Roasted Zucchini/Courgette Balls Bulgarian Style
I am of the definite opinion that the zucchini are amongst the most
wrongfully neglected vegetables in most western kitchens. Many find them tasteless
or slimy, or just gross. Not once or twice, have I noticed friends of mine
pushing them aside to the rim of their plates with a grossed-out facial
expressions. I have to say, when I was younger, I was definitely not a fan
either! However, the thing with zucchini is that they contain loads of water
and if prepared wrong they can indeed be rather slimy. So, the way I like them
is when they are a bit crispier and the recipe I am sharing with you today is
an amazing way to add some healthiness to your weekly meals.
I admit, I am a convinced carnivore and I would usually really miss the
presence of meat at the table (don’t let me begin what kind of a failure my
fasting attempts were… why do I even try?!); however, this is one of the rare
vegetarian recipes, where I feel that nothing is missing. So, that’s, also, a
great one to make when you have some vegetarian guests and you don’t want to
either cook 2 meals, or suffer with a tasteless soy dish. It is really
wholesome and is bang full of flavor! Let’s not even mention how good from a
diet point of view it is, especially if you go for a low fat option on the
dairy products. I am absolutely addicted to it, especially when the weather
gets a bit warmer, as it’s really nice and light. You don’t feel like a sweaty
pig after dinner in the summer. I am generally a fan of yoghurt-based veg
dishes in the spring and summer as it adds freshness. The only thing I have
found with those is that that, even though they are super easy to prepare, they
usually take some time, so if you like them as much as I do, you can make a
huge batch and pop some in the freezer. I use my zucchini balls as a substitute
for all those frozen potato and other similar pre-made things you usually have
to fry, and I have to say the zucchini dish is just as satisfying even when
you’re hung-over. Without any further ado, here’s the recipe and do let me
know if you decide to make it yourselves or it sounds cool to you.
Roasted zucchini balls with yoghurt sauce... and my messy room as a background |
Zucchini
balls recipe:
(For 3-4 people)
For the balls:
1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) zucchini
(baby marrow, courgette)
½ cup
finely chopped fresh dill
3 spring onions, finely chopped
2 eggs
½ cup dry bread crumbs
200 g (0.45 lbs) white brine cheese/feta crumbled
up
Salt
For the yoghurt sauce:
400-500 ml (14-17 oz) Bulgarian/Greek style
yoghurt (should not be sweet tasting, rather either the creamy or the more sour
type)
2 crushed garlic cloves
½ cup
finely chopped fresh dill (if you don’t have it, don’t substitute with dried)
Salt
Preparation:
1. Heat up the oven to 225-250 C/
440-480 F.
2. Peel the
zucchini and grate them on the smallest setting of your grater. Put them in a
sieve or colander and sprinkle them with salt, so that the moisture would be
drawn out of the vegetable. If you don’t have either, you can put some kitchen
paper under the grated zucchini, so it can suck up all the water. Set aside.
3. Mix all
the products for the sauce and set aside, so the garlic can make the mixture
more aromatic.
4. Get rid
of the residual moisture from the zucchini. You can either squeeze it out by
hand or through a muslin cloth, but make sure you leave no water in whatsoever!
Otherwise, the dish will be slimy. Nobody likes a slimy ball!
5. Mix the
squeezed-out zucchini with the rest of the products for the balls, form little…well
balls (better be flat so they bake faster) and bake for 30-45 minutes in a
baking tray laid with baking paper (no fat is needed here) until golden.
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