Chickpea And Cheese Croquettes

Some say that chickpea croquettes are Greek and their origin is widely disputed. What no one can deny is that they are very rich. In this article we bring you 3 recipes for  delicious chickpea and cheese croquettes.

Surely you already know falafel, a traditional and tasty Arab food. These croquettes are prepared in a similar way to it. Would you like to learn how to prepare them? Then keep reading!

Chickpea and Parmesan croquettes

Ingredients

• 2 cups of cooked chickpeas (200 g).
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup of breadcrumbs (100 g).
• ¾ cup of grated Parmesan cheese (70 g).
• 1 onion.
• 1 handful of chopped parsley.
• Pepper and salt to taste.
• Flour for coating.
• Olive oil for frying.

Preparation

• The preparation of the chickpeas should start the day before: soak overnight and the day you are going to cook the croquettes, boil with plenty of water and a little salt until tender. Let them cool in the liquid (do not strain it because you will use it later).

• Chop the onion and parsley.
• Then, in the food grinder, place the chickpeas with a little of their cooking water and grind as much as you can, but do not have a paste (you will not prepare hummus).
• On the other hand, in a bowl, beat the eggs and add, while stirring, the onion, parsley, chickpeas, breadcrumbs and grated cheese. Salt and pepper.
• Then, integrate everything and check that the texture is somewhat compact, otherwise, add more breadcrumbs.
• With a spoon, form balls of a similar size (it is not necessary to measure or weigh), pass through flour and squash a little.
• Next, put a good amount of oil in the pan and fry until golden brown.
• Finally, arrange on a tray with absorbent paper to remove all the excess oil.
• You can eat these croquettes as a starter with a yogurt sauce (either traditional Arabic / Greek) or accompany with rice, salad or even meat if you prefer it as a main course.

Chickpea and cured cheese croquettes

There are not too many secrets to prepare these delicious croquettes. You can change the “secondary” ingredients but what can never be missing are chickpeas. Instead of breadcrumbs, some people choose to use chickpea flour, for example. Try both ways!

Ingredients

• 3 cups of chickpeas (300 g).
• 1/4 cup of mature cheese (40 g).
• 2 eggs
• Bread crumbs.
• Salt and pepper.
• Oil.

Preparation

• As we have already explained before, soak the chickpeas and cook the next day.
• Then, it goes through the food grinder and mixes with the chopped cheese. Salt and pepper.
• Shape into balls with a spoon or by hand.
• Then, go through the beaten egg (and seasoned to taste) and the breadcrumbs.

• Then fry in plenty of hot oil until golden brown on both sides.
• Put on a tray with absorbent paper to remove excess fat.
• Serve as you prefer, either as a starter or as a first course.

Chickpea and goat cheese croquettes

This third option has more ingredients, but the good thing is that it yields many servings. Perfect for entertaining multiple guests! You can have an entire Arabic / Greek dinner with other traditional dishes such as tabbuleh, hummus, fatay empanadas and baklava for dessert. Your mouth is already watering, sure!

Ingredients

• 5 cups of chickpeas (500 g).
• 1 onion.
• 1 clove garlic.
• ½ bell pepper.
• ½ goat cheese last .
• Cream or cream.
• Salt, pepper and nutmeg.

• Chickpea flour to coat.
• Oil for frying.

Preparation

• Again follow the instructions regarding chickpeas.
• Then, chop the onion into julienne strips, the garlic very finely and the diced pepper, sauté everything in a little oil.
• Then process the chickpeas and add the grated goat cheese, seasonings, sautéed vegetables, and thickening cream.
• When it is at room temperature and well integrated, form the croquettes.
• Finally, fry the croquettes in a good amount of oil. If you prefer, you can also make them in the oven.

Surprise your family and friends with these simple and delicious recipes. You can  enjoy them as a starter or a main dish, accompanied by a sauce or vegetables.