I didn’t post on the blog for a couple of weeks because I was on holiday in the south of France but I’m back with one my favorite Turkish recipes, mücver. Make the most of the last zucchinis of the season with this traditional mezze that you will more often see in family kitchens than restaurants.
These patties made with grated zucchinis and stuffed with herbs and cheese are so delicious that I always end up wanting more. The salty cheese, the sweet onions, the soft middle with the crispier edges, it all makes for an unforgettable starter. These zucchini patties have a light tang thanks to the beyaz peynir (a brined white cheese similar to feta) and are super savory!
MOISTURE BEGONE
The only thing to keep in mind while you make mücver (or any sort of veggie patties) is that moisture is your enemy! The more water you can get out of your zucchinis the crispier your mücver will be. If you rush through the draining and squeezing process, you might end up with mushy patties. They’ll still taste good but the texture won’t be ideal and they might break apart in the frying pan.
The mücver mixture should never be too wet. There should be just enough moisture to bind the ingredients together but the patties should be dry enough to hold their shapes in the pan. Don’t hesitate to add more flour, 1 tbsp at a time, to the mixture until you get the right consistency.
VARIATIONS
If you see a zucchini-based Turkish meal, you can be sure it will be paired with dill! I don’t know why, but I always follow the rule. However this recipe is very versatile, don’t hesitate to experiment with different cheeses, different types of onions, or different herbs. You can serve mücver still warm from the frying pan, at room temperature or fridge cold, they’ll always be tasty!
If you want to make them even more flavorful, don’t hesitate to make a garlicky yogurt sauce to dip your mücver in. Simply mix 5 (heaped) tbsp. of Turkish (or Greek) yogurt with 2 finely minced garlic cloves and a pinch of salt.
I have successfully made gluten-free mücver in the past by replacing the flour with the same amount of gluten-free all-purpose flour. Mücver are commonly made with zucchinis but you can also find some made with leeks (pırasa mücveri).
HEALTHIER MÜCVER
➝ How can I make healthier mücver? You can reduce the amount of cheese or skip out on it entirely like my in-laws do (personal preferences). You can fry the zucchini patties in olive oil instead of frying oil or, the ultimate healthier option, you can cook your mücver in the oven!
Simply scrape the mixture into a greased baking pan, flatten it to a 2,5 cm (1 inch) thickness with the back of a spoon and cook at 200°C (390°F) in a preheated oven for 40 min, or until the top has a deep golden-brown color. I prefer the taste of fried mücver but I know that fried food is very caloric. Don’t worry, you’ll get similar flavors from baked mücver and you can’t beat that smell when you open the oven door!
Looking for other zucchini recipes? Here are some of my favorites:
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Mücver
- Prep Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 57 minutes
- Yield: 15 fritters 1x
- Category: Mezze
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Turkish
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A mücver is a Turkish zucchini fritter combining salty cheese, sweet onions and fragrant herbs. With a soft middle and crispier edges, it’s so delicious that you’ll always end up coming back for more! A phenomenal starter (or dinner).
Ingredients
- 1kg zucchinis (about 4 medium zucchinis)
- 2 tsp salt
- 5 spring onions, white parts only
- 1 garlic clove
- half a bunch of dill, leaves only
- half a bunch of parsley, leaves only
- 3 eggs
- 100g beyaz peynir, or you can use feta (⅔ cup)
- 1/2 tsp dried mint
- 1/3 tsp pul biber, or you can use chilli flakes
- 70g flour (½ cup)
- frying oil
Instructions
- Peel the zucchinis and using the largest shredding holes of a box grater, grate the zucchinis. Place the zucchinis in a colander over the sink, sprinkle the salt and mix well. Leave the grated zucchinis to drain for 1h, stirring from time to time.
- Chop the spring onions, garlic clove, dill and parsley finely. Set aside.
- Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and gently whisk them. Add the chopped ingredients, crumbled cheese and spices to the mixing bowl and stir until well combined.
- Empty the grated zucchinis onto a clean tea towel, gather the 4 corners of the towel to create a bag and squeeze well to remove excess moisture. Then tip the grated zucchinis into the bowl. Add the flour and mix well.
- Cover the surfaces of a non-stick frying pan with 1cm (½ inch) of oil and place over medium-high heat. Wait for the oil to reach 160°C (338°F), or until it’s hot enough to brown a cube of bread in 1min.
- Add 1 heaped tbsp of mixture to the pan and spread slightly with the back of the spoon. Repeat to make 3 more mücver (don’t cook more than 4 mücver at a time). Cook for 2 to 3 min on each side until deep golden brown and firm.
- Scoop out with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Repeat the process until you run out of mücver mixture.
Notes
You can eat them straight-away or wait until they cool down to room temperature. I prefer them fridge-cold, to each their own.
You can keep mücver for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mücver
- Calories: 188
- Fat: 16g
Keywords: zuchinni fritters, vegetarian summer recipes, patties
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