Mücver (Turkish Zucchini Fritters)
موجور (ترکی زوکینی کے پکوڑے)
Mücver are Turkey's favourite vegetable fritters. Grated zucchini (*kabak*) is salted and squeezed dry, then mixed with crumbled white cheese, eggs, a little flour and a big handful of herbs: spring onions, dill, parsley and mint. Spoonfuls are shallow-fried until golden and crisp at the edges, and served with garlicky yogurt. They're lighter than pakoray, full of green flavour, and lovely at iftar or with tea.
- ⏱ Total: 40 min
- Prep: 25 min
- Cook: 15 min
- Easy
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Toss the grated zucchini with half the salt in a sieve and leave for 15 minutes. Then squeeze it hard in your hands or a cloth until very dry.
In a bowl, beat the eggs, then add the zucchini, cheese, spring onions, herbs, flour, pul biber, pepper and remaining salt. Mix into a thick batter that holds on a spoon.
Heat the oil on a or frying pan over medium heat. Drop in heaped tablespoons of the batter, flatten slightly, and fry for 3 minutes on each side until golden and crisp.
Drain on a rack and serve warm with the garlic yogurt.
Kitchen notes
Squeezing the zucchini is the key step. Wet zucchini makes soggy fritters that fall apart.
Fry a test fritter first. If it spreads, add another spoon of flour.
To bake, spoon onto an oiled tray and bake at 200°C for 20 minutes, turning once.
Fritters with a garden of herbs
In Turkey, mücver appear in summer when zucchini are everywhere: as a light lunch, part of a meze table or a snack with tea. They’re one of the ways Turkish cooking uses huge amounts of fresh herbs, here dill, mint and parsley together.
Getting them crisp
- Salt and squeeze. Zucchini is mostly water. Salting draws it out; squeezing removes it.
- Just enough flour. It binds the mixture without making the fritters heavy.
- Medium heat, shallow oil. They should sizzle steadily so the inside cooks as the outside crisps.
In a Pakistani kitchen
Zucchini is sold in larger vegetable markets and supermarkets. Young, tender tori or lauki also work if you squeeze them very well, as they hold more water. Dill (soya) is common in Pakistani markets in winter; if you can’t find it, use more coriander. Feta or paneer replaces Turkish white cheese.
Serving
Serve warm with garlic yogurt, or as part of a spread with kısır and sigara böreği. They also go well at iftar beside pakoray.
Questions people ask
Can I use lauki instead of zucchini?
Yes, young bottle gourd works. Peel it, remove any seeds, and squeeze it even more thoroughly, as it holds more water.
Can I make them without egg?
Replace the eggs with 4 tablespoons of besan and a little water. They'll be slightly crisper.
Are they good for children?
Yes. They're a good way to get children to eat vegetables. Leave out the pul biber.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 250
- Protein
- 10 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
