Crispy Chicken Cheese Balls

Today, I am sharing a savoury snack item, Crispy chicken cheese balls..Now-a-days, I rarely make snacks, its due to my laziness...After long time, I decided to make a spicy deep fried snack..I have left over chicken and cheese in my refrigerator..Idea clicked me, why not combine together and make a snack??...As in the name, this is the snack made of chicken-cheesy combination..Any cheese or chicken lovers will love this crispy snack...This snack is prepared using bread slices stuffed with chicken masala ,sprinkled with grated cheese,which is dipped in egg batter and coated with grounded cornflakes, which gives crunchy effect..We used to make this bread balls which used different filling like chicken,vegetables and of course sweet filling likes dates and coconut...But coating we used mostly is bread crumbs .. But I decided to give coating with twist i.e grounded cornflakes..Main advantage of using cornflakes powder is it is crispy,does not absorb oil whereas in bread crumbs it does and it doesn't live traces of powder in oil after deep frying, where as in bread crumbs it does.. Me and my hubby enjoyed this evening snack with a cup of tea .Do try this snack and I am sure everyone in your family will love it..Lets go the recipe:

     Ingredients:

• Shredded chicken,cooked - 1 cup ( chicken cooked with pepper pdr,turmeric pdr and salt, de-bonned and shredded)

• Onion,finely chopped - 1 large

• Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp

• Green chilly,chopped - 1 or 2 no.s

• Turmeric pdr - a pinch

• Pepper pdr - 1/4 tsp

• Garam masala pdr - 1/4 tsp

• Coriander leaves,chopped - 1 tsp

• Curry leaves,chopped - 1 tsp

• Grated mozarella cheese or any grated cheese - generous amount. 

• Egg - 1

• All purpose flour ( maida) - 1 tsp

• Bread slices - 10 to12 no.s 

• 2 bread slice + 1 handful of cornflakes -ground into fine or coarse powder ( or you can ignore bread slices,ground powder with cornflakes itself)

      Method

      Making of Chicken masala:

• Heat a fry pan,add onion and saute till pink.

• Add ginger-garlic paste and green chillies and saute for few seconds.

• Add all the spice powders and saute till raw smell goes away.

• Add salt ( adjust accordingly as cooked chicken contains salt) and coriander leaves and saute well.

• Add cooked shredded chicken and saute for 5 mins.

• Finally add chopped curry leaves and saute for few seconds. Off the flame and keep aside to cool.

      For outer crust and dipping:

• Remove the crust(brown side) of the bread and keep aside.For easy removing of the crust, place 4 to 5 breads on top of each other,press the breads and cut the brown edges with knife. Repeat with other slices and keep aside. ( see pic 2)

• In a small bowl, beat eggs and all purpose flour thoroughly and keep aside.(see pic 3)

• Place grounded bread and cornflakes in a plate and keep it ready.( see pic 4)

• Divide the chicken masala according to the number of bread slices.

• Place little water in a bowl, soak one slice of bread in a water for half second and take out immediately...Don't soak it too long,otherwise bread will break..( you should make this process faster).

• Place soaked bread in your palm and press it with your other palm and drain out the water completely. This process is done in order to keep the bread soft. 

• Place one tsp of chicken filling ( it depends upon the slice of bread) and sprinkle little grated cheese on top of masala..( see pic 5)

• Close the edges from side to top and make it into ball shape. Don't overcrowd the feeling as it may break while deep frying..

• Repeat with other bread slices and keep aside.

• Dip each of the balls with egg - maida mixture and roll the balls completely in bread-cornflakes powder. (see pic 6)

• In a deep pan, heat generous amount of oil at medium heat. When it turns hot,add all the balls one by one and deep fry these till both sides are golden brown in colour. (see pic 7)

• Take out and drain the balls. Place these on paper kitchen towel.

• Serve warm..It tastes better when hot..When you bite it, it gives crunchy cheese feeling.

• Serve it with a tomato ketchup or serve as it is..Have it with a cup of tea or coffee.

      Notes:

• Instead of chicken, you can substitute with soya chunks or vegetables.

• You can make your own filling and play with the spices of your choice.

• You can ignore cheese if you don't like it.

• You can also coat it with breadcrumbs as you wish..

• Dipping with cornflakes gives crunchy feeling and it does not absorb oil.

• Leftover can be refrigerated or you can make large quantities of balls and keep it in freezer. Thaw for 1 hr  before deep frying it.