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Zucchini in batter with cheese in a frying pan

Skillet Cheese-Battered Zucchini

Juicy young zucchini in a crispy cheese crust. This one's hard to call health food — it's pure indulgence. If you're a zucchini lover, give this recipe a try. Zucchini in a crunchy cheese batter is impossible to resist.

UnicornSteak

Recipe author

Zucchini in batter with cheese in a frying pan

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Young zucchini

500

Kefir

150

Wheat flour (Adjust to the batter consistency)

Hard cheese

100

Salt

Ground hot pepper

Garlic powder

Sunflower oil (Or even more. For frying)

100

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 14 % 4 g

Fats 50 % 14 g

Carbohydrates 36 % 10 g

185 kcal

GI: 33 / 0 / 67

Cooking method

Cooking time: 40 min

Step 1:

How do you make cheese-battered zucchini in a skillet? To make the batter, pour the kefir into a deep bowl. Any fat percentage works, though it will affect the flavor and thickness — mine is 3.2%. Add garlic powder (it won't scorch in the pan the way fresh garlic would), salt, and ground hot pepper.
Step 2:

Grate the cheese on the fine holes of a box grater. Use a sharp, boldly flavored cheese here, since the batter is what carries most of the finished dish's taste. Stir the batter.
Step 3:

Add most of the flour to the bowl. Stir and check the batter's consistency — it should be thick but not stiff. Set the rest of the flour aside for now to adjust the thickness later.
Step 4:

Wash the young zucchini under running water. Trim both ends and slice the zucchini into rounds. How thick you cut them depends on the texture you want — crisp or fully soft. I went with about 3/8 inch (1 cm), which left mine crisp inside. For nearly all-the-way-soft zucchini, cut them closer to 1/4 inch (0.5 cm).
Step 5:

Using a fork, dip the first zucchini round into the batter. Mine looked too thin, so I added more flour — it all depends on the gluten in your particular flour. Go by the consistency: the batter should cling to the zucchini well and in a good, generous coat, otherwise what's the point?
Step 6:

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium. Pour in the sunflower oil and let it get hot. There's no way around it — you need enough oil, and it's the difference between a crispy cheese crust and zucchini stuck to the pan. I used about 1/8 inch (3 mm) of oil per batch. Fry the first test rounds over medium heat for about a minute, until golden.
Step 7:

Then fry the zucchini on the other side for another minute to a minute and a half, until done.
Step 8:

To drain off the excess oil, lay the finished cheese-battered zucchini on paper towels in a single layer so the crust stays crisp. Fry the rest of the zucchini the same way.

I'll be honest — cheese batter isn't the easiest thing to get right! My first batch was a flop, which is exactly why I recommend doing a test batch of just one or two rounds first, then adjusting the batter's thickness and the amount of oil as you go.
Unfortunately, there's not much room to cut back on the oil here. Use less and the zucchini will stubbornly stick and burn to the pan — I've tested it.
Draining the finished zucchini on paper towels helps some, but it's still a rich, high-calorie dish.
On the plus side, the batter comes out crispy and fragrant, the cheese gets nicely toasted, and the zucchini's freshness cuts through it all. And of course, it's delicious!
Enjoy!
The right pan matters: a poorly chosen one can spoil even the best recipe, so pick a heavy skillet that heats evenly.
Every oil is only good up to a certain temperature — its smoke point — beyond which it starts to burn and forms harmful compounds, including carcinogens. For frying, choose a refined oil with a high smoke point.
If you use a premade spice blend, check the label — many already contain salt, so account for that or you risk over-seasoning the dish.