Cauliflower Recipes

I'll be the first to admit that cauliflower is not one of my favorite vegetables. However, certain preparations that compliment its bland flavor can turn this boring everyday food into an exotic meal. Here are some unusual ways to prepare cauliflowers, which will hopefully bump them up on your family's list of favorite foods.

Cauliflower Tempura

Ingredients

• 1 cauliflower
• Vegetable oil
• Flour, for dusting

For the Batter

• 1¾ cups self-rising flour
• 2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1½ cups cold beer
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• Sea salt

Preparation

To make the batter, mix the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and peppercorns together and powder them. Add the powdered spices and turmeric to the flour in a large bowl and mix them together. Slowly add most of the beer to the flour mixture and whisk together. While adding the beer, it is advisable to use as much as you need to bring the batter to a creamy heavy consistency. However, don't allow it to get too thick. Add salt in proportion. Now chop the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. Wash the cauliflower pieces and pat them dry with kitchen towels. Lightly coat the cauliflower pieces with a little flour.

Take a deep saucepan and generously pour oil into it. Now heat the oil to about 350 ºF. One way to check if the oil has reached the desired temperature is by putting in a piece of cauliflower in it. If it floats and sizzles, then the oil is the right temperature. Remove the test piece and start the actual frying.

Shake the cauliflower pieces in a dish so the extra flour may drop off. Next, take each piece, dip it in the batter, and gently ease it into the hot oil. Be very careful while doing this, or you may get splashed and burnt with oil. It is advisable to fry them in batches of about 5-6 pieces. Serve each batch as you take it out of the oil. They are best eaten when hot and crisp.

Asian Cauliflower

Ingredients

• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cauliflower florets
• 2 tbsp corn flour
• 1 tsp ginger & garlic paste
• Vegetable oil
• Salt

For the Gravy

• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tbsp oil
• ¼ tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• Salt
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp ginger chopped
• ¼ cup scallions, finely chopped

Preparation

For the ginger-garlic paste, you could either buy some ready paste or crush a little of both to create the required amount of paste. Mix both the flours and half the ginger and garlic paste together in a deep bowl. Add enough water to turn it into a thick batter and add salt to taste. Now throw the cauliflower florets into this batter and mix well till they all are generously coated. In a deep frying pan, add some oil and heat it. Now take the coated pieces of cauliflower and ease them into the hot oil, a few pieces at a time. Be careful not to get splashed with the oil. Fry till they are golden brown and crisp and remove.

To prepare the gravy, heat the oil and add the chopped scallions to it. Add the ginger and garlic after about a minute and a half and continue to fry. Remove all of it in less than 2 minutes. Mix the cornflour, soy sauce, salt and a cup of water in a bowl, without letting any lumps form. Add the ketchup and remaining ginger-garlic paste to the same pan and fry. Add the cornflour mixture to the pan and simmer till thick. Your sticky gravy is ready. Mix the cauliflower fritters, gravy and fried onion mixture together and serve.

Cauliflower on Gammon

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
• 85g cheddar, grated
• 100ml half-fat crème fraîche
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 large cauliflower
• 4 small, raw gammon steaks

Preparation

Preheat the grill for high heat.

Chop the cauliflower into florets and rinse them out. Bring a pot of water to boil and cook the cauliflower in it for about five minutes, or until it is tender. Drain the water and put the florets into a large dish. Coat with mustard, crème fraîche and two-thirds of the cheese, and then mix it well.

Slice off the sides of the gammon steaks or else they will curl up when you cook them. Brush them with butter on both sides and put them onto a baking tray. Grill on each side for 10 minutes and ensure that the fat is crisp. Add the cauliflower on the gammon steaks and cover each with a little bit of cheese. Grill them for another 5 minutes till they turn golden. You would enjoy serving this delicious but quick meal.

These recipes should leave you with an improved opinion of cauliflower. Try them out and enjoy the results with the ones you love.