Spanish Chickpea Croquettes | Croquetas de Garbanzos

📝 Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) (15.5 oz / 440 grams)
• 1/2 cup shredded manchego cheese (60 grams)
• 3 large cage-free organic eggs
• 1 small carrot (grated)
• 1 tsp onion powder (2.50 grams)
• 1 tsp garlic powder (3 grams)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin (1.50 grams)
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley (8 grams)
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour (60 grams)
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs (130 grams)
• sea salt & black pepper
• 1 cup sunflower oil (240 ml)
• 2 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
• 1/4 tsp saffron threads (.17 grams)
• 1/2 cup low fat mayonnaise (120 grams)
• 1 tsp lemon juice (5 ml)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (15 ml)
• sea salt & black pepper

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Drain the can of chickpeas into a colander and rinse under water, then shake off any excess water, transfer the chickpeas into a large bowl and using a potato masher or large fork, mash down on the chickpeas until they're well mashed
2. 2Add the shredded cheese over the mashed chickpeas, crack in 1 egg, add in the carrot, chopped parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, ground cumin and season with sea salt & black pepper, mix together, once it's well mixed, push down on the mixture until you get a paste-like texture
3. 3To shape the croquettes, grab a spoonful of the mixture and squeeze it in your hands, this is to ensure all the ingredients are well binded together, then shape it into a cylinder about the size of an egg
4. 4Heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add in the sunflower oil
5. 5In the meantime, add the flour into a bowl, crack in 2 eggs into a separate bowl, season with salt & pepper and whisk together, add the bread crumbs into a third separate bowl
6. 6Coat each croquette, first in the flour, then into the egg wash and finally into the bread crumbs, making sure at each stage that you fully coat them all around
7. 7Once the oil is nice and hot in the pan, add the croquettes, all in a single layer, fry for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden fried all around, then transfer them into a dish with paper towels
8. 8To make the aioli, add the garlic into a mortar, along with the saffron and a pinch of sea salt, using a pestle mash down on the ingredients until you get a paste-like texture, then add in the mayonnaise, lemon juice, olive oil and season with sea salt & black pepper, whisk together until you get a creamy sauce
9. 9Transfer the aioli into a serving dish and decorate the croquettes around it, enjoy!