Zucchini Pancakes

In the series of ‘hot’ plates, have you seen my pretty butterfly plate?

Today I made Zucchini Pancakes after letting a couple of zucchinis sit on my fridge for too long. These make a very elegant appetizer or a quick snack and are a cinch to make!

Zucchini Pancakes

What you need:

2 medium Zucchini, grated

½ Carrot, grated

2 tablespoons Red Onion, grated

2 extra-large Eggs, lightly beaten

1 – 2 Green Chilies, minced (optional)

6 to 8 tablespoons All Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

Salt to taste

Black Pepper to taste

Unsalted Butter and Vegetable Oil

Getting down to business:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

As soon as you grate the zucchini, do not let it sit. This would make it start watering.

Add in the onion, green chilies, carrots and eggs. Mix in the baking powder, salt and pepper. Be generous with the salt as this is something that needs to be seasoned well.

Then add in the flour. Keep adding the flour, as needed depending on the amount of water from the zucchini. You need to be able to spoon the batter onto the pan.

Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add in equal amounts of butter and oil together in the pan. When the oil and butter are hot (don’t let the butter burn or smoke), lower the heat to medium-low and drop heaping tablespoons of batter into the pan. Cook the pancakes about 2 minutes on each side, until golden and browned.

Place the pancakes on the prepared cookie sheet and keep warm in the oven. Wipe out the pan with a dry paper towel, add more butter and oil to the pan, and continue to fry the pancakes until all the batter is used. The pancakes can stay warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

To Serve:

These are best eaten warm and can be served with a tiny dollop of sour cream on top like latkes. To make it look even fancier, lightly sprinkle on some diced chives on the sour cream and voila! You have a dish worthy of the ‘fanciest’ party!

Notes:

This is not a batter you can mix ahead and store as the zucchini can sweat a lot and make it thin out. If you wish, you can mix in all ingredients except the zucchini and salt. Add those in at the end.
I know that Zucchinis may not always be available in India, but I do remember my mother in law telling me that Ridge Gourds make good substitute for Zucchini and vice versa. Just ensure you peel the gourd and check for any bitterness before cooking!

Modified from Ina Garten’s Zucchini Pancakes.