Rustle up these poppin' party appetisers by Ira Rathore and you will be the toast of the evening.

If you are bored of eating French fries, use potatoes, cheese, capsicum and bacon (or not) to put together Spicy Cheese Bacon Poppers.

Spicy Cheese Bacon Poppers

Servings: Approximately 25

Ingredients

• 4 large potatoes, boiled
• 200 gm grated mozzarella or mild cheddar
• 1 large green capsicum, finely chopped
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 10 pods garlic, finely chopped
• Handful green coriander or dhania or cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tsp or less chilly powder
• ½ tsp oregano
• 1 tsp or less chilly flakes
• 1 tsp black pepper powder
• 50 ml or less cheese spread
• 200 gm bacon, chopped and fried, optional
• 1 cup breadcrumbs or panko
• Salt to taste

For frying

• 200 gm breadcrumbs or panko
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Oil for deep frying

Method

• In a large bowl, mash the potatoes till smooth.
• Add the rest of ingredients into the mashed potatoes, except the cheese spread.
  Mix well.
  Now add the cheese spread to the mix, sparingly, and make sure the mixture has a binding consistency.
• Roll, with your hands, into bite-sized balls and refrigerate for half an hour to get the balls firm.
  Spread the 200 gm breadcrumbs on a plate.
  Dip each ball in the beaten egg wash and roll in the breadcrumbs.
• Heat the oil in a kadhai till fairly hot.
  Deep fry the crumbed balls till golden brown in batches of 4-5.
  Don't keep the poppers in the oil for too long or the cheese will melt excessively and the poppers may burst.
  Drain the poppers onto a tissue or paper towel-lined plate.
  Serve hot with fresh salsa on the side.

Note: You may consider serving the poppers with kasundi or Bengali mustard paste. Or with blue cheese salad dressing.

Instead of adding the grated cheese to the potato dough, keep aside and add a small lump of cheese into the centre of each ball.

Gluten-free almond flour maybe used instead of breadcrumbs.

If vegan, skip the egg wash and substitute regular cheese for vegan cheese or cheese powder, available online.

They may be also cooked in a 180°C preheated air fryer for about 8-10 minutes. Turn them over and cook 5-10 minutes more. Or baked in a 200°C oven for 15-20 minutes.

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