Description

If you need a way to get through a lot of zucchini, turn them into zucchini pancakes! A savory treat with crispy edges and a bouncy center. Prep ahead and freeze for later!

Ingredients

Scale

2 medium zucchini, ~450g
1, 16 oz container silken tofu, 454g
1 tsp kosher salt (plus more as needed)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spoon and leveled, 188g
1/2 cup potato starch (or 6 tbsp cornstarch), spoon and leveled, 85g
1 tsp baking powder
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
4 scallions, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
Avocado oil for cooking

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Instructions

If using zucchini, thinly slice or shred it using a box grater or shredding tool. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt, then toss to coat. Allow the zucchini to sit for 5 minutes to help draw out some moisture. Place a paper towel beside you, then gather the zucchini in your hands above the bowl (or sink) and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Place the ball of shreds onto the paper towel to pat dry, then clear out your mixing bowl.
To a blender cup add the silken tofu and salt. Blend until completely smooth.
To the same large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, potato starch, and baking powder. Pour in the tofu mixture and whisk until you form a very thick batter. If the batter is too dry, whisk in 1-2 tbsp of water at a time until all the flour is mixed in.
Break apart the shredded zucchini into the batter along with the onions, scallions, garlic, ginger, and sesame seeds. Use a spatula to fold the vegetables into the batter until evenly distributed.
Place a small 8-inch pan over medium-low heat, then add about 1 tbsp of oil to coat the bottom (alternatively, use a large griddle to cook all the pancakes at once). Dollop a third of the batter into the pan, then use a spatula to spread the mixture out evenly. Allow to cook undisturbed for 7 minutes, or until the bottom is golden. Sprinkle the uncooked side of the pancake with some sesame seeds and a drizzle of oil. Flip and cook for about 6-7 minutes, or until equally golden in color. Transfer the pancake to a wire rack, clear out the pan, add additional oil and cook the remaining batter. You should end up with about 3 large pancakes.
To serve, cut up your pancake as desired. I like cutting into bite-sized squares, but you can also cut it into triangles like a pizza. Serve with your favorite dip and enjoy immediately!

Notes

Remove as much excess water as possible from the zucchini. Draw out excess water with some salt then squeeze as much water out of your zucchini. This will give you a more crisp and bouncy texture to your pancake.

Swapping the tofu. If you are allergic to tofu, try this instead with some cashew cream, milk, or just plain water. Use about 1 1/4 cups liquid to the flour in this recipe. Reserve extra liquid to help adjust the consistency of the pancake to your liking.

Properly measure your flours. You can do this by either using a scale to measure it in grams or spoon and level your flour, so you don’t end up adding too much to the batter.

Freeze your ginger. I like to peel a large piece of ginger and just keep it in the freezer. Freezing it makes the ginger much easier to grate the fibers of the ginger with a microplane.

Texture expectations. This pancake will have crispy edges and a tender bouncy center. It will not be super crispy all around like a fried pancake as we are just using a little oil to help brown the outsides of the pancake. For a crispier texture, just use more oil and make sure the oil is hot before cooking the batter.

Use a smaller pan to cook the pancakes. I recommend using an 8-inch pan to cook your pancakes. When filled with the batter, you end up with more crisp even edges.