Miliepap croquettes, broccoli and white sauce (vegan)
As we continue to explore South African cuisine, I came up with the idea of using the leftover stywe pap from yesterday to make some crunchy croquettes and combine them with steamed broccoli and a nice white sauce.
In South Africa, there’s a dish known as “broccoli and cauliflower bake,” which uses béchamel sauce, cheese, cauliflower, and broccoli, gratinéd in the oven. Since I only had broccoli at home and wanted to keep it as simple as possible, I simplified this traditional South African dish yo create a perfect accompaniment to the croquettes.
Once again, we were blessed with a beautiful vegan kitchen creation—these croquettes are so crunchy and incredibly easy to prepare. Since the pap was stored in the fridge overnight, it was firm enough to create a batter that has the right firmness, consistency and compactness to form beautiful balls. To have a nice crunchy crust, I first rolled the balls in flour, then dipped them in soy milk, and then covered them nicely with vegan breadcrumbs. I specify “vegan” breadcrumbs because not all breadcrumbs sold in stores are actually vegan; some contain milk since they are made from bread or rolls that include milk. Just something to be aware of. Finally, I fried the croquettes and served them with the broccoli and white sauce.
This turned out to be a very nice lunch, and we’re so happy and grateful to be able to create so many beautiful vegan recipes. I’ve already been able to explored so much in this new world of plant-based food – I cannot express enough my gratitude to God and to all the people who share their inspirations and creations online, allowing everyone to try and discover how to make their own recipes and enjoy a fully plant-based diet with lots of joy, delicious food, and enjoyable culinary moments.
Sending much love and credit to all of you, and thank you for joining me on this journey.
Miliepap croquettes, broccoli and white sauce (vegan)
Ingredients
For the croquettes
- 3 cups stywe pap (cooked maize meal) best if from the day before
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tbsp dried herbs
- ca. 1/3 cup flour
- ca. 1/3 cup plant milk
- ca. 1/3 cup vegan breadcrumbs
- oil for frying
For the Broccoli and white sauce
- 1/2 broccoli
- 350 ml unsweetened plant milk
- 1 tsp salt or slightly more
- 1 tsp vegetable broth powder optional
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest optional
- 1/4 cup oil olive, sunflower
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast optional
- pepper to taste optional
Instructions
Prepare broccoli and sauce
- Steam or cook the broccoli.
- Warm up the milk together with the broth powder, the salt and the lemon peel (optional).In a saucepan, bring the oil and flour to roast slightly. Take the pot off the heat. Whisk in the milk, slowly, see that you keep the mixture smooth and without lumps. Once the milk is absorbed, place the pot back on the stove and simmer for a few minutes, whisking regularly. Season with salt, nutritional yeast and pepper (optional).
Prepare the croquettes
- In the meantime, mash the pap firmly with your fingers. Work in the spices.
- Form little egg-shaped balls.
- Place the flour, the milk and the breadcrumbs each in an extra bowl. Roll the balls one by one first in flour, then in the milk, then in the breadcrumbs.
- Heat ca. 2 cm high oil (it’s best to use a small pot, this way you don’t waste so much oil…).Fry the croquettes until golden brown on all sides. Let the drip off on kitchen paper.
- Serve the croquettes with the broccoli and sauce aside.