Indian Spiced Chicken Croquettes

    As many of you know, Priti is the real cook in our family :)   I asked her to guest blog since most of my inspiration comes from her.  Check out her latest creation!

  Hi Leena Lovers -   I am forever cutting out recipes from the many food magazines I love to read.  I must have hundreds of recipes just waiting for an occasion to try them out.  I was making dinner for a friend's birthday and decided to sift through my pile for some inspiration and found this unique take on the Indian kabob from Food & Wine magazine.  It takes a bit of time to chop everything up but once you do that, it's not too hard to make. I added an extra jalapeno and kept a few seeds in to make them a bit more spicy.  You can prepare this ahead of time, refrigerate and then fry them up when you are ready to eat so they are nice and hot.  I served them with some Major Grey's Mango Chutney which added the perfect sweet and spicy touch. They are a little on the heavy side so you really only need 1 -2 per person. If you end up with more than you need, you can also freeze them before you bread it and then defrost them to use later. The original recipe uses Amul cheese instead of cheddar, so next time I go to India I'll have to bring some back so I can make them the same way they do there.  Hope you enjoy! ~Priti

What you'll need:

1 1/2 pounds ground chicken

1 cup shredded mild cheddar (4 ounces)

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped onion

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped mint

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, finely grated

1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, preferably black 

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

2 large eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups fine dry bread crumbs

Vegetable oil, for frying

Mango chutney, for serving 

    

1. In a large bowl, knead the chicken with the cheddar, onion, cilantro, mint, ginger, garlic, jalapeño, cumin seeds, paprika, garam masala, salt and cardamom. Using lightly moistened hands, roll the mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls.
2. Put the beaten eggs and bread crumbs in 2 separate pie plates. Roll the balls in the egg and then dredge in the bread crumbs, pressing to adhere.
3. In a large, deep skillet, heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil to 350°. Working in batches, fry the chicken balls over moderately high heat, turning once, until golden and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel–lined baking sheet. Pierce each kebab with a short skewer and transfer to a platter. Serve with mango chutney.

Smoked Salmon and Chive Popovers

I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving Holiday with family and friends!  I know I did and was thankful for many things this year - in particular, having a family that loves to cook and cooks really well!  I thoroughly enjoyed the fruits of their labor.  Priti decided to try this recipe (http://www.theurbangatherer.com/) for an appetizer and I have to say it was a hit.  It's much easier than it looks and will make your guests think you spent a lot of time in the kitchen :)

What you'll need:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1tbspn melted and the rest to grease muffin tin(s)   
1 cup all purpose flour
1-2 teaspoons salt
A few grinds of black pepper
2 eggs (room temperature)
1 cup 2% milk (room temperature)
2 ounces of cream cheese
2 ounces of smoked salmon
Chopped chives
1 or 2 mini muffin tins

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Grease each muffin tin very well with butter (if not, will stick to tin!).  In a bowl - mix butter, salt, pepper, flour, eggs and milk and whisk to combine thoroughly.  Transfer into a measuring cup and fill each muffin tin until 1/2 full.  Add salmon, a pinch of chives and a small spoon of cream cheese into each cup (can also add jalapenos for a little kick).   Top each tin with a little more batter and then bake for 20-25 minutes until they are puffed and golden brown.  After removing, with a knife pierce each one to release steam.  Serve warm - Enjoy!