp harissa yoghurt doubles as a sauce for the meat.
Summer Lunch Pair with a bitter leaf salad, chicory, rocket, or watercress tossed in a light lemon dressing, to balance the richness of the fried fritter.
Drinks
Wine: A crisp, high-acid white like an Assyrtiko, Vermentino, or a dry Greek Roditis cuts through the shallow-fried batter and complements the preserved lemon.
Beer: A cold, dry-hopped pilsner or a crisp saison. The carbonation cleanses the palate between bites of yoghurt and spice.
Non-Alcoholic: A sparkling water with fresh mint and a squeeze of lemon, or a chilled salted mint ayran.
Zero Waste
Courgette Water: Don't throw away the salted courgette juice wrung out in Step 2. Use it as a salty, flavourful base for vegetable stocks, or freeze it to add depth to your next batch of soup or risotto.
Lemon Shells: After zesting and juicing your lemons, save the shells in a container in the freezer. Toss them into stock pots or boil them with vinegar to make a natural kitchen cleaner.
Herb Stems: Finely chop soft mint and coriander stems alongside the leaves. They carry intense flavour and add a pleasant crunch to the batter rather than going to waste.
FAQ
Why are my courgette fritters soggy? Soggy fritters are almost always caused by un-squeezed courgettes or cool oil. You must wring the salted courgette in a towel until very dry, losing ~50% of its weight, and ensure your oil sizzles immediately upon contact.
Can I cook courgette fritters ahead of time? Yes, but re-crisp them in the oven. Fry them completely, cool on a wire rack, and store in the fridge. Reheat on a baking tray at 180°C (350°F) for 5–7 minutes until crisp. Never microwave them or cover them while hot, as trapped steam softens the crust.
Can I bake or air-fry these instead of frying? Shallow frying gives the best texture, but you can air-fry them. Shape the fritters, brush or spray generously with oil, and air-fry at 190°C (375°F) for 10–12 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Is this recipe gluten-free? Not as written, due to the 45g of plain flour. However, swapping the plain flour for gluten-free flour or extra gram flour makes the recipe 100% gluten-free.
