Chicken Croquettes

Pics by: Prakash Kamath Kanthavar

It was in the year 1983 that I visited Hotel Windsor Manor in Bangalore for the first time. Sitting in Nelson Room with my colleague on a lazy summer evening, we ordered for chilled Lager and asked the steward what goes well with it as a starter.

He suggested Chicken Croquettes and we certainly enjoyed the crisp cigar shaped goodies with sweet and spicy mint chutney and ketchup. By the time we ordered for main course, we had already gobbled up three plates of Chicken Croquettes and washed them down with 2 bottles of chilled lager each!

Over the years, I have tried them at many big restaurants but I always remember the perfect Chicken Croquettes that I had eaten at The Windsor Manor.

Other day, we had some relatives for dinner and I told my wife, let's make Chicken Croquettes as one of the starters. We had a recipe book in which that dish was there but looking at the ingredients, I was little doubtful if it will turn out as good as the ones I had tasted for the first time. With little variation, we could come very close to the original but still not the same, though quite tasty and crisp!

This one is easy to prepare and is a sure hit with the guests, especially youngsters. We had made about 90 croquettes that were consumed by our guests within a jiffy!

Let me show you how we made Chicken Croquettes that go well with sweet and spicy Mint Chutney.

Ingredients for Chicken Croquettes:

1. Minced Chicken                                        200 Gms

2. Mashed Potatoes                                        200 Gms

3. Ginger-Garlic paste                                    1Tsp

4. Green Chilly                                               1 Minced

5. Onion                                                          1 Small minced 

6. Coriander Leaves                                        A handful chopped

7. Red Chilli Powder                                       1 Tsp 

8. White Pepper powder                                  1/2 Tsp

9. Garam Masala powder                                 1/2 Tsp

10. Lime juice                                                  1 Tsp

11. Salt                                                             To taste

12. Bread Crumbs                                            Sufficient

13. Egg Yoke(Optional)                                  1 Egg Beaten well.

14. Refined Vegetable oil                                For deep frying

Method:

1. Mix ingredients 1-11 and keep in the refrigerator for one hour.

2. Make croquettes of equal size (Almost the size of index finger).

3. For faster preparation, dip in egg white; roll in bread crumbs and deep fry in hot oil under medium flame till golden brown and crisp.

4. If you are not using egg, roll the croquettes in bread crumbs, arrange them in a tray with layers of paper, keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours and then deep fry in hot oil.

5. Serve with Mint Chutney.

6. Should make around 90-100 Croquettes.

Ingredients for Sweet and Spicy Mint Chutney:

1. Mint leaves                              A Handful

2. Coriander leaves                      A Handful

3. Onion                                       1 Medium

4. Green Chilly                             1 - 2

5. Jaggery or Dates                       25 Gms

6. Tamarind                                  Cherry sized ball

7. Jeera powder                             1 Tsp

8. White Pepper Powder               1/2 Tsp

9. Green Tomato                           1 Small (Optional)

10. Salt                                          To taste

Method:

Grind all the ingredients in a blender to a fine paste adding little water if necessary.