Greek Meze and Appetisers
Kolokithoanthoi Tiganismena Recipe (Plain Fried Courgette Flowers)
Κολοκυθοανθοί τηγανισμένοι koh-loh-kee-thoh-ahn-THEE tee-gah-nees-MEH-nee · Kolokithoanthoi tiganismenoi
In short
Kolokithoanthoi tiganismena are courgette flowers dipped in a simple light batter and fried plain, with no rice or cheese stuffing at all. It is a considerably quicker, simpler dish than the stuffed version found elsewhere on this site, letting the flower's own delicate flavour lead.
Where kolokithoanthoi gemistoi stuffs each courgette flower with rice and cheese before frying or baking, this simpler version skips all of that, dipping the flowers plain in a light batter and frying them quickly, letting the flower's own delicate, faintly sweet flavour come through without anything else competing for attention.
This is genuinely fast, ready in well under half an hour including preparation, and it makes good use of the male flowers particularly, the ones that do not go on to produce a courgette, which are often removed from a productive plant anyway and would otherwise go to waste.
The whole dish depends on a properly light batter and hot oil, since courgette flowers are delicate and can turn soggy if the batter is too thick or the oil not hot enough to crisp them quickly.
Key preparation steps
- Clean courgette flowers gently, removing the stamen.
- Whisk a light, thin batter.
- Dip each flower and fry briefly.
- Serve immediately with lemon.
Preparing the flowers
Gently open each flower and remove the stamen from inside, checking for any insects, which is common with courgette flowers bought fresh or picked from a garden. Handle them carefully throughout, since the petals are genuinely delicate and tear easily.
The batter
Whisk flour with cold sparkling water or plain cold water until you have a thin, light batter, closer to a crepe batter than a thick coating, since a heavy batter overwhelms the flower's delicate flavour and texture. A little salt is all the seasoning the batter needs.
Frying
Dip each flower into the batter, letting excess drip off, and fry in hot oil for just a minute or two per side, until pale golden and crisp. This is a very quick fry, and pulling them the moment they colour keeps the flowers from turning greasy or soggy.
Tips from my kitchen
Handle the flowers gently
The petals are genuinely delicate and tear easily, so work carefully when cleaning and dipping them.
Keep the batter thin
A heavy batter overwhelms the flower's delicate flavour. Aim for something closer to a crepe batter than a thick coating.
Fry quickly
A minute or two per side is genuinely enough. Leaving them longer risks turning them greasy rather than crisp.
Kolokithoanthoi Tiganismena Recipe (Plain Fried Courgette Flowers)
Κολοκυθοανθοί τηγανισμένοι · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 15m
- Cook
- 10m
- Total
- 25m
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
- Gently open each courgette flower and remove the stamen. Check for insects and rinse very lightly if needed.
- Whisk the flour, water and salt together into a thin, light batter.
- Heat a generous depth of vegetable oil in a wide pan to about 175C.
- Dip each flower into the batter, letting excess drip off, and fry for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until pale golden and crisp.
- Drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Nutrition, per 4 flowers
- Calories
- 142
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Sat fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions about Kolokithoanthoi tiganismenoi
How is this different from stuffed courgette flowers?
Kolokythoanthoi gemistoi are filled with rice and cheese before cooking. This plain version has no stuffing at all, simply dipped in a light batter and fried, letting the flower's own flavour lead.
Can you use male or female courgette flowers?
Male flowers, the ones without a small courgette attached at the base, are traditionally used here, since they do not go on to produce fruit and are often removed from a productive plant regardless.
Why use sparkling water in the batter?
The carbonation adds lift as it fries, giving a lighter, crisper result than a batter made with still water alone, though plain water works if that is what you have.
