We’re heading into the festive season and for many people, that also means it’s the high point in the year for leftovers as well. If you’re anything like me, then you’d rather have too much food than too little. The festive season has always meant an overloaded dinner table surrounded by family, followed by a fridge heaving with leftovers. There’s nothing wrong with a leftovers, I’m a big fan of them. I always have a freezer full of them but who wants to eat the same thing day after day?
Croquettes are one of my answers to this problem and they’re surprisingly easy to make. The perfect solution to any leftover mashed potatoes and oh so versatile. You can fill them with so many flavours and they freeze easily. If you don’t want to use yours straight away then pop on to a baking tray when coated in breadcrumbs, making sure they’re not touching. Place into the freezer and once frozen solid they can be placed into your favourite container and are ready to cook whenever you need them. Just increase the cooking time for any frozen croquettes for another 10-15 minutes.
I love the Indian flavours in this dish. If your mash potato is from a more traditional western meal, then the spices can make a great contrast for your next dinner. Serve with your favourite curry, a great dhal, or as a side to spice up some great vegan sausages!
- Makes: Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp Coriander Seeds
- 1 tsp Ginger, grated
- 1/2 Green Chilli, finely diced
- 1/4 tsp Asafoetida*
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 2 Cups, Mashed Potatoes
- 1 Tomato, grated
- 1/2 tsp Amchoor Powder
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1/2 tsp Chilli Powder
- 1/4 tsp Black Salt
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- 100g Fresh Spinach
- 1 Tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp Dried Fenugreek leaves
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- Plant Based Milk, for coating
- 160g Gluten Free Breadcrumbs**
- 1 Tbsp Oil
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions
Place a wide bottom pan over a low heat. toast the coriander seeds for a few seconds, or until the seeds start to smell fragrant and just start to darken. Add in the coconut oil and turn the heat up to medium. Once the coconut oil has melted, add the ginger, green chilli and cook until the ginger starts to soften and brown. Add in the rest of the ground spices, including the black salt and stir well before adding the mashed potato and tomato. Saute, stirring occasionally, until any excess water from the tomatoes has evaporated and the potatoes start to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add in the spinach leaves and allow them to wilt in the heat of the pan before stirring through the potato mix. Finish with the coriander leave, fenugreek and lemon juice. Taste and season as needed before allowing to cool.
When cooled, shape into your favourite croquette shape. Little logs always work well, round little dumplings are very easy, but whatever shape you use try not to use more than 2 tablespoons of mix at a time. Place the breadcrumbs in a small bowl, season really well and mix through the oil until fully combined. I like to do double coatings of my croquettes to ensure everything is well coated. Roll the shaped dumplings in the plant based milk before rolling in the breadcrumbs. Again, roll the croquette in the milk then breadcrumbs before placing on a lined baking tray. Repeat with all your prepared croquettes, making sure there’s a little space between them on the tray.
If you’re making these ahead of time or in a batch cooking mood, this is the moment to place the tray of croquettes into the freezer, if not then carry on. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees (180 Fan/400 F). Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
Serve immediately, it pairs beautifully with some spicy tomato relish, a tasty mango chutney, or that Indian classic – coriander chutney.
Notes
* be very careful when picking your asafoetida. It’s often mixed with wheat so can be tricky to find a version that’s gluten free. If you can’t find a gluten safe version then 2 minced garlic cloves work well as a decent substitute. Add the garlic with the ginger and chilli but try to make sure it takes on very minimal colour.
**Don’t have any breadcrumbs to hand? Just whizz an equal weight of old bread in a processor. Now you have breadcrumbs!
Allergy Notes; This recipe is naturally vegan, gluten free, nut free, and soy free. If you have an issue with any of the ingredients on this list then let me know and I can suggest substitutes.
