Turkish Kabak Mücver Pancakes with Yogurt Dill Sauce
Crisp-edged, tender zucchini pancakes packed with dill, scallions and feta, pan-fried until golden and served with a cool garlicky yogurt-dill sauce. Salting and squeezing the zucchini is the secret to fritters that hold together and stay crisp.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Wait
- 15 min
- Total
- 58 min
- Makes
- About 12 pancakes (4 servings, 3 each)
Steps
Before you start
- Read the timing: the zucchini needs 15 minutes to sit with salt before squeezing, so make the yogurt sauce during that wait.
- Have a clean kitchen towel or several layers of cheesecloth ready for squeezing the zucchini.
- Set a wire rack over a baking sheet for the cooked pancakes, so the bottoms stay crisp. Don't stack them on a plate.
- Heat the oven to 200°F (95°C) if you want to keep finished batches warm.
Salt the zucchini
- Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater into a large bowl.
- Toss with ¾ tsp of the fine sea salt and let it sit for 15 minutes so the salt draws out water.
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Ready when: A pool of liquid collects at the bottom of the bowl and the shreds look limp.
Tip: Don't skip this. Wet zucchini makes soggy pancakes that fall apart in the pan.
Make the yogurt sauce
- While the zucchini sits, stir together the yogurt, grated garlic, 2 tbsp chopped dill, lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil and ¼ tsp salt in a small bowl.
- Taste and add a pinch more salt or lemon if needed.
- Cover and refrigerate until serving.
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Ready when: Sauce is smooth, creamy and tastes bright and garlicky.
Tip: Use a microplane for the garlic so no raw chunks bite through.
Squeeze out the water
- Scoop the salted zucchini into a clean kitchen towel, gather the edges and twist firmly over the sink, squeezing hard in 2 or 3 rounds.
- Return the zucchini to the dry bowl.
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Ready when: The zucchini feels damp but not dripping, and no more than a few drops come out when squeezed. You should have roughly 2 packed cups.
Tip: Don't rinse the zucchini. It's seasoned already.
Mix the batter
- Add the scallions, ½ cup chopped dill, parsley (if using), feta and eggs to the zucchini and stir.
- Sprinkle the flour, baking powder, ¼ tsp salt, black pepper and Aleppo pepper (if using) over the top.
- Fold until no dry flour remains.
- The batter should be thick and scoopable, like a loose, chunky oatmeal.
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Ready when: A spoonful holds its shape when dropped. If it runs, stir in 1 more tbsp flour.
Tip: Feta is salty, so don't add more salt to the batter.
Heat the skillet
- Set a 12-inch skillet over medium heat and add 2 tbsp of the oil.
- Heat for about 2 minutes.
- If you have a thermometer, the oil should be around 350°F (175°C).
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Ready when: A small drop of batter sizzles steadily right away.
Tip: If the oil smokes, lower the heat. The pancakes will burn before they cook through.
Fry the first batch
- Scoop ¼-cup (60 ml) mounds of batter into the pan, leaving 1 inch (2.5 cm) between them, about 4 per batch.
- Flatten each gently with the back of a spatula to about ½ inch (1.5 cm) thick.
- Cook for 3 to 4 minutes without moving them, until the undersides are deep golden brown.
- Flip carefully and cook another 2 to 3 minutes.
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Ready when: Both sides are deep golden with crisp, lacy edges, and the center feels firm when pressed.
Tip: Wait for a crust to form before flipping. If a pancake sticks, give it another 30 seconds.
Drain and keep warmOven 200°F / 95°C
- Move the pancakes to a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
- If keeping them warm, place the sheet in a 200°F (95°C) oven.
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Ready when: Pancakes stay crisp and are not stacked.
Tip: Paper towels trap steam and make the bottoms soft, so use a rack.
Cook remaining batches
- Wipe out any burnt bits with a paper towel.
- Add 1½ to 2 tbsp fresh oil for each batch and repeat with the remaining batter, for about 3 batches in total.
- Stir the batter before each batch, since it will release a little more liquid as it sits.
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Ready when: Each batch is golden on both sides with crisp edges.
Tip: Lower the heat to medium-low if the later batches brown too fast.
Serve
- Pile the warm pancakes on a platter.
- Drizzle the chilled yogurt sauce with a little olive oil, sprinkle with dill, and serve right away with the sauce on the side.
- Serve with tomato-cucumber salad if you like.
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Ready when: Pancakes are hot and crisp when served.
Good to know
Tips
- Squeeze the zucchini harder than seems necessary. Excess moisture is the main reason fritters fall apart.
- Keep the pancakes to ½ inch thick so the centers set before the outsides burn.
- Fry a small test pancake first to check the salt and the batter's firmness.
- Don't crowd the pan. Crowding drops the oil temperature and makes the pancakes greasy.
Make ahead
"The yogurt sauce keeps up to 2 days in the fridge. You can fry the pancakes up to 1 day ahead, cool them on a rack, refrigerate, then re-crisp before serving. Don't mix the batter in advance, because it turns watery."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: up to 1 hour. Fridge: store cooled pancakes in an airtight container with parchment between layers for up to 3 days. Freezer: freeze on a tray, then bag, for up to 2 months. Reheat from fridge or frozen on a rack on a baking sheet at 400°F (200°C) for 8 to 12 minutes, flipping once, until hot and crisp. Keep the sauce in the fridge up to 3 days."
Substitutions
- feta cheese → Turkish beyaz peynir or crumbled halloumi. Beyaz peynir is the traditional choice. Both are salty, so keep the salt as written.
- all-purpose flour → 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend. The pancakes are slightly more delicate, so flip them gently.
- plain whole-milk Greek yogurt → Thick labneh or sour cream. Labneh is tangier and thicker. Thin it with 1 tbsp water if you want it pourable.
- fresh dill → Fresh mint. Use ¼ cup chopped mint in place of half of the dill for a different flavor.
