Rice Croquettes / Rice Tikkis .... with leftover Rice

  

 I have always believed in the importance of a good photograph to depict a recipe. And in the process, always try to cook a dish I want to blog about during the day, rush against time ... read the sunlight on my table ... to click photos in natural light and finally end up completely exhausted by late afternoon.
Not to mention the number of dishes or experiments I miss out posting on. Just because I experiment and create best in the evenings.
And good dishes like anything Chinese, soups, etc. are all made for dinner.

But now, I am seriously reconsidering this decision of mine.
While I will not put up undecipherable,  dull, boring pictures and try my best to portray a recipe as it has come out, I will not wait only for the day when I will be able to cook something good and click it in proper light.
I will try to click decent photos during the night too, in low light, bad light, whatever comes my way.
And experiment with photographs too ... as I do with my cooking.

Which is why I need a good lamp. I'm on the lookout but still haven't come across a good one.
Till then, I will use my phone and see what the reaction of my readers are ... if at all they care to leave a line. If not for anything just for a feedback or encouragement ... please do leave a line regarding your preferences ... photographs in natural light or photographs like the ones in this post ... clicked with my phone.
Much thanks.

It so happened that I had a good amount of left over rice in the fridge .... again.
That is not a problem ... I could always use it the next day with my fish curry. But it was a cloudy evening and I was craving something hot and quick to make. And kept eyeing that bowlful of left over rice. I was not in a mood to exactly sit down and think up something exotic ... so I did what I do best.
Give a shout out on FB.

Friends pooled in with suggestions.
There were so many that I started wishing I had more rice than that bowlful.
Anyway .... most suggestions veered towards Phodni chi bhaat or Bhaat bhaja ... where you just chop up onions and chillies and fry the rice with them and some masalas.
A wonderful dish ... but no ... I make it too often.
Also I needed a snack recipe ... not a main dish.

I had made a snack with left over rice earlier too ...  remember the steamed Rice balls? .... but wanted something different that evening.

Which was when Anjali of the beautiful Annapabrahma gave me the link to her recipe of Rice croquettes on the blog.
And I knew it was exactly what I wanted.

I tweaked the recipe a little and made two different batches of two different flavours.
One was with garam masala and can be called the Tikki. To the other I added mixed Italian herbs and called them croquettes.
Whatever the names .... the result was awesome!

The  croquettes / tikkis were so good that I had decided right then that I would make a post on these ... even if it were just for my own self.
Which is why I am posting the photographs clicked on my phone camera that evening.

I am sure you will love the recipe ... even if you don't like the photographs.

 Need :

Left over rice - preferably kept in the fridge for at least a day

For the Tikkis -
 Red chilli powder
Garam masala powder
Chopped onions
Chopped green chillies
Lemon juice
Chopped Coriander leaves 
Salt to taste

For the Croquettes - 
Mixed Italian herbs
Red chilli flakes
Chopped onions
Salt to taste
Lemon juice
Corn flour
A pinch of sugar

How to : 

Take the ingredients in two separate bowls and add the rice to them

Mash well.

Shape them, using dry rice flour to dust them ... helps them to hold shape.

I shaped the tikkis with Indian spices round.
And the croquettes oblong.

Deep fry the croquettes.

Pan fry the tikkis.

Serve hot.
Here is a closer look.

We enjoyed them with some Kasundi and ketchup on the side.
I had some coriander leaves chutney ... the tikkis went great with it.
We ... and our evening cuppa, were a happy lot that cold, cloudy evening.

Enjoy!!!

I have finally managed to write the next of the continuing posts on our trip to Amritsar.
Do drop in.