The Diary of a Displaced Housewife is now Life In Fuchsia…


'The Diary of the Displaced Housewife' is now 'Life in Fuschia'

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

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.

12 comments:

  1. They look simply lovely. Never tried it before.

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  2. wow...they look incredible.....what a great idea, I know my girls would love them! I had seen another post for zuchinni fritters....almost the same, but I have never thought of going that way with them.....
    I have to try it.

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  3. Priya - Thanks for dropping by! These are great when you've run out of options on what to do with those zucchinis sitting in your fridge!

    Chef Dennis - Isn't this a great way to get kids to eat their veggies? :D I'm kinda exploring the murky (ok..not so murky) world of Zucchinis - stuffing them, using up the blossoms...

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  4. This is great way to have Zucchinis..nice recipe..i have to try it.

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  5. Nice plate but I prefer the zucchini pancakes!

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  6. Suja - Hey Suja! Thanks for dropping by! :)

    Tania - Lol! I like the pancakes better too! Stay tuned for more 'hot plates' and easy recipes! :D

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  7. These look so delicious; I love zucchini fritters which are commonly made in our cuisine with the inside flesh of the cored zucchini.

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  8. Taste of Beirut - Thanks for dropping in! I would love to try out your style of zucchini fritters! It sounds really interesting!

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  9. I love love love zucchini pancakes. They are so much lighter than potato pancakes and to me more delicious. I have never put carrots or chili in mine- I just do onion as far as veggies but it seems like that would be a tasty change of pace!

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  10. Hey Andra! I added in the carrot to sneak in some more veggies and the chilies for some heat. I hope you get to try it! :)

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  11. Zucchinis -Carrots- Onions and Chillies , Oh my! This sounds and looks like something I need to eat soon, very soon! Fantastic!

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