Greek Fried Courgette Slices (Kolokithakia Tiganita)

Kolokithakia tiganita is about as simple as Greek cooking gets and it is exactly the kind of dish that shows up on nearly every taverna table as an easy addition to any order: courgette sliced thin, dusted lightly in flour, and fried until the edges crisp and turn deeply golden, served with nothing more than tzatziki and a wedge of lemon.

The whole dish rests on two things: slicing thin and even so every piece cooks at the same rate, and frying at a genuinely hot enough temperature that the courgette crisps rather than absorbing oil and turning soggy. Neither takes any real skill, just attention.

It is a good side to almost anything grilled, and equally good simply as a meze on its own with a cold drink, disappearing quickly whenever it is put on a table.

Key preparation steps

1. Slice courgette thin and even.
2. Salt briefly to draw out surface moisture, then pat dry.
3. Dust lightly in flour and fry in hot oil until golden.
4. Drain well and serve immediately with tzatziki.

Slicing and salting

Slice the courgette into thin rounds or lengthways strips, about half a centimetre thick, using a mandoline if you want genuinely even slices, since uneven thickness means some pieces are done before others. A light salting for ten minutes draws out surface moisture, which helps the flour adhere and the courgette crisp rather than steam in the pan.

Pat the salted slices dry with kitchen paper before flouring, since any lingering moisture stops the flour sticking properly and can cause spitting in the hot oil.

Flouring and frying

Dust the courgette slices lightly in plain flour, shaking off any excess so you have a thin, even coating rather than a thick batter. This is meant to be a light crust, not a heavy fried coating.

Fry in a generous depth of hot oil, around 175 to 180C, in batches so the oil temperature does not drop, for two to three minutes per side, until deeply golden and crisp. Drain immediately on kitchen paper.

Serving

Serve immediately, while still hot and audibly crisp, with a bowl of tzatziki alongside for dipping and lemon wedges for squeezing over. This is a dish that loses its appeal quickly once it cools and softens, so time it to reach the table right as it comes out of the pan.

What matters in this dish