“The croquettes make a great snack for a party. Feel free to change the shape and size of the croquettes – go all out and see what funky shapes you can come up with!” – Ratnani
Ingredients
• 1 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, roasted
• 1½ tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp pomegranate seeds
• A pinch of crushed black pepper
• ½ tsp fennel seeds, toasted white bread without crust
• 3 sprigs of coriander leaves, fresh
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 1 cup milk
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)
• 1 cup almonds, skinned, toasted
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 2-3 tbsp oil for frying
Preparation
• Drain the chickpeas and add the onion, garlic, coriander powder, pomegranate seeds, black pepper, fennel seeds, bread and coriander leaves. Mix together to make a slightly stiff dough.
• Divide the dough equally into small portions and shape each into a round disc. Rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
• Whisk the flour and cornflour in the milk. Season with salt and pepper. Dip the croquettes in this mixture and then dab them into the almond-bread crumb mixture.
• Deep-fry the croquettes till golden brown. Remove and drain the excess oil on absorbent kitchen towels. Repeat till all are fried.
• Serve with hot Romesco sauce
Ingredients for Romesco Sauce
• 1 red bell pepper, roasted,
soaked in olive oil
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)
• ½ tsp red chilli paste
• 1 tbsp almonds, toasted, blanched
• A pinch of salt
• A pinch of pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1½ tsp sherry vinegar
• 1½ tbsp olive oil
Preparation
• Massage the red bell pepper with olive oil. Season a bit with some salt and pepper
• Char the pepper on a griller or alternately in the oven or even on an open flame. Place them in a bowl and cover with cling film. This will wrinkle the skin so that you can peel the skin of the pepper easily.
• Peel and deseed the pepper and blend together with the red chilli paste, almonds, salt, pepper, garlic, sherry vinegar and olive oil. It’s a rich, lush, smoky, peppery sauce.
PHOTO: Vicky Ratnani, HARPER COLLINS