Carrot and Zucchini Croquettes
It’s time to go retro….
Okay, so these may look like something from the 1970’s, but that doesn’t stop them from being very yummy
Which they are
In fact, they were one of the best sellers at my cafe (many) years ago
This recipe originally came from the Womens Weekly Vegetarian Cookbook
But I have changed it ever so slightly
Best thing is that they are quick and easy to make, very tasty and team perfectly with the also quick to make ‘tzatziki’
And make a great Meat free Monday meal, along with some interesting salads….
- 4 carrots. grated
- 2 zucchini. grated
- ½ cup fresh coriander, chopped
- 1 small bunch chives, chopped, optional
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- ⅔ cup ground almonds
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- pepper to taste
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons besan flour (or regular flour)
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- extra virgin olive oil, for cooking
- ½ cup natural Greek yoghurt
- 1 small cucumber, grated
- 1 small clove garlic
- pinch salt
- 1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- For the croquettes:
- Combine carrots, zucchini, coriander, chives, ricotta, almonds, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well together.
- Shape into croquettes and place on a plate or tray.
- Crack egg into a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon of water and whisk together.
- Mix besan flour and sesame seeds together on a plate.
- Dip croquettes into egg mix, then roll in flour/sesame seeds to coat.
- Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to rest.
- Meanwhile, make the tzatziki:
- Mix together yoghurt, cucumber, garlic, salt and lemon juice to taste. Set aside.
- Heat a pan over medium heat.
- When hot, add oil and carefully cook croquettes for approximately 2–3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Once cooked, place fritters on paper towel and put in 150 degree C oven to keep warm.
- Serve with tzatziki and salad
For a vegan version, replace ricotta with tofu and egg with ‘linseed egg’ (for each egg, mix 1 tablespoon of ground linseeds with 3 tablespoons of water and set aside for 10 minutes before using). Serve with lemony tahini sauce (tahini, lemon juice and water)
I have made these with pumpkin instead of carrot, but you will needed to cook them in the oven for about 10 minutes (after they had been pan-fried) to make sure the pumpkin has cooked through, otherwise they are a bit raw and earthy-tasting!
Oh, and of course you don’t have to make these into croquette shapes.
You can make them any shape you like, or just make them like fritters. If you are making fritter shapes, you don’t need to do the egg, flour and sesame seeds, but you could throw some sesame seeds into the mix.
I like the croquette shape – I think it’s fun!!
