Tuna Croquettes (Fishcakes)

I am so particular with croquettes - I’m not a fan of the ones you get most places in Europe because of the texture. The crunchy exterior and gooey interior, is not for me. Instead my favourite are the ones that are mostly known as cakes/patties- I personally am not a fan of that name, so I call them croquettes. Crunchy on the outside, soft and flavourful in the inside.

I love eating these with rice and lentils/dal. I usually have all the ingredients needed to make this dish/meal in my pantry, so defo a go to meal whenever I want something a little more filling.

This recipe makes quite a lot of croquettes. What I like to do is freeze them after baking. Let them cool, and store in a freezer safe bag or box, for up to 2 months.

Makes: 20-22 croquettes

prep/baking time: 40-45 mins

Ingredients

3 medium potatoes, peeled and boiled

1x 200g can (150g drained) of tuna in oil, drained

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds

20 small curry leaves

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

2 onions, diced finely

1 green chilli, minced

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup cornflour

1/4 cup water

Panko breadcrumbs, as much as you need

oil, salt, pepper

Method

1. Preheat your oven to fan 200°C. Place the peeled, cooled, potatoes into a bowl, mash them until smooth. It’s alright to have some small pieces through the mix. Add the drained tuna, and mix thoroughly.

2. In a pan on medium-low heat, add a glug of oil. When hot, sprinkle in the turmeric, ground cumin, cumin seeds, curry leaves and chilli flakes. Let the spices bloom for 30-45 secs, stirring the whole time - Make sure to not burn them, turn the heat down if it’s too hot. If they get burnt, restart the blooming process or they will bring bitterness to the croquettes.

3. Add the peas, onions and green chilli to the spices, and let them sweat until transluscent. When done, transfer the spiced mixture to the potatoes and tuna.

4. Pour in the apple cider vinegar into the potatoes, and mix throughly so the onion mix is evenly distributed throughout the tuna and potatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. In a bowl, add the cornflour and water. Whisk to incorporate fully. This is a slurry, it will help bind the panko to the croquettes. Pour some panko breadcrumbs into another bowl. Get a non stick baking tray ready, if not nonstick, line it with parchment paper.

6. Take 2 tbsp worth of the potato mix, roll into a ball, and flatten slightly. Gently dunk the croquette in the cornflour surry, and then pat the panko breadcrumbs all over. Place on the baking sheet spacing them out nicely - you might need to use 2 baking sheets.

7. Drizzle the croquette with a little oil, and bake for 25-30 mins, or until golden on both sides and crispy. Enjoy still hot!