Dovlecei Pané (Romanian Zucchini Fritters) and Carpathia

Carpathia: Food from the Heart of Romania, written by Irina Georgescu, is a celebration of the culinary heritage and history of Romania with a diverse collection of recipes, beautiful photography, and childhood memories. A few highlights include Covrigi (Little Breads with Poppy Seeds and Salt), Tort de Clătite cu Spanac (Goat Cheese and Spinach Crêpe Cake), Mere cu şuncă (Apples Stuffed with Ham), and Pârjoale (Breaded Meatballs). I will also be sharing her recipe for Dovlecei Pané (Zucchini Fritters with Garlic Sauce) following the review.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Interlink Publishing in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Irina Georgescu

Irina Georgescu is a food writer with a focus on Romanian recipes inspired by her mother and grandmother.

She was born and raised in Bucharest, Romania and currently lives in the United Kingdom. This is her first cookbook. Irina is also the author of Tava: Eastern European Baking and Desserts from Romania & Beyond.

Carpathia

Irina begins Carpathia with an introduction into her life growing up in Romania and how she now uses food as a way to connect with her homeland and memories.

For those new to Romanian cuisine, she has provided a guide to a few notable ingredients and how they are used along with traditions surrounding meals.

I especially enjoyed the notes on how the food is heavily influenced by the seasons and its development through history. Irina even has a section on Romania’s cultural values and UNESCO world heritage sites.

The chapters are divided according to course- Food is for Sharing: Small Plates, Appetizers, and Salads; Breads and Street-Food Bakes; Borș and Ciorbă; The Main Event; Desserts; and Pickles, Preserves, Compotes, and Drinks. 

The photography is provided by Jamie Orlando Smith Photography. Nearly every recipe is accompanied by a beautifully styled, full-page photo of the finished dish. You will also find a few Romanian landscape photos scattered among the pages.

Titles are written in Romanian with the English translation below. Measurements are listed in US Customary and Metric. Each recipe includes a headnote with background information, serving size, tips, memories, ingredient help, and menu ideas.

Dovlecei Pané (Zucchini Fritters with Garlic Sauce)

I had such a difficult time narrowing down which recipe to feature, but ultimately decided on the Dovlecei Pané (Zucchini Fritters with Garlic Sauce) to take advantage of the current summertime produce. It also comes together relatively easily with just a handful of ingredients. 

Slices of zucchini are coated in flour and (optionally) a little coarse polenta. The slices are then dipped in a beaten egg and fried in oil until golden.

They are served with a sprinkling of salt and pepper and pair wonderfully with the mujdei cu roșii, a garlic tomato sauce with a bit of a kick, for dipping. 

Don’t add salt to the Dovlecei Pané until after you have fried the zucchini and right before serving. Adding salt as they cook will pull out water and cause the slices to become soggy.

Other Dishes

I also made Cașcaval Pané (Breaded Alpine Cheese), Scovergi (Yogurt and Cheese Flatbreads), Ostropel de Oltenia (Chicken in Garlic Tomato Sauce with Polenta Dumplings), and Cataif (Shredded Filo Nests with Walnuts and Whipped Cream).

The Cașcaval Pané (Breaded Alpine Cheese) was an incredible start to the day served alongside a fried egg and sliced tomatoes. Cașcaval is a Romanian semi-hard pale yellow cheese with a buttery texture and mild flavor. It is difficult to locate outside of Romania, so I went with Irina’s recommended substitution of Cheddar.

Scovergi (Yogurt and Cheese Flatbreads) was a favorite with the kids. A yeast-based dough is rolled flat, filled with grated cheese, rolled up, sliced, rolled flat again, and pan-fried to create flatbreads swirled with crisp, melty cheese.

The Ostropel de Oltenia (Chicken in Garlic Tomato Sauce with Polenta Dumplings) is a comforting and flavorful dish from Oltenia south of the Carpathian Mountains. Browned chicken thighs are simmered in a garlicky tomato sauce along with boiled flour/polenta dumplings.

I happened to have a package of kataifi pastry (shredded filo) in the freezer when I received Carpathia and was so excited to put it to use to make this Cataif (Shredded Filo Nests with Walnuts and Whipped Cream) influenced by Greek and Turkish pastries. Irina states, “this cataif is the ultimate nutty extravagance, where sticky walnuts are paired with thin, crunchy shreds of kataifi pastry.” Before serving, it is covered in a sweet orange syrup and topped with whipped cream and a little orange zest. 

Carpathia is an incredible pick for those interested in Romanian cuisine. The recipes range from quick and easy meals to more complicated breads and desserts.

Most of the ingredients are readily available in the average American supermarket. A few that may require further searching include coarse polenta, pearl barley, edible violet petals, juniper berries, pork fatback, grape leaves, sour cherry jam, kataifi pastry, semolina, and stinging nettles.

Dovlecei Pané (Zucchini Fritters with Garlic Sauce) Recipe

Excerpt from Carpathia

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5 from 4 votes

Dolvecei Pané (Romanian Zucchini Fritters with Garlic Sauce)

A recipe for Dovlecei Pané (Romanian Zucchini Fritters with Garlic Sauce)! Coated zucchini slices are fried until golden and paired with a flavorful garlic tomato sauce.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Romanian

Keyword fried, garlic, Romania, Romanian, summer, zucchini

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4 -6 Servings

Ingredients

Mujdei cu Roșii (Romanian Garlic Sauce):

• 1 green chili pepper
• 5 garlic cloves peeled
• 4-5 cherry tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil or rapeseed oil
• Salt

Dovlecei Pané (Zucchini Fritters):

• 4 zucchini
• 3/4 cup (3 1/2 ounces, 100 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon coarse polenta optional
• 1 egg beaten
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil or sunflower oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 bunch parsley chopped, to serve

Instructions

Mujdei cu Roșii (Romanian Garlic Sauce):

• Briefly blister the chili in a hot pan and remove the stalk.
• Pulse in a food processor with all the remaining ingredients and a pinch of salt. Add more vinegar if it's not tangy enough.

Dovlecei Pané (Zucchini Fritters):

• Slice the zucchini into 1/2 inch (1 centimeter) thick discs and pat dry using a dish towel.
• Combine the flour and polenta (if using) in a shallow dish. Place the egg in a separate dish.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan over high heat. Working in small batches, dip the zucchini slices in the flour, then the egg.
• Carefully place in the oil and fry for 2 minutes on each side, then set aside on paper towels to drain any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining slices.
• Seaon the fritters with salt and pepper and serve on a plate with a generous drizzle of garlic sauce and a sprinkle of parsley- perfect for a lunch-time snack.