Greek Zucchini Balls – Kolokithokeftedes
Greek Kolokithokeftedes – which translates as zucchini balls or courgette balls – are a delicious meze served in Tavernas everywhere. These super tasty little balls are delicious served with tzatziki sauce as a starter or shared appetizer.
Servings: 20
Calories: 59kcal
Ingredients
- 2 zucchini (courgettes)
- ½ tsp salt
- 120 g (2 cups) breadcrumbs fresh (I used 2 brioche hamburger buns)
- 1 red onion peeled and roughly chopped
- 120 g (½ cup) feta cheese crumbled
- 3 tbsp fresh mint chopped
- 3 tbsp parsley chopped
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil or as needed for frying
Instructions
PREPARE THE ZUCCHINI BALL MIXTURE
- Line a bowl with a clean linen towel. Grate the zucchini using a box grater, place on the towel and sprinkle with a little salt, this will help draw the moisture out of the zucchini. Leave them to stand for 20-30 minutes while you prep the remaining ingredients.2 zucchini , ½ tsp salt
- Place the bread in a mini food processor and blitz to make fine breadcrumbs. Transfer those to a bowl. Place the onion, herbs and feta in the processor and pulse a few times.120 g (2 cups) breadcrumbs, 120 g (½ cup) feta cheese, 3 tbsp fresh mint, 3 tbsp parsley, 1 red onion
- Squeeze the towel to drain the moisture from the zucchini. Do this a couple of times – the less moisture, the crunchier your fritters will be.
- Place the zucchini into a mixing bowl and add the contents of the food processor, the breadcrumbs, egg, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix well and leave to stand for a few minutes then form into small balls.1 egg, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
PAN FRY THE ZUCCHINI BALLS
- Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium–high heat. Add the zucchini balls, spaced apart, and fry for 2-3 minutes per side or until nicely golden – you will need to fry them in two batches. Take care when flipping them over as they can be quite soft. Transfer to plate lined with paper towels so that excess oil can be absorbed.2 tbsp olive oil
AIR FRY
- Preheat the air fryer to 200°C (400°F). Place a liner in the basket and mist with oil. Position the zucchini balls on the liner so that they are spaced apart to allow them to crisp up evenly. Mist with oil and air fry for 6-7 minutes.
- Gently flip the zucchini balls over and air fry for a further 6-7 minutes or until they are golden and crisp. Depending on the size of your air fryer you may need to cook these in batches.
SERVE AND ENJOY!
- Garnish your Kolokithokeftedes with finely chopped parsley and serve with tzatziki sauce on the side. They are delicious hot or cold!
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 59kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 293mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 159IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1mg
