In Greek: κολοκυθάκια τηγανητά, pronounced koh-loh-kee-THAHK-yah tee-ghah-nee-TAH
The key to great crispy zucchini is to slice thinly and fry at high heat so the zucchini has time to cook but not absorb a lot of oil. Use a cheese slicer, mandoline, or long-bladed knife to get uniformly thin slices.
Kolokythakia Tiganita: Batter-fried Zucchini
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 large zucchini, washed, trimmed, cut lengthwise into strips 1/8 to 3/16 inch thick
- olive oil for frying
- 1/2 tablespoon of salt
- ———-
- For batter:
- 8 ounces of bottled soda water
- 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
- 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
Preparation:
Prepare zucchini: Cut zucchini slices in half if they are long. Slices measuring about 3 inches long work best.
Put slices in a bowl, salt, and let sit 20 minutes. Pour off liquid before putting in batter.
Make the batter: Pour the soda into a bowl, and stir in flour and salt slowly, using a whisk or fork to mix.
Fry: Bring oil to high heat. Coat zucchini in the batter, use a fork to place pieces in oil and fry 5-6 minutes, until golden on both sides and batter puffs up. Drain on absorbent paper toweling just long enough to remove excess oil.
Serve hot.
Yield: serves 4 as a side dish, 6-8 as an appetizer/meze.
