If you think you don't like cauliflower then think again. This dish is incredibly delicious and perfect as part of a larger Indian style celebration meal. Your friends and family will be fighting over the last scraps of these beautifully crispy cauliflower nuggets. This recipe requires quite a few ingredients, but a lot of them are things you should find in your store-cupboard. Recipe originally from Dan Toombs, The Curry Guy.
Cooking Time: 45 minutes (plus marinating time)
Serves: 6 (as part of a larger meal)
Ingredients
750 g cauliflower, broken into florets
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp mixed ginger & garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
125 g plain flour
70 g cornflour
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 red onions, finely chopped
5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
2.5 cm piece of ginger, finely chopped
3 green chillies, finely chopped
125 ml passata
2-3 tbsp hot sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 heaped tbsp sugar
spring onions and coriander, to serve
Rapeseed or vegetable oil, for deep frying
Method
1. Bring 1 litre of salted water to a fast boil in a large saucepan. Add the turmeric, stir, then add the cauliflower florets. Turn the heat off, and leave the cauliflower to steep for around 3 minutes. Remove the cauliflower from the pan, place it on a plate and pat it dry with some paper towel. Leave to cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile mix the ginger and garlic paste, chilli powder, pepper and salt in a bowl to create a marinade. When the cauliflower is dry, toss it in the marinade, ensuring everything is evenly coated. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 20 minutes, but preferably a few hours.
3 . When you are ready to cook, make the batter by mixing the flour and cornflour in a bowl with just enough water to make a thick batter. It should be thick enough to coat the cauliflower but still pourable. Add the cauliflower to the batter and mix, ensuring all the florets are fully covered.
4. Heat vegetable or rapeseed oil in a deep fryer to a medium heat (160⁰C). Fry the battered cauliflower in batches for around 3 minutes until a light golden brown. Once cooked, transfer the cauliflower onto a baking tray lined with paper towel to remove any excess oil.
5. Once all the cauliflower has been cooked once, turn the heat up (to around 180-190⁰C) and fry the cauliflower again for 2-3 minutes or until crispy and a deeper golden brown.
6. While the cauliflower is frying, prepare the sauce . Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Add the onion and saute for around 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, ginger and chillies and fry for a further minute,
7. Next, pour in the passata, hot sauce, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar. Allow the sauce to simmer for a few minutes then add the cauliflower. Toss the cauliflower around in the sauce until well coated.
8 . Serve with a sprinkling of thinly sliced spring onions and finely chopped coriander.
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