As the weather gets warmer, I’ve been craving fresh spring produce and lighter meals. And when I think of light and fresh I think of Pohovane Tikvice or Zucchini Fritters. It brings back so many wonderful memories of my childhood and that very first bite has them all rushing back. It was one of my favorite things to eat on summer vacations back home and usually in the spring I tend to remember this recipe and make it every so often. My husband loves these too, so this always makes a filling and nostalgic meal for us. These are small fluffy pillows of deliciousness!
For this recipe, I like to use Calabacita squash, but when it’s not available I use zucchini and it tastes just as good. In fact, I’m sure it’s easier to find zucchini than Calabacita squash. I know some recipes for this dish say to peel the squash before cooking it but I like to keep the skin on, wash them really well, and cook them skin-on. If you’ve had these before, you may have had them served either sliced or grated like I’ll be showing you today. While I’ve had both, the grated version is my tried and true. It’s the way I always prefer to make it and I personally think it tastes so much better that way.
You’ll only need a handful of ingrediants to make this dish, but what you decide to enjoy them with is up to you. I love to eat these with feta cheese, ajvar, or simply just bread and maybe some yogurt. There’s nothing quite like it, and it’s so very easy to put together. We love pohovane tikvice on the weekends in the summer!
The name itself implies that these are breaded and fried, which is somewhat true. While they are definelty fried in shallow oil, they aren’t breaded in the traditional sense unless you’re cutting the squash into slices. When making the grated version, you’re combining the squash with the flour and egg to make a batter so even easier!
I hope you give this a try very soon. If you’re looking for more meal ideas, check out the entrée section!
Pohovane Tikvice/Balkan Zucchini Fritters
Course: MainCuisine: Balkan, Serbian4
servings30
minutes15
minutesThis is a great meal idea for warm summer days or during zucchini season!
Ingredients
2-3 medium Calabacita squash or zucchini
2 eggs
1 tablespoon (7.5g) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
1/2 cup (70 g) all purpose flour
Oil for frying
Directions
- Wash your squash really well and cut off both ends. Then, grate the squash using a vegetable grater. I use the shredding side, the same one I use for grating things like cheese. You want your squash to look like shredded cheese. Grate all of your squash this way.
- Once all of your squash is grated, add the salt and mix the salt and squash using a spatula. Set the bowl aside for 15-20 minutes. This will allow the salt to extract as much water from the squash as possible. Stir the squash 1-2 times during the rest period.
- After about 20 minutes you will notice the squash has released a lot of water. Using your hands, squeeze the squash very well and place in another bowl. Squeeze all the squash this way.
To ensure I have removed as much liquid as possible I will squeeze the squash with my hands and place on 2 sheets of paper towel. Then, I use the paper towel to squeeze any remaining liquid from it. - In your bowl with your drained squash, add in the eggs, flour, and baking powder. Add a small pinch of salt at this point as well. Stir to combine all the ingredients.
- You will notice the mixture is very thick at this point. This is ok. Let the mixture rest for 5-7 minutes before frying. While the batter rests, the remaining liquid in the squash will make the batter a little thinner which will be perfect for frying.
- To the pot or skillet you’ll be using to fry your squash, add the oil and turn the heat to medium. We are not deep frying these fritters, the oil should only come about 1/2 way up the sides of each piece.
- When the oil has come to temperature, stir the batter one more time and using a spoon, drop spoonfuls of the batter into the oil. Don’t crowd the pan too much or you will lower the oil temperature too quickly. Also make sure the pieces are not touching. I do only 3-4 at a time.
- Fry each piece for 2-3 minutes on each side until the bottom has turned a golden brown color and formed a crust. Carefully flip onto the other side and cook for another 2 minutes.
If the squash is browning too quickly adjust your heat accordingly. - Once each piece is cooked, transfer it to a paper lined plate to drain the excess oil.
- Serve warm or room temperature and enjoy!
Notes
- I use a small skillet so I don’t have to use as much oil but if you’re doubling or tripling the recipe use a regular 12-inch skillet and add about 1- 1.5 cup of oil.
- Keep an eye on the oil, if it’s too hot it will cook the squash on the outside but it will be raw on the inside. Adjust the heat accordingly.
- These are great served with greek yogurt, sour cream, or plain yogurt. Or even on their own!
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