Zucchini Halloumi Fritters with Barberries

Just a fun way to use up some zucchini! Because zucchini is everywhere right now, right?!

The first time I made zucchini fritters was back in the 90’s, and I just thought they were such a fun side to a summer grilled chicken or fish recipe.

Since then, I have discovered halloumi, the squeaky cheese! Have you tried this cheese yet? This Mediterranean cheese is firm, is easy to grate, and has a mild, slightly salty flavour, but without the tang of feta.  It adds a great element to these fritters, both in flavour and texture.  So since these fritters are leaning Middle Eastern in  the ingredients, I decided to go all the way and add some more classic flavours to these tasty little pancake style nibbles.

Flavour Profile

Along with the halloumi, a cheese which comes to us from Cyprus, mint, feta, pine nuts and barberries round out the ingredient list.  Mint is the most lovely herb to play as a sweet-earthy contrast to the savoury and slightly salty cheeses and nutty zucchini.  The pine nuts would add a slightly crunchy texture, and the barberries would add a tart sweetness as well.  Have you ever used barberries?  They are the fruit from a bush that is harvested for eating, most commonly in Middle Eastern and European cuisines.  Usually the berries come dried (I just keep them in a bag in the freezer) and work best when reconstituted in hot water, or simple syrup.  They are commonly added to rice and couscous dishes.  If you just can’t find them at a local middle eastern grocery store, dried sour currants, cranberries or even pomegranate seeds can work in some applications. Check out the links to the Halloumi and Barberries to learn even more about them.

How to Handle the Zucchini

I always coarsely grate my zucchini in smaller portions into a tea towel, and then wrap the towel around the mass of zucchini and twist tightly.  You want all the juices to escape now, or else they will be released as the zucchini cooks and make any dish really soggy.  You can also grate into a colander, and then toss the grated zucchini with salt.  Let everything sit for about 15 minutes, and the salt will pull out the juices.  You will still need to give everything that good squeeze to ensure that the grated zucchini is as dry as possible before continuing with the recipe.  So if you don’t trust that you are strong enough to squeeze the zucchini on its own, then do the salt step prior to the tea towel.

This is really just a thick batter, and then you will take heaping tbsps of the mixture and add it to a well oiled hot skillet.  Sauté on both sides till crisped and cooked through.  Don’t make the fritters too large, or else the exterior may scorch before the interior is cooked through. Transfer the fritters to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt.  Keep the finished ones warm in a 300F oven till the batter is all sautéed up.

Dipping Sauce

What can you serve with these little nibbles?  A dipping sauce with greek yogurt as the base is perfect.  The cool tang of the yogurt is the perfect compliment to the fritters.  Let’s just dress the yogurt up a bit.  Lime juice, ground coriander, cumin, and chilli pepper or Espelette pepper for some kick.  Use what you like!  Some finely chopped mint or cilantro is all that is needed as a garnish.

Final Thoughts

You can serve these as light dinner with a salad and veggies, like my Rose Harissa Roasted Carrots with Hummus.  Two or three make a great meatless meal, or snack.  Make them smaller and serve them as a side to baked or grilled chicken, like the Lebanese Spiced Chicken on the blog, fish, even lamb.  Store any leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge. The next day they reheat wonderfully in the air fryer, and make a great base for a poached egg!

Print

Zucchini and Halloumi Fritters with Barberries

Crispy little cakes with a lime yogurt dipping sauce make for a great appetizer, or light vegetarian meal with salad and rice on the side. Also makes a lovely side for grilled chicken or fish. The mint, barberries and pine nuts give these a lovely Levantine flavour profile.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Keyword barberries, feta cheese, halloumi, mint, zucchini

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp dried barberries
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 1/2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 3 medium zucchini trimmed and coarsely grated, about 580grams)
• 1 small red onion minced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 lime zested and juiced, divided
• 1/2 cup AP flour or gluten free flour blend, about 60 grams
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs lightly whisked
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp Espelette pepper or to taste
• 100 grams Halloumi cheese grated, or 3.5 oz
• 50 grams Feta cheese crumbled, or 1 3/4 oz
• 2 tbsp finely chopped mint or parsley
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/4-1/3 cup sunflower or other neutral oil for sautéing

Lime Yogurt Sauce

• 3/4 cup Greek yogurt or about 175 ml
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• juice from lime above
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp Espelette pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

Lime Yogurt Sauce

1. Mix together all the ingredients for the soured cream sauce in a small bowl. Taste, and re-season if desired. Set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.

Zucchini Fritters

1. Place the barberries in a small bowl. Heat the sugar and water in a small sauce pan or microwave over medium-high heat until the sugar is melted completely. Pour this over the barberries. Let them sit and soften for about 15 minutes.
2. Toast the pine nuts in a clean skillet over medium heat, tossing regularly so that the nuts don't scorch. This should take about 5 minutes. Set the nuts aside to cool.

3. Place the grated zucchini in a colander and sprinkle over 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside for 10minutes, then squeeze them to remove all the remaining liquid: You can do this in a tea towel in sections if so desired.

4. Transfer the zucchini to a large bowl and add the red onion, garlic, lime zest, flour, baking powder, eggs, ground coriander, cardamom, Espelette and a grind of black pepper.

5. Mix well to form a uniform batter, then fold in the halloumi and feta gently.

6. Drain the barberries and add to the mixture, along with the cooled pine nuts and mint.

7. Taste and see if you want some salt, you may not, since the cheese contains some.

8. Pour enough oil into a large frying pan so it completely covers the bottom and place on a medium heat.

9. Once hot, add separate heaped dessertspoons of mixture (about 2 tbsp worth) to the pan, spacing them well apart and flattening each fritter slightly into lovely rounds. Cook for 4-5 minutes, turning once halfway through, until golden and crisp on both sides.

10. Transfer to a paper-lined plate and sprinkle with salt. You can keep them warm in a 300F oven while you continue with the remaining batter. Add more oil if needed. You should get 12-14 fritters from the batter. Serve with the Yogurt Sauce.

11. Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge and re-heated in an air fryer or skillet over medium heat.

Recipe Notes

If you would like to serve these as a small one or two bite nibbles, feel free to make the fritters smaller.