Crispy Cauliflowers
Crispy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside - these deep-fried Crispy Cauliflowers are aromatic and very addicting. Perfect for any occasion, it only takes 22 minutes from start to finish. Whip some up while cooking rice and simmering the curry - your family will enjoy it!
Equipment
- Kitchen Towels
- Stainless basin
- Silicone Whisk
- Sharp Kitchen Knife
- Chopping Board
- Frying Pan
- Wooden Chopsticks
- Large strainer
- Mini-strainer
Ingredients
Batter
- 100 g crispy flour, or tempura flour
- 1.5 tbsp Indian curry powder, for meat, or for any type of curry
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 150 ml water, iced
Cooking
- 700 g cooking oil, or enough for deep-frying
- 500 g cauliflower, spots removed, cut into thumb-sized pieces
- 5 stalks curry leaves, washed & pat dry
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add crispy flour, curry powder and salt. Mix with a whisk until evenly combined.
- Crack an egg and add it to the mixing bowl. Pour in the iced water and mix until well-combined and even in colour. The consistency should be thin enough to drip off the whisk.
- Add all the cooking oil in a stainless steel pan over medium heat. Let it warm up for 5-8 minutes.
- Cut the cauliflower to thumb-sized pieces.
- Add the cauliflower pieces to the wet batter. Toss gently until they are well-coated with the batter. Set aside.
- Pat dry the washed curry leaves in between kitchen towels. Make sure there are no moisture present on the leaves.
- Immerse wooden cooking chopsticks into the hot oil. If bubbles form at the tip, it is ready for deep-frying.
- Carefully strip the curry leaves and add them to the hot oil. Deep fry them until there are no more sizzling sounds. Remove the curry leaves with a strainer, shaking to remove the excess oil. Set them aside on a heat-resistant plate.
- Give the cauliflower another gentle mix. Carefully add them to the hot oil until the pan is filled. Let them fry for 3 minutes before stirring.
- After 3 minutes, use the strainer or wooden cooking chopsticks to stir the cauliflowers gently for another 3 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Remove them with a large strainer, shaking off any excess oil. Set them aside on the cooling rack.
- Repeat with the rest of the cauliflower. When all the cauliflowers have been added to the pan, carefully drizzle the leftover batter over them for fluffy crisps. Let the cauliflowers cook for 4 minutes before stirring for another 4 minutes or until golden brown. Remove them with a large strainer, shaking the excess oil. Set them to rest on the cooling rack.
- Switch off the heat.
- Transfer the cauliflower to the serving plate, layering them twice with half of the curry leaves. Serve immediately with some white rice and, optionally, curry.
Notes
Tips
- If using store-bought tempura/ crispy flour, adjust the salt according as they usually come pre-seasoned.
- Iced water is used to make the wet batter as it contributes to a crispier texture than normal room-temperature water.
- When the oil is hot enough, it will form bubbles when wooden cooking chopsticks are immersed. If no bubbles form, the oil is not hot enough.
- It is important to remove any water droplets on the curry leaves to prevent sudden and large oil splashes.
- Leftover batter can be added to the hot oil, or discarded if preferred.
- When the cauliflowers are added to the hot oil, they tend to sink to the bottom and float when cooked on the surface. Start stirring only when they are floating to prevent batter residue from getting stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Allow the crispy cauliflower to rest on the cooling rack to drip off the excess oil.
- Make sure to watch the full video to see how I made it exactly!
Nutrition
Calories: 315kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 5gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 110mgPotassium: 147mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 136IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 1mg
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