Now that I already shared the dessert recipe of my b’day party with you, here is the appetiser recipe. Coming to think of it, I always look forward to the appetisers and desserts, the most, in any party. I’ve a soft corner for short eats, that explains my love for appetisers.
I’m always on the look out for good appetiser recipes. Jalapeno Cheese Balls at Trader Vic’s Restaurant is one of my fav appetiser. I started with that in mind and ended up with this. Ok, I’ve to tell you something.. this is not for faint-hearted. This is one rich and sinful appetiser, but I’m not sorry about it, for once! It will be a hit with kids and adults alike. This is one of the must try recipes, if you like these kinda food. Now, please dont tell me you dont like these kinda food, it breaks my heart, honestly..
This is great if you are entertaining a big group, you can make it in advance and just fry it up on the day of the party. I always get mails asking recipe suggestions for kids parties, this recipe works best for such parties and also if you are looking for some fried goodies to keep you warm during the pouring monsoon, look no further.
Again, I dont have the step by step pictures of this one, but it’s a simple one. You can easily manage without the pics ;)
Please read the “notes” section before you proceed with the recipe.
- Potato – 5, medium – large
- Minced / grated garlic – 2-3 tsp
- Chopped parsley – 2-3 tbsp
- Fresh cream – 100 gms (refer notes)
- Butter – 50 gms
- Grated mozarella cheese – 200 gms
- Pepper powder – 1 tsp, optional
- Salt
- Breadcrumbs – 1. 5- 2 cups
- Egg whites – 2 (refer notes)
- Plain flour (maida) – 2 tbsp
- Water – 3 tbsp
- Oil – for deep frying (I used sunflower oil)
- Add salt and water to the potatoes and cook till it becomes tender. Drain the water and mash the potatoes well.
- Add minced garlic and chopped parsley to the mashed potatoes and mix well. Bring it back to stove top. Keep it on low flame and add cream, butter, pepper (if using) and grated cheese. Cook till everything is mixed well and butter is melted. Do a taste test and add more salt if required. Remove from fire and let it cool completely.
- Beat the egg whites lightly and add plain flour to it. Whisk well to remove any lumps, add water and make a smooth batter.
- Shape the cooled potato mixture into small bite size balls / pops. Dip the pops in egg white batter and roll in bread crumbs. You can refrigerate the pops at this stage and store it in an airtight container for 2 days.
- Heat oil (enough for deep frying) in a deep and wide pan. The oil should be hot, but not smoking hot, low-medium flame is ideal. Add the pops in batches and fry till it turns golden brown. Make sure you dont crowd the pan. Drain the fried potato pops on kitchen tissue and serve hot with dip of your choice. I served it with a Jalapeno cheese dip and ketchup, but it also tastes great without any dip.
- I got around 60 bite size potato pops from the above qty.
Also, you can use full fat milk instead of cream and also use less butter and cheese if you must.
If you want to make it eggless, skip the egg wites and make a batter with just plain flour and water and follow the rest of the recipe.
The tricky part is in frying, you need to have a bit of patience here. Dont hurry up with heating of oil, if the oil gets too hot, it starts breaking up. Once you feel the oil has reached the correct temp, do a test run with a single piece and if it works well, carry on with the rest.
You can also use the same recipe to make mashed potato.