What are Polpete Od Tikvica?
Zucchini fritters are your friend if you live with picky eaters. In Croatia, we call them polpete od tikvica. These crispy veggie bites will delight your little ones who need to be coaxed to get their daily dose of vitamins. But grown-ups are not immune to their allure, either.
Zucchini fritters can be done in a jiffy. In fact, it takes longer to wait for them to release their liquid than to rustle up the zucchini batter.
Then, it’s all about frying them until they're perfectly crispy. We’ll go through that in the recipe below. There’s even a trick for reheating them so they stay crispy and irresistible.
A bonus lesson... In Dalmatian cuisine these are known as polpete od tikvica. In the rest of Croatia, we called them popečci od tikvica.
Essential Ingredients for Polpete Od Tikvica
Zucchinis (courgettes) are the main ingredients for these delicious bites. But to make the batter, we’ll need eggs, flour, and some seasoning. Let’s dive in.
Fresh Zucchini
It’s best to cook with organic zucchini because you don’t have to peel them. The skin gives the batter more texture, especially after we drain all the liquid from the zucchini meat.
Prepping the zucchini is the first and most crucial step in making the fritters crunchy and moorish. You need to grate them, season with salt, and wait until they release the liquid.
Then, it’s time to practice your grip. Squeeze the zucchini hard between your hands to drain them as much as you can. Only then, we add the rest of the ingredients: eggs, flour, cheese and seasoning.
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Optional Add-Ins and Variations
Crispiness is the biggest charm of zucchini fritters. But if you add grated Parmesan cheese, you’ll watch your family fight for them. That’s the way to get more veggies into their diet (grin).
Another trick to elevate their flavor is to include dried Mediterranean herbs. For the best results, use a mix of rosemary, sage, and thyme.
Finally, season with salt and pepper.
Making Vegan Zucchini Fritters
It’s easy to veganize these Croatian polpete od tikvica.
Substitute eggs with the so-called vegan flaxseed egg. For each egg, mix 1 tbsp of ground flaxseeds with 2 1/2 tablespoons of room-temperature water. Let the zucchini mixture sit for 10 minutes until it thickens.
Use vegan Parmesan cheese and a tablespoon of nutritional yeast for a deeper flavor.
Those of you who love veggies, try some other naturally vegan Croatian recipes.
How to Choose the Best Zucchini
Picking fresh zucchini at the local market is always a treat. Green, yellow, striped, long, round – all these are varieties of zucchini.
We start seeing them at farmers' markets in early summer. They range from small and delicate in June, both in size and taste, to gigantic as autumn approaches.
Pick any type you like, but remember an important trick. Young, tender zucchini have fewer seeds. But, there is so much water in them that a man's touch might come in handy to properly wring them.
If you choose bigger ones, cut them in half lengthwise, remove the middle with the seeds, and then grate them. You’ll see that these will have less liquid to drain off.
Polpete Od Tikvica - A Versatile Dish
There isn’t a time of the day when you can’t eat zucchini fritters. With a few creative twists, they will shine as a menu item for any Croatian meal.
Enjoying Polpete Od Tikvica as a Snack
Aw... this is how we’ve always enjoyed them as kids. Fry a mountain of zucchini fritters and just put them in front of the family. Then, watch as they grab piece after piece and stuff their mouths.
If you’re bored of popcorn, rustle up polpete od tikvica for munching in front of the TV.
Polpete Od Tikvica for Breakfast or Brunch
They might be simple food, but you can serve polpete od tikvica in a more upscale way, too.
For example, make a dip with sour cream, yogurt, and crushed garlic to go along. Chop us more fresh veggies and spring onions for an extra crunch. Offer slices of Croatian speck or pancetta for those who can’t imagine a meatless meal.
Or, make a sandwich or a burger with them. Use the zucchini fritters as the ‘meat’ between the bread. Moisten them up with various spreads, such as ajvar, cream cheese or mayo.
Fried, Baked or Air Fried Zucchini Patties
Frying is my go-to method for the best zucchini fritters. However, you need to follow some rules if you want them to be crunchy and virtually oil-free.
Here’s what to do. Use a skillet or a heavy-bottomed pan that keeps the heat well. Then heat the oil to optimum temperature. This 170-180 C (340-355 F).
If you don’t have a thermometer, use my foolproof thick. Keep the pan on medium-high. After a few minutes, flick some flour into the oil. If it sizzles, you can start spooning the fritters in.
Hot oil creates the crust around the fritters and doesn’t seep in. Once you drain them on paper towels, they won’t be greasy at all.
How about baked zucchini fritters? Or, as we would say, polpete od tikvica u pećnici? Yes, you can cook them this way, too. But use the hot air mode (convection) to get the best crust and crispiness. Flip them halfway through.
You can make zucchini fritters in an air fryer. Remember, the batter is quite watery, so you’ll have to line the air-fryer and fry them in batches.
Step-by-Step Recipe for Polpete Od Tikvica
Zucchini Fritters - Polpete od Tikvica
Ingredients
- 1200 g fresh zucchinis (Shrinks to half the weight when drained of water)
- 2 eggs
- 100 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 1 tbsp dried Mediterranean herbs (oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- 250 ml Sunflower/canola oil for frying
Instructions
Prep the zucchinis
- Wash and dry the zucchinis. Peel them first only if you are not using organic. Otherwise, leave the skin on. Grate them using a food processor or a box grater. Sprinkle them with salt. Set aside for 15 minutes, until they release water.
- When the zucchinis have released their liquid, squeeze them with your hands to drain as best as you can.
- Mix in the eggs, flour, grated cheese and seasoning (salt, pepper and dried herbs). The consistency should be slightly denser than pancake batter but still soft and oozy.
Fry the zucchinis
- Heat enough oil for shallow frying (about 3 cm [1 in] deep) in a heavy-bottomed pan. Flick some flour in to check if the oil is hot enough. If it sizzles, start spooning in the zucchini batter. Flatten each with a spoon to create even, round shapes.
- Fry on medium-high heat on both sides until they turn deep golden and crispy. This is about 3 minutes per side or 5-6 minutes total. Drain on paper towels.
- Eat the fritters on their own or with a dip made of sour cream, yoghurt and crushed garlic.
- Courgette fritters make a fabulous snack. Even people who turn up their noses at vegetables fight for seconds. When you see that happen, you know you can tie this great recipe into a main meal. Make zucchini fritters instead of fried potatoes or even serve them instead of bread.
Reheat the fritters to retain crispiness
- If you have leftover fritters, it's best to reheat them in the oven, at 180 C (350 F) with the hot air on (convection mode). Place them on a wire rack and leave in the oven for 5-10 minutes. With this method, your fritters will retain all their lovely crispiness.