Greek Courgette & Calamari Fritters
Grab a chilled glass of vino, whip these up and pretend you’re beachside at a Greek taverna with my epic Greek Courgette & Calamari Fritters.
Courgettes and calamari – not quite the first combination that springs to mind when you mention Greek cuisine, but trust me, this is absolutely melt-in-the-mouth, crunchy, savoury goodness!
When these golden brown little calamari morsels are served up fresh from the pan, dipped into tzatziki and a spritzed with a zingy pop of lemon juice, you could almost swear you were standing on the shores of Mykonos!
to cook along with us click here, and if you try this recipe, let us know how it goes! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag your photo #theculinarycartel on Instagram so we can see what you come up with. Happy cooking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grill the calamari instead?
While we haven’t tried this preparation method, you are welcome to grill the calamari in the oven, or even pop it into your Airfryer!
Is this the same as Greek stuffed calamari?
Not quite! This recipe is my own invention and does not involve stuffing the calamari tubes with any cheese.
Can I serve this with other sauces?
While tzatziki is definitely the traditional favourite, this recipe will taste delicious with a range of other sauces and preserves. If you’re feeling adventurous, check out my Pantry Heroes for some inspiration!
Greek Courgette & Calamari Fritters
- Yield: 3 - 4 Servings
Description
Grab a chilled glass of vino, whip these up and pretend you’re beachside at a Greek taverna with my epic Greek Courgette & Calamari Fritters.
Ingredients
- 500g caught on line calamari tubes and tentacles
- 300g courgette, grated
- 2 Tbsp onion, chopped
- 30g parmesan, grated
- 80g feta, crumbled
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped finely
- 3 jumbo eggs
- 2 Tbsp cake flour (batter)
- 1/2 cup cake flour (coating calamari)
- 1 lemon, zest and juice (zest for fritters, juice for tzatziki)
- canola oil for frying
- 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
- 1 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped finely
- 1/2 Mediterranean cucumber, grated
- lemon juice to taste
- salt and pepper as needed
Instructions
Prep ahead
- Using kitchen scissors, cut the calamari tubes in half, cutting from the outer edge of the tube all the way to the tip.
- Blanch the courgettes in lightly simmering salted water for 2 minutes, drain, and squeeze out excess water using a clean dish towel.
The fritters
- Lightly whisk the eggs, then add in the squeezed courgettes, cheeses, onions, parsley, lemon zest and breadcrumbs.
- Stir until well combined, then add the two tablespoons of flour. If your batter is too thick, you can add another 1/2 an egg, until the consistency is nice and runny.
- Preheat your oil in a pot until it reaches about 180 degrees celsius.
- Dip the calamari in flour, then into the batter.
- Directly fry the fritters in the oil until golden-brown. Remove and drain on a paper towel.
The tzatziki
- Squeeze the excess water out of the cucumbers using your hands.
- Add the pressed, grated cucumbers, mint and lemon to the yoghurt, along with a squeeze of lemon.
- Stir well until combined
Serve hot, with a squeeze of lemon, a pinch of salt. and your fresh tzatziki.
Happy cooking!
- Category: Mains
- Method: Fry
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 393.04kcal
- Sugar: 4.42g
- Sodium: 679mg
- Fat: 13.5g
- Saturated Fat: 6.07g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5.64g
- Trans Fat: 0.01g
- Carbohydrates: 31.47g
- Fiber: 2.03g
- Protein: 35.23g
- Cholesterol: 440.16mg
