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From your photo, these look like golden vegetable patties made with grated zucchini, carrot, potato and egg, pan-fried until crisp outside and tender inside. The exact original recipe cannot be recovered from the image alone, so the quantities below are a reliable, tested-style reconstruction.
Ingredients — makes 10–12 fritters
Vegetables
2 medium zucchini — about 400 g
2 medium carrots — about 150 g
1 medium potato — about 150–180 g
2–3 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1 small onion, optional — about 70 g
Binding ingredients
1 large egg
½ cup / 60 g all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder, optional
¾ tsp salt, plus more if needed
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp dried oregano or Italian seasoning, optional
For frying
2–4 tbsp neutral cooking oil, such as vegetable, canola or sunflower oil
Optional flavor additions
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
½ tsp chili flakes
1 minced garlic clove
2 tbsp chopped green onion
½ tsp cumin for a warmer flavor
Full Step-by-Step Recipe
1. Grate the vegetables
Wash the zucchini, carrots and potato.
Grate:
zucchini on the large holes of a box grater
carrots on the large holes
potato on the large holes
If using onion, grate it as well.
2. Remove as much water as possible
This is the most important step for crispy fritters.
Put the grated zucchini, potato and carrot into a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth.
Gather the towel and squeeze very firmly over the sink.
You want to remove as much liquid as possible. Zucchini in particular contains a lot of water.
Tip: After squeezing, leave the vegetables for 5 minutes and squeeze again.
If the mixture is very wet, your fritters can become soft and difficult to flip.
3. Make the mixture
Put the squeezed vegetables into a large bowl.
Add:
1 egg
60 g flour
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp paprika
parsley
baking powder, if using
Mix thoroughly.
The mixture should be moist but thick enough to hold together when pressed into a patty.
If it seems watery, add 1 tablespoon flour at a time.
If it seems extremely dry, add 1–2 teaspoons of beaten egg or water.
4. Rest the mixture
Let it stand for 5–10 minutes.
The flour will absorb some of the remaining moisture.
After resting, check the consistency again.
5. Shape the patties
Heat a large non-stick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
Add approximately 1–2 teaspoons oil for each batch.
Take roughly 2–3 tablespoons of vegetable mixture.
Form into a patty about:
6–7 cm wide
1–1.5 cm thick
Don’t make them too thick—the center needs time to cook before the outside becomes too dark.
6. Fry until golden
Place the patties into the hot pan without overcrowding.
Cook approximately:
3–5 minutes on the first side
until deeply golden brown.
Carefully flip.
Cook another:
3–4 minutes on the second side.
Reduce the heat slightly if the outside is browning too quickly.
The finished fritters should be:
crisp and brown outside
golden inside
cooked through
tender rather than wet in the center
Because the recipe contains egg, make sure the center is fully cooked. USDA guidance recommends cooking egg dishes to 160°F / 71°C.
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Food Safety and Inspection Service
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7. Drain
Transfer finished fritters to a plate lined with paper towels or a wire rack.
Serve hot.
Best Dipping Sauce
Garlic Yogurt Sauce
Mix:
½ cup Greek yogurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
1 tbsp chopped parsley or dill
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
Mix and refrigerate for 10–15 minutes.
This is especially good with the crispy vegetable fritters.
Another option: Spicy sauce
Mix:
½ cup yogurt
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp hot sauce
½ tsp paprika
1 tsp lemon juice
pinch of salt
Cheesy Version
Add 50–60 g grated cheddar, mozzarella or Parmesan to the mixture.
Because cheese adds moisture and fat, you may need another 1–2 tablespoons flour.
Parmesan gives the crispiest, strongest savory flavor.
Gluten-Free Version
Replace the all-purpose flour with:
½ cup rice flour, or
½ cup chickpea flour, or
approximately ⅓ cup cornstarch + 2 tbsp rice flour.
Chickpea flour gives particularly good flavor and binding.
gg-Free Version
Replace the egg with one of these:
Option 1:
1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water. Rest 10 minutes.
Option 2:
2 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water.
The mixture should still hold together when pressed.
Vegan Version
Use the egg-free option above and make sure the flour and other ingredients contain no animal-derived ingredients.
Why the Potato Is Useful
The potato isn’t just there for flavor.
Its starch helps the fritters:
hold their shape
become crisp
develop a golden exterior
stay soft inside
If you omit the potato, increase the flour/binder slightly.
Oven-Baked Method
For less oil:
Heat oven to 425°F / 220°C.
Line a baking tray with parchment.
Lightly brush or spray the parchment with oil.
Shape the fritters.
Place them on the tray.
Brush the tops lightly with oil.
Bake about 15–18 minutes.
Flip.
Bake another 8–12 minutes, until golden.
They won’t be quite as crisp as pan-fried fritters, but they work well.
Air-Fryer Method
Preheat to 375°F / 190°C.
Lightly oil the basket and patties.
Air-fry for approximately:
10–14 minutes
turning halfway through.
Cook in batches so air can circulate around the fritters.
Approximate Nutrition
For the basic recipe, assuming 12 fritters and approximately 2 tbsp oil used in cooking:
Nutrient Approx. per fritter
Calories 65–85 kcal
Protein 2–3 g
Carbohydrates 10–13 g
Fat 2–4 g
Fiber 1.5–2 g
Sugar 1–2 g
Sodium 150–220 mg*
*Sodium varies substantially according to how much salt is used and how much oil/seasoning is actually absorbed.
These are estimates rather than laboratory nutrition values. The biggest variables are the size of the vegetables, amount of flour, amount of oil absorbed during frying, and whether cheese is added.
If you add Parmesan
Expect the calories, protein, fat and sodium to increase.
If you bake instead
The calorie count can be lower because considerably less cooking oil is required.
Recipe Q&A
Q: Why are my fritters falling apart?
Usually there is too much water in the vegetables.
Squeeze the zucchini and potato much more thoroughly. Then add another 1–2 tablespoons flour if necessary.
Q: Why are they soggy?
The most common causes are:
zucchini wasn’t squeezed enough
pan wasn’t hot enough
patties were too thick
pan was overcrowded
they were flipped too early
Q: Why are they burning outside but raw inside?
Your heat is too high or the patties are too thick.
Use medium to medium-low heat and make the patties around 1–1.5 cm thick.
Q: Can I prepare the mixture ahead?
Yes, but preferably prepare the grated vegetables separately and refrigerate them.
If you mix everything together too far in advance, the vegetables can release additional water and make the mixture loose.
Q: Can I freeze the cooked fritters?
Yes.
Cool completely, place parchment between the fritters and freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag.
For best quality, use within about 2–3 months.
Reheat from frozen in an air fryer or oven for a crisp exterior.
Q: Can I refrigerate leftovers?
Yes. Refrigerate promptly in a covered container.
USDA advises using most cooked leftovers within 3–4 days and reheating leftovers to 165°F / 74°C.
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Food Safety and Inspection Service
Q: Can I use sweet potato?
Yes. Replace the regular potato with an approximately equal amount of grated sweet potato.
The result will be slightly sweeter and more orange.
Q: Can I use only zucchini?
Yes. Use about 500 g grated zucchini, squeeze it extremely well, and increase the binder as needed.
Q: Can I use oat flour?
Yes. Finely ground oat flour works well, although the texture will be somewhat softer than with wheat flour.
Q: Can I add chicken?
You can, but use fully cooked, finely shredded chicken rather than raw chicken in this vegetable mixture. If using any raw poultry, the finished mixture needs to reach 165°F / 74°C.
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Food Safety and Inspection Service
Q: How do I make them extra crispy?
The key combination is:
very well-squeezed vegetables + thin patties + properly heated pan + enough oil + no overcrowding.
You can also replace 1–2 tablespoons of the flour with cornstarch for a crisper crust.
Q: What can I serve with them?
Excellent options include:
garlic yogurt
sour cream
tzatziki
mint yogurt
green chutney
tomato chutney
chili sauce
fresh salad
poached/fried egg
grilled chicken
smoked salmon
Q: Are these suitable for children?
They can be, depending on the child’s age and individual dietary needs. For young children, keep the salt and chili low, make sure the fritters are soft enough to chew safely, and cook the egg thoroughly.
My recommended version
For the closest result to the photograph, I’d use:
400 g zucchini + 150 g carrot + 170 g potato + 1 egg + 60 g flour + parsley + garlic + paprika + black pepper + salt, then squeeze the vegetables extremely well and pan-fry relatively thin patties over medium heat.
With years of experience in restaurant research and local SEO, Sara creates accurate, user-friendly guides that work for both people and search engines. Her goal is to help users go from search results to their nearest restaurant or menu choice with as few clicks as possible.
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