Zucchini Red Lentil and Spinach Fritters with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
13 hours 15 minutes
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Zucchini, Red Lentil and Spinach Fritters are flour-free, egg-free and the perfect way to use a summer bounty of zucchini. These spicy and flavorful Indian-inspired fritters turn out super-crispy and the lemony Cilantro Yogurt Sauce is the perfect accompaniment! Best of all, they freeze and reheat beautifully!
“One of the tastiest healthy snacks with summer splendor!”
The inspiration behind this recipe:
Zucchini fritters or cakes are one of my favorite things to make when our zucchini harvest goes into full swing. I’m also a lentil lover so when I saw this Zucchini-Lentil Fritter recipe in the August 2020 edition of Bon Appetit magazine, it immediately went on my must-make list. (It has been on their website since last year but finally made it into their magazine. Hmmmm…)
As is usually the case, I seldom follow a recipe to the letter. My version has spinach instead of parsley for a little more nutrition, kicked up spices and yogurt sauce for a super flavorful version that makes a great flour-free (totally gluten-free) and egg-free appetizer, snack or vegetarian dinner!
How to make Zucchini, Red Lentil and Spinach Fritters:
- PLAN AHEAD: You’ll need to plan ahead a little bit as the lentils need to be soaked for 6-8 hours or overnight.
- MAKE AHEAD: Combine the ingredients for the Cilantro Yogurt Sauce in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth and refrigerate until needed.
- It’s always a good idea to look lentils over for any debris such as tiny stones, twigs or any that are dry and shriveled as those can be stone-like. This extra step can save you a trip to the dentist. Here’s what I do:
- Place a small amount–about 1/4 cup–on a plain white paper plate. A white surface makes debris easier to find.
- Look them over for anything odd and discard it.
- Then, gently fold the plate to guide them into your pot or into a bowl.
- Repeat with the remaining lentils.
- Give the red lentils (also called masoor dal) a good rinse in a sieve, then place in a bowl and cover with water. Soak for 6-12 hours or overnight. (Red lentils can be found in any grocery store or your local Indian market.)
- Prep the zucchini. You’ll need four medium zucchini or approximately 2 pounds.
- Shred the zucchini with a box grater, using the side with the largest holes and place in a colander along with the scallions. Give it a good salting and let it drain for an hour or so in the sink.
- Drain the lentils and place in a food processor. Add the spices and process until you have a thick puree.
- Squeeze as much water from the zucchini and scallions as you can and place in a mixing bowl.
- Give the spinach a quick saute in the pan you’ll be using to cook the fritters then tilt the pan and drain off any excess liquid. To skip the saute, you can use frozen spinach that you’ve thawed and squeezed of any excess moisture.
- Combine all the fritter ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
- Using a 1/3-cup measuring cup, pack the mixture into the measuring cup to form even-sized patties. Invert onto a baking sheet or another flat surface such as a cutting board then gently press them down to flatten. A 1/4-cup measuring cup will also work for smaller fritters.
- Heat a good cup of oil or so in a large nonstick skillet or saute pan and cook until nicely browned on both sides. Drain on a rack set inside a baking sheet. You never want to place something fried on paper towels as the bottom will become soggy sitting in the oil that was soaked up by the paper towels.
That’s it! They’re ready to enjoy!
Garnish with a few fresh baby greens or herb sprigs.
Serve the Zucchini, Red Lentil and Spinach Fritters with the Cilantro Yogurt Sauce!
Delish!
Tips for freezing and reheating zucchini fritters:
- Thoroughly cool the fritters in the refrigerator.
- Place on a parchment or wax paper-lined baking sheet (something nonstick) and place in the freezer for two hours to thoroughly freeze.
- Remove from the freezer and place in a freezer zipper-top bag. This will enable you to remove one, two, or however many you need when you need them.
- OR, simply place in a freezer-friendly container with parchment or wax paper between the layers.
- Zucchini fritters can be reheated from frozen at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes.
More zucchini fritter recipes you’ll love:
- Zucchini Ricotta Fritters
- Zucchini Corn Cakes with Basil Buttermilk Sauce
- Whole Grain Zucchini Jalapeno Fritters with Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream
More zucchini recipes:
- Zucchini, Yellow Squash and Quinoa Casserole
- Four Cheese Strata with Zucchini and Tomatoes
- Zucchini Corn Casserole
- Cheese and Artichoke Stuffed Tomatoes and Grilled Zucchini
- Shrimp Pad Thai with Zucchini Noodles
- Summer Vegetable Tian
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Zucchini Red Lentil and Spinach Fritters with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
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Zucchini, Red Lentil and Spinach Fritters are flour-free, egg-free and the perfect way to use a summer bounty of zucchini. These spicy and flavorful Indian-inspired fritters turn out super-crispy and the lemony Cilantro Yogurt Sauce is the perfect accompaniment! Best of all, they freeze and reheat beautifully!
Equipment
Ingredients
Yogurt Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt - whole, 2% or fat-free
- 1 bunch cilantro - with tender stems, coarsely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic - finely chopped
- 1 large lemon - juiced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt - to taste
Fritters
- 1 cup red lentils - masoor dal
- 4 medium zucchini - approximately 2 pounds
- 1 tablespoon salt - plus more as needed to taste
- 1 bunch scallions - white and light green part only, chopped
- 1 tablespoon canola oil - plus 1 cup for frying fritters
- 1 container (5-ounce) baby spinach - –OR– 1 package (10-ounce) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess moisture
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon curry powder - preferably Madras
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper - or to tolerance
- Freshly ground black pepper - to taste
- Fresh baby greens for serving - optional
Instructions
Yogurt Sauce
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Season to taste with salt. Refrigerate until needed.
Fritters
- Rinse lentils then place in a bowl. Cover with water to at least 1-inch above the lentils. Let soak at room temperature for 6-12 hours or overnight.
- Meanwhile, trim the ends from the zucchini and shred with a box grater, using the side with the largest holes. Transfer to a colander, add the chopped scallion add 1 tablespoon salt and toss together. Let drain for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a nonstick skillet or saute pan. If using fresh spinach, place it in the pan and cook 2-3 minutes or until wilted. Drain off any excess liquid.
- Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the zucchini and scallions and transfer to a large bowl. Add the cooked spinach or thawed spinach and garlic.
- Drain the lentils and transfer to a food processor. Add the coriander, cumin, curry powder and cayenne. Pulse until a puree forms. Transfer to the bowl with the zucchini and spinach and mix well. Taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary.
- Place a cooling rack over a large sheet pan. Using a 1/3-cup measuring cup, form into 14 even portions and flatten to form fritters.
- Heat 1 cup oil in a large nonstick skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Carefully place the 3-4 fritters at a time in the hot oil. Reduce heat to medium and cook 2 minutes or until golden brown on the first side. Carefully flip the fritters away from you and cook another 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to the cooling rack set over the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining fritters.
- Transfer fritters to a platter and serve with yogurt sauce.
Recipe Notes
FREEZER-FRIENDLY:
- Thoroughly cool the fritters in the refrigerator.
- Place on a parchment or wax paper-lined baking sheet (something nonstick) and place in the freezer for two hours to thoroughly freeze.
- Remove from the freezer and place in a freezer zipper-top bag. This will enable you to remove one, two, or however many you need when you need them.
- You can also freeze in an airtight container for 2-3 months with parchment or wax paper in between the layers.
- Thaw in the refrigerator or place directly into the oven or toaster oven. No need to thaw if frozen.
- Reheat in a 350-degree oven for 20-22 minutes or until heated through.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 301kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 513mg | Potassium: 331mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 215IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1mg
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
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I haven’t made this yet but wondered if there was an alternative to all this ok? Can they be baked? I realize fritters are typically fried but am trying to reduce my oil consumption. Thanks
Hi, Kathi, Thanks so much for your question. Yes, you absolutely can bake them. Place them on parchment paper and if you can at least spritz them with a little oil or an acceptable (to you) cooking spray, then bake at 400 or 425 degrees until they are good and hot and look done. (You don’t want to go higher than that using parchment paper.) I had a personal chef client that didn’t consume any oil and I frequently baked fish cakes and things like that for them. You may not get the browning but if that doesn’t matter to you, you’re good to go. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
Sooo delicious! I substituted spinach for Swiss chard, omitted the scallions (I was all out) and added 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder. One of the tastiest healthy snacks with summer splendor. Thank you!!!
Hi, Heather, Thanks so very much and happy you love this recipe! Appreciate your taking the time to come back and comment and rate.
Very easy and healthy recipe! What would you serve this with?
Hi, Veronica, Thanks so very much and glad you enjoyed! If you’re wanting to keep this vegetarian, you can do any vegetable side dish, salad, rice dish, beans or grain. Even a soup would be great. Perhaps give my Mediterranean Green Beans with Tomatoes a try, Middle Eastern Vegetable Salad, Spicy Black-Eyed Pea Salad or White Bean and Vegetable Soup with Artichokes. Thank again!