Recipes    

Turkish cuisine provides healthy, hearty, delicious food for family and friends.
Find out more

Cookery Classes

I teach Turkish cooking classes in England,Turkey & USA, hope you can join us!,
Find Out More

Zucchini (Courgette) Fritters with Feta and Dill – Kabak Mucveri

Mucver; zucchini fritters with feta cheese, onion and dill

Mucver; zucchini fritters with feta cheese, onion and dill

Zucchini are the most widely available summer squash in Turkey. They are very versatile, used in many dishes and their flowers are perfect for stuffing. This wonderful vegetarian fritters are fantastic accompanied by garlic infused yoghurt or a leafy salad and crusty bread. You can enjoy them as a meze/appetizer for supper or light lunch dish. The bite size versions would be a great party / finger food too. They are also wonderful served next day as a cold snack.

If you are after a lighter flavor, you can bake the spread in a greased baking dish (at 180 C / 350 F) for about 35-40 minutes, like my mother does. You can then cut in squares and serve.

Here’s also my Courgette fritters, Mucver YouTube link:

I love the vegetarian dishes, mezes and dips in Turkish cuisine and over 75 % of my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, showcases these recipes, including this Kabak Mucveri. Signed copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book is NOW 20 % OFF at this link, for a limited time and delivered worldwide including the US, Canada and Mexico with lower rates here.

Adopted from Angie Mitchell’s Secrets of the Turkish Kitchen

Serves 4 – 6
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

3 medium zucchini (courgette), grated
150 gr / 6 oz  Turkish white cheese or feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
3 green (spring) onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 bunch dill, finely chopped
3 eggs, beaten
45 ml / 3 tablespoons all purpose (plain) white flour
Pinch of paprika (optional)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Canola oil (or sunflower oil) for shallow frying
Sprigs of dill for garnish

Place the grated zucchini in a colander, sprinkle with a little salt and leave to drain for 30 minutes. Crumble or grate the feta cheese.

Using a tea towel, squeeze out any excess water from the zucchini and put in a bowl.

Transfer the flour to a large bowl and beat in the eggs. Add the remaining ingredients, season with salt and pepper and beat into a batter (Take care not to add salt if your cheese is salty). Mix well.

In a frying pan, heat enough oil to shallow fry. Using a tablespoon, drop the spoonfuls of batter mix into the hot oil. Fry over a medium heat on both sides until golden brown. Remove with a straining spoon and drain on absorbent kitchen paper towel.

This meze (appetizer) can be enjoyed warm or you can make it in advance, and serve as a cold meze. Garnish with sprigs of dill and accompany with garlic infused yoghurt.

For garlic infused yoghurt, crush a couple of garlic cloves with salt, combine the yoghurt and garlic and beat until smooth. Add salt to taste.

Note: Summer squash is an effective diuretic and its potassium content benefits those with high blood pressure. Dill is known to aid digestion.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

, , , , , , , , ,

34 Responses to Zucchini (Courgette) Fritters with Feta and Dill – Kabak Mucveri

  1. Anonymous April 30, 2010 at 10:24 pm #

    Ozlem, I have cooked most of the recipes from your website and they are delicious. My children actually asked for more zucchini fritters! Also, I love Turkish tea; can you share your recipe? Thank you so much for your recipes and cooking tips.

  2. Ozlem's Turkish Table May 2, 2010 at 8:06 am #

    Hello and Merhaba:)
    Many thanks for your lovely comment, it feels so nice to know that the recipes are enjoyed, I very much appreciated it – and my children loves the fritters too!
    Turkish tea, cay, is brewed from the black tea leaves. I like to put 1 teaspoon of leaves per person and pour hot water over the pot and let it brew for 5 minutes or so. I also have some more hot water set aside, if you wanted to have weaker tea. Pour the brewed tea in your teacup and dilute with hot water as you like. We like to drink tea hot and it is a drink of frienship and offered to you at home all the time! I hope you enjoy it.
    Afiyet Olsun:)
    Ozlem

  3. Anonymous June 13, 2011 at 3:03 pm #

    I was HAPPILY surprised to find your site! My husband and I went to a Turkish Taverna here in Baltimore last night. we usually have "basics" like humus and stuffed grape leaves, but there was a big birthday party at the restaurant, and they were out of some of those things. so we tried the spicy walnut dip meze and zucchini fritters. I just came in crossing my fingers that i'd find a recipe and found everythign i needed here! Thanks so much for your great recipes and pictures. i can't wait to try them!

  4. Pennie April 22, 2012 at 3:17 pm #

    Thanks for all the great recipes, Özlem. I am Turkish bride from England living in Istanbul and I struggle to follow recipe books in Turkish, so you have made my life a lot easier!

    • Ozlem April 23, 2012 at 8:52 am #

      Merhaba Pennie,

      You are very welcome, I am glad to hear the recipes work for you and you are enjoying them : )
      Afiyet Olsun!
      Ozlem

  5. Pennie April 24, 2012 at 3:29 am #

    The ultimate seal of approval, my husband said they were exactly like the mücver his mum used to make for him 🙂

    • Ozlem April 24, 2012 at 9:29 am #

      Couldn’t be a better compliment Pennie, I am over the moon!:) Well done you!
      Selamlar, Ozlem

  6. Sarah July 6, 2012 at 5:10 pm #

    I was looking for appetizer recipes to use up my abundant garden zucchini and I came across your recipe. They look absolutely delicious however I was wondering if you would have a substitute suggestion for the dill. (That is one herb that my husband isn’t fond of). Thanks so much!

    • Ozlem July 9, 2012 at 11:07 am #

      Hello Sarah,
      Thank you for your comment; dill would be the traditional herb in this appetizer, but why not using fresh flat leaf parsley instead? it has a milder taste and hopefully your husband may enjoy it too. This appetizer is wonderful cold or warm with garlicky yoghurt by the side, hope you can give it a go!

  7. Reinventing Nadine August 2, 2012 at 12:40 am #

    Again another recipe we have in common, but instead of dill we use parsley and we don’t put any feta cheese. I am going to try your version…I had a beautiful dill plant in my herb garden but snails got to it before I did…Booooo…I will leave the house for a bunch of dill..yes mam..Fritters do that to me!

    • Ozlem August 2, 2012 at 11:11 am #

      Hi Nadine,
      Thanks for stopping by, I love seeing similiarities we share in the recipes; by all means, adjust the recipes as you like, for your taste; I believe cooking should reflect one’s personal taste, while the recipes are guidelines, hope you like this version:)

  8. April Ozbilgin April 20, 2013 at 3:07 am #

    I love, love, love mucver! Looks yummy!

    • Ozlem Warren April 20, 2013 at 6:39 pm #

      cok tesekkurler April : )

  9. Sheri C April 23, 2014 at 3:25 pm #

    I found your website after I spent three weeks in Turkey last year and fell in love with the food. I tried some of the recipes which were delicious. Just came back after spending two weeks in Istanbul and Izmit. Will be making a trip to the market to pick up what I need to make several more.

    • Ozlem Warren April 23, 2014 at 3:45 pm #

      Merhaba Sheri, delighted to get your kind note and that you’re enjoying recipes, no better complement:) I am also glad you had a wonderful trip to Turkey; the food is a huge part of the culture, and how nice you keep it going now with recreating recipes, afiyet olsun!

  10. Nehal Padia September 30, 2015 at 3:12 am #

    Hi Ozlem, please tell me can I make zucchini fritters without egg?

    Thanks,
    Nehal

    • Ozlem Warren September 30, 2015 at 8:43 pm #

      Merhaba Nehal, I am afraid that is tough as eggs help binding the fritter mixture. You may try to bake rather than fry as fritters, if you’d like to avoid using eggs. It may not bind as much but still will be tasty, hope it helps, Ozlem

    • Lyn November 17, 2016 at 4:38 pm #

      Use chickpea flour (garbanzo bean, or besan) to replace the flour, and milk or water to replace the liquid from the eggs. You may need to add extra liquid, or flour, to get the right texture. Chickpea flour has more protein which helps to bind the ingredients.

      • Ozlem Warren November 18, 2016 at 12:45 pm #

        Great tips Lyn, this would also make it gluten-free, thank you for sharing.

  11. Heather M Andersen July 24, 2018 at 8:52 pm #

    Merhaba ozlem, my zucchini from the garden are massive. I was wondering if you have an estimate of how many cups 3 medium grated zucchini would make?

    • Ozlem Warren July 30, 2018 at 1:38 pm #

      Merhaba Heather, apologies for my delayed reply as i have been traveling; I would imagine between 3-4 cups, if they are on the large side. These fritters are great to flavour zucchini! Afiyet Olsun, Ozlem

  12. Seyhan Davis March 31, 2019 at 3:31 pm #

    Cok guzel,nefis !Tesekkurler

    • Ozlem Warren April 1, 2019 at 8:59 am #

      Tesekkurler nazik notunuz icin, sevgiler, Ozlem

  13. Deborah April 24, 2019 at 6:45 pm #

    Hi Ozlem.i find adding a little baking powder produces a puffy ,crispy mucver .

    • Ozlem Warren May 1, 2019 at 1:53 pm #

      Hi Deborah, indeed, it makes it puffy : ) Afiyet olsun, Ozlem x

  14. Jenny August 4, 2019 at 5:10 pm #

    Merhaba Ozlem! I am living in Turkey and wondering which white Turkish cheese you intend for this recipe? There are sooo many! Ha! Also, if I need to omit the flour, could I sub almond flour with a little xanthan gum to bind them? Also, how much is “one bunch dill”? Thank you!

    • Ozlem Warren August 6, 2019 at 9:32 am #

      Merhaba Jenny, thank you very much for your note! I would use beyaz peynir here, it works well. I guess you can use almond flour – also chickpea flour with xanthan gum, I haven’t used myself but I don’t see why not! I would love to know how you get on, if you can kindly let me know. One bunch dill is roughly a handful of dill, though you can use more if you like dill. I hope this helps and you enjoy the recipe, Afiyet Olsun, Ozlem

  15. Havva April 8, 2021 at 7:53 pm #

    Merhaba Ozlem I love your recipe I love mucver and also I am Turkish but I still use your all recipes. Thanks for sharing with us.

    • Ozlem Warren April 9, 2021 at 10:41 am #

      Many thanks for your kind note Havva, cok tesekkur ederim, so glad you are enjoying my recipes here – Afiyet Olsun : ) Ozlem x

      • Gary April 26, 2022 at 3:15 am #

        Hi Ozlem,

        Your wonderful recipe reached San Francisco for our dinner this evening. I’ve made other fritter recipes but yours is truly the very best I’ve made, and my husband happily agrees! Because we are watching our carbohydrates, I used King Arthur keto wheat flour instead of white and still, your recipe delivers on every count! Served alongside Tzatziki and sausages!

        Thank you so much for the delicious recipe, your helpful video and very clear directions.

        • Ozlem Warren April 26, 2022 at 9:01 am #

          Thank you so much dear Gary for your kind note – made my day! – Afiyet Olsun!
          Ozlem

  16. Ozlem Warren July 6, 2014 at 11:03 am #

    thanks so much Loise!:)

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. I have courgettes, I have feta… fritters! | Lois Elsden - July 4, 2014

    […] https://ozlemsturkishtable.com/2010/04/zucchini-courgette-fritters-flavored-with-feta-and-dill-mucver… […]

  2. Shiny Objects – Ela Aktay - July 7, 2017

    […] a wine tasting and a sampling of Turkish food. Everyone has to make one Turkish dish. I’m making mucver, which is like a zucchini pancake or fritter. I’ve only made it once before, so fingers crossed it […]

Leave a Reply