Chicken Croquette

Chicken Croquette are a fun-filled snack. You can make these to serve as starters at your party. They taste good enough hot or cold. Therefore, you could also use them as tiffin fillers for your kids. Cool and pack them with a sachet of ketchup and even a fussy kid will come home with an empty tiffin!

Serves: 2 to 3 Persons

Prep. Time: 30 Mins. + 20 Mins. (refrigeration)

Cooking Time: 20 Mins.

Ingredients:

• Chicken Breast – 100 gms. (uncooked) or 1 cup (cooked and shredded)
• Carrot (chopped fine) – 1
• French Beans (chopped fine) – 2
• Capsicum (chopped fine) – ½ medium
• Garlic (chopped fine) – 2 cloves
• Pepper Corns – 5 to 6
• Salt – ¼ tsp.

For White Sauce:

• Chicken stock – ¼ cup.
• Wheat Flour – 1 tbsp.
• Milk – ½ cup
• Black Pepper Powder – ¼ tsp. or to taste
• Butter – 1 tbsp.
• Salt – ¼ tsp.

For the Coating:

• Eggs – 2
• Bread Crumbs – ½ cup
• Oil – 1 tsp. + to deep fry
• Salt – ¼ tsp.

Step 1:     Boil the chicken with 1 cup water, ½ tsp salt and 5 to 6 black pepper corns for 15 minutes. After it is boiled and cooled, shred the chicken finely and strain the stock and keep aside.

Step 2:     Mix the milk and the stock. Warm the mixture for a few minutes and use warm for making the white sauce (next step).

Step 2:     Heat a small pan on low heat, add the butter. Once it starts melting add the flour and stir for a minute. Add the milk-stock mixture, pepper and stir continuously till a smooth sauce is formed. Keep aside.

Step 3:     Heat 1 tsp. oil in another small pan. Add the garlic and sauté on medium heat for a minute. Add the vegetables, a tbsp. of water and cover and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 minutes.

Step 4:     Add the shredded chicken to the vegetables. Add the white sauce and mix well on low heat for 2 to 3 minutes till it dries up a bit. Switch off the heat and allow to cool.

Step 5:     Once the stuffing has cooled, divide it into 6 portions and using wet hands mould them into cylindrical shaped croquettes.

Step 6:     Beat one egg well with ¼ tsp. salt and a 1 tbsp. water. Spread bread crumbs on a flat tray. Dip one croquette in the beaten egg and then roll in the crumbs. Repeat one more time. Do this for all the six croquettes and place on a plate. Cover the plate with cling film and keep in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 7:     Heat oil for deep frying. Beat the second egg with a pinch of salt. When the oil is hot dip each croquette into the beaten egg and deep fry on medium heat. Fry two croquettes at a time for a minute till light golden. Drain and place on a plate lined with paper towels.

Serve with a dip of your choice.