BITE SIZE POTATO CROQUETTE BALLS

BITE SIZE POTATO CROQUETTE

                                                    BALLS

                                   (Yield: About 35 to 40 Bite Size Balls)

What are croquettes? It’s a French Word meaning “To Crunch”.

Croquettes are small food rolls often made in oval shape, round disk and round ball form. Typically its made from mashed potatoes and mixed with various spices and rolled in a thin flour batter and coated with bread crumbs and then deep-fried in oil to give crispy exterior.

INGREDIENTS FOR POTATO CROQUETTE BALLS:

·      3 Big Potatoes, boiled, peeled and grated. Grate the potatoes on the large holes of the grater

·      1 T Oil

·      ½ tsp. Mustard Seeds

·      1 tsp. Cumin Seeds

·      ½ cup OR 1 small Onion, finely chopped

·      1 tsp. Garlic, crushed

·      1 “ Ginger Cube, grated

·      3-4 Green Chilies or as per taste, finely chopped

·      ¼ tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper Powder

·      1 tsp. Kashmiri Red Chili Powder or as per taste

·      ¾ tsp. Coriander Powder

·      ½ tsp. Cumin Powder

·      1 tsp. Garam Masala

·      ¼ tsp. Chat Masala

·      ½ tsp. Aamchur Powder (mango Powder)

·      2 -3 T Coriander leaves, finely chopped

·      1 ½ tsp. Sugar

·      1 ½ tsp. Lemon Juice

·      Salt as per taste

  

LET’S MAKE POTATO CROQUETTE BALLS:

Wash and boil potatoes.

Peel and grate potatoes on the large holes of the grater and keep aside.

Heat oil in a non-stick pan.

Add mustard seeds and allow them to pop.

Add cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle for few seconds.

Add chopped onion and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.

Add crushed garlic, grated ginger and chopped green chilies and cook until onions are just done.     

Add black pepper powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, chat masala, aamchur powder, coriander leaves, sugar, lemon juice and salt and mix well to prepare smooth mixture and prepare big marble size balls.

INGREDIENTS FOR BATTER:

·      1 cup Maida/All Purpose Flour

·      1 T Cornstarch

·      Salt as per taste

·      ½   tsp. Kashmiri Red Chili Powder

·      ¼ tsp. Baking Powder

·      Water as needed to make thin batter

YOU WILL ALSO NEED:

·      ¾ cup Flavored Italian Style Breadcrumbs or as needed to roll Maida batter dipped potato croquette balls

·      Oil for deep frying

LET’S MAKE BATTER:

In a bowl combine Maida flour, cornstarch, salt and Kashmiri red chili, baking powder and prepare lump free batter adding water as needed to make very thin batter. This batter is just to wet potato balls, so it should be very thin.

Heat enough oil in a pan on medium heat.

Now with your right hand fingers roll one potato croquette ball at a time in Maida batter and then with left hand roll that into breadcrumbs. Make sure potato croquette ball is coated completely with breadcrumbs. (Using two hands to do two separate works helps to keep breadcrumbs dry and lump free)

Make one batch of 9-10 potato croquette balls ready for deep-frying. While first batch is frying make second batch of potato croquette balls ready by deeping in Maida batter then in breadcrumbs.

Deep fry 9-10 potato croquette balls at a time in a hot oil until light golden brown in color.

Allow cooling for few minutes and refry it in hot oil at slightly higher temperature until golden brown in color. (Frying twice at two different oil temperature potato croquette balls turns very crispy)

Repeat with the remaining potato croquette balls.

Serve hot with Green Chutney and Tamarind-Date Chutney.  

Enjoy…

TIPS:

(1) If potato mixture stays soft then you could add 1 -2 T bread crumbs to absorb moisture and then make balls.

(2) Planning to serve these potato croquette balls to big crowd in party????? Fry once and keep it ready. When guest arrives refry again, once oil is hot, it will take only 5 minutes to refry them.

Serve with toothpick inserted in fried ball for easy serving.

OR

After rolling potato balls in breadcrumbs, now instead of frying them keep it in refrigerator until ready to fry them when guest arrives.

VARIATION:

Use Semolina/Suji instead of breadcrumbs to roll potato balls.

MAKE THIS RECIPE KID FRIENDLY by stuffing cheese inside potato ball and make Potato Cheese Croquette Balls. Do not stuff cheese cube. Shred cheese and make cheese ball from shredded cheese and then stuff inside the potato mixture.

This way cheese melts better compare to cheese cube. 

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