I know that it's still only just the middle of February.  I know, in fact, that it's the 14th of February and most people are posting sweet nothings on FB or posting lovely pink or red sweets on their food blog for their sweetie (doesn't everyone have a food blog?... or something chocolatey.  Me?
No...
I'm posting Potato Channa Croquettes.  You see I'm already thinking about getting through this month.  Looking forward.  Missing the moment perhaps.  If the moment is kitchy cards with embarrassingly cloying sentiments inside then I'll let that moment pass.  I'm sticking with the savoury today.


Life in our house is a constant striving towards the practical.  The practical this week is that Kid #1, who eats her lunch at school, is beyond tired of sandwiches.  I can't blame her.  I've mentioned before that for an entire year, upon going back to work, I ate a sandwich at lunch.  I swear that in the 3 years the have gone by since then I haven't made myself  a sandwich.  It's hard to get creative with lunches though because Kid #1 also has a habit of permanently 'misplacing' lunch kits and everything inside then.  After it happened for a third time I gave up.  We lost the thermos and everything and I just couldn't bring myself to buy another whole set of everything.  So, Kid #1 has been forced to subsist on cold lunches.
When I made these croquettes I know that I had some kind of inspiration but I honestly can't remember what it was.  That's embarrassing.  Maybe it was my bean thing.


If you've been reading through my posts (and not just checking out the pictures - which is what I usually do) then you know that I'm looking to incorporate more bean crap in our diets (eww - no pun intended on that one).  Beans are good for you and pretty decent for the environment.  It's kinda win/win.  So yeah, maybe it was the bean thing.


Maybe it was the vegetarian thing... not sure.  I do know that Kid #1 feasted on these bad boys for lunch this week and it was just a little bit more interesting for her than the usual sandwich.




Potato and Channa (chickpea) Croquettes
makes about 12

1 can (about 1 1/2 cups) chickpeas, coarsely mashed
2 cups of leftover mashed potato (I use cream and butter and salt in my plain stuff)
1 1/2 carrots, shredded
1/2 onion, diced small
1 rib of celery, diced small
2 tsp salt (if you need some, if you salted the mashed potato then it might be fine)
3 tsp garam masala (or West Indian curry powder if you have)
2 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ginger
3 eggs (or egg whites if you prefer or if you used the yolks in something else - like ice cream)
oil for frying

Get a large frying pan (I have a big ole' caste iron one that I can barely lift) and start heating it over medium heat.
In a large bowl mix:
the chickpea mash
the mashed potato
the salt
the garam masala
the turmeric
the cumin
the ginger

Using a little bit of oil, saute the onion, carrot and celery until they are lightly browned and the onion is soft (about 4 - 5 minutes).
Add that to the bowl of potato stuff.
Using about a half cup of potato stuff, form patties.  Make them nice and thick.
Add oil to the frying pan and place patties in the pan.  Cook each side of the patty until it is well browned and can turn over without falling apart.
Cool and serve... and send them for lunches... and serve them as snacks... and eat them for breakfast too!