Zucchini Latkes with Yogurt-Curry Sauce

Lock your doors! That's right, it's zucchini season. Bountiful zucchini crops are a thing of legend in these parts, and many people have told me stories of climbing into their cars, only to find a large bag full of zucchini on their seat. Their friends and neighbors, desperate to get rid of the masses of zucchini in their gardens, are leaving these prolific veggies wherever they can. Well, I haven't found any renegade zucchini on my doorstep, but I did manage to pick up a bagful of the most gorgeous green specimens at the local farm stand.

What to do, what to do. Of course, I could make a loaf or two of my mother-in-law's tasty zucchini bread, but we always make that around Thanksgiving and I am not quite ready to give up the long summer days. What are my other options? When in doubt, fry it! I found a recipe for Zucchini Fritters on Simply Recipes. If you haven't done so already, be sure to check out this site. They have a plethora (love that word) of inventive recipes. The fritter recipe was essentially a recipe for a zucchini version of potato latkes. A dollop of sourcream, creme fraiche, or applesauce is a sure-fire winner with potato latkes. However, I wanted to branch away from the traditional. That's where this Yogurt-Curry Sauce came in. The combination couldn't have been better.

The Sauce

In a small bowl, combine ½ cup of plain, preferably Greek, yogurt...

1 tablespoon of mango chutney (if the chutney has large pieces of mango, give them a good chop)...

½ teaspoon of fresh lime juice...

¼ cup mayonnaise...

...and 2 teaspoon of curry powder.

Whisk well. Isn't that "purty"?

Cover and chill the sauce for 1 to 2 hours to let the flavors meld. Mmm-mmm, meld on!

The Latkes

Grate 1 lb (about 2 medium) zucchini onto a paper towel and season with about 1 teaspoon of kosher salt.

Wrap the zucchini up in the paper towel and squeeze out the excess juices. I suggest doing this over the sink, unless you want your dog licking the floor around your feet.

Place the squeezed zucchini into a large bowl and add 1 large egg, 2 finely chopped scallion...

½ cup all-purpose flour, and ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.

Stir the mixture well.

Cook the latkes, turning halfway through cooking, until they are golden brown on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked latkes to a paper towel to drain off the excess oil.

Serve with the yogurt-curry sauce as an appetizer or side dish.

Other zucchini recipes:

Zucchini Latkes with Yogurt-Curry Sauce

Sauce:

½ cup of plain, preferably Greek, yogurt

1 tablespoon mango chutney, chopped if necessary

½ teaspoon fresh lime juice

¼ cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoon curry powder

Latkes:

1 lb (about 2 medium) zucchini, grated

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 large egg

2 scallion, finely chopped

½ cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup olive oil

For the sauce:

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, mango chutney, lime juice, mayonnaise, and curry powder. Whisk well, cover, and chill for 1-2 hours.

For the latkes:

Grate the zucchini onto a paper towel and season with about 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Wrap the zucchini up in the paper towel and squeeze out the excess. Place the squeezed zucchini into a large bowl and add the egg, scallions, flour, and pepper. Stir well.

Heat 3 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Using about 2 tablespoon of the zucchini mixture, form a patty and place it in the skillet. Repeat until there are about six latkes in the pan. There will be enough of the zucchini mixture to make two batches of the latkes. Cook the latkes, turning halfway through cooking, until they are golden brown on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked latkes to a paper towel to drain off the excess oil.

Serve with the yogurt-curry sauce as an appetizer or side dish.

Serves 4 (3 latkes per serving).

Printable recipe

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