To make vegetable fritters irresistible … make Pakora!! These are Indian vegetable patties, spiced and fried until golden and crispy. They can be made with virtually any vegetable, so use this pakora recipe as a springboard to do your own variations.

Serve pakora as a starter for an Indian meal, a light meal, or pass them around as canapés at your next gathering. They’re gluten free and vegan so everybody can enjoy them!

Pakora: Indian Vegetable Fritters

This is street food, the Indian way! Sold as snacks on the streets of India and as popular appetisers in Indian restaurants elsewhere, pakora are crispy, bite-size vegetable fritters. They’re loaded with gorgeous Indian spices before being fried until crunchy.

These little nuggets are dangerously easy to eat, the sort of food you just keep popping into your mouth, one after the other, until you suddenly realise the plate is half empty and you look around to find someone to accuse – Who ate all the pakoras??!!!

Ssshhh!!! I will never tell – if you don’t!

What goes in Pakora

Pakoras can be made with almost any vegetable that is suitable for cooking in fritter form. I’ve opted to use onion, potato and cauliflower, but there’s an extensive list below of other vegetables that can be used along with how to chop them.

• Chickpea flour – Also known as gram flour and besan, it is made from dried chickpeas and is a staple in Indian and Subcontinental cooking. Nowadays it’s sold at large grocery stores in Australia. The flavour is nutty and it’s denser than normal flour with better nutritional qualities (lower carb and higher in protein);

• Fenugreek powder – A common Indian / Subcontinental spice, it oddly enough kind of smells like maple syrup. However it tastes nothing like it, and has a pungent and mysterious flavour. It’s available at stores that carry a decent range of spices. I found it at Harris Farms (Australia). Also, of course, at Indian grocery stores!

  Best sub: Garam masala or a generic curry powder. (These are not the same at all, but the extra flavour will compensate);

• Chilli powder – This is pure ground chillies, not to be confused with US ‘chili powder’ which is a spice mix.

  Substitute: cayenne pepper. Feel free to reduce chilli powder if you’re concerned about spiciness. Start conservatively and cook a test pakora. Taste, and if you want more add more chilli into the batter;

• Turmeric powder – Adds a beautifully warm, golden colour to the pakora;

• Cumin, coriander and fresh ginger – Staple spices / aromatics in Indian cooking;

• Fresh chilli – For their fruity flavour and a little warmth. I’m using large cayenne peppers here which are not that spicy, but rather add a warm hum to the pakoras. Generally the rule is the larger the chilli, the less spicy they are. Feel free to omit or reduce to your taste;

• Potatoes – Any all-rounder or starchy potatoes work. AU: Sebago, US: russet, UK: King Edward or Maris Piper. Waxy potatoes will work ok too for this recipe;

• Onion – These add great sweet, savoury flavour to the fritters so I really do recommend keeping onions in;

• Cauliflower – When finely chopped as called for in this recipe, it adds lovely texture to fritters as well as acting like a sponge that absorbs the spices in the pakora batter; and

• Coriander/cilantro – For a nice hint of freshness and colour in the pakoras. However, in this recipe it is not a key flavour so it can be omitted or substituted with finely chopped green onions, parsley or chives.

Other vegetables to use for Pakoras

A nice thing about Pakoras are their versatility. While I’ve used cauliflower, potato and onion, you can use other vegetables, as long as they’re finely chopped or grated. Use 6 cups in total:

• Carrots – finely julienned or grated

• Broccoli, broccolini – chop finely into rice size

• Green beans, asparagus – finely spice or julienne

• Zucchini – grate and squeeze out excess liquid

• Spinach, cabbage and similar – julienne then grab handfuls and squeeze out excess liquid

• Capsicum / bell peppers – finely slice into 2.5cm (1″) pieces

• Parsnip, celeriac and other root vegetables – grate like potato

• Peas and corn kernels – use as-is

• Not recommended (or requires extra prep steps): eggplant, pumpkin, celery, fennel, cucumber, tomatoes

How to make Pakoras

Part 1: Preparing the vegetables

1. Vegetables for pakoras are typically either finely chopped, grated or julienned so they are suitable to form into little patties and cook quickly. I always ensure that there’s at least one vegetable grated or julienned so you get scraggly bits that stick out and become extra crispy!

   Here’s how I prepared the fresh vegetables in these pakoras:

   Ginger: Finely minced using a microplane (best for maximum flavour extraction!)
   Cauliflower: Finely chopped into rice size pieces, as though preparing to make Cauliflower Rice (which, actually, is a good tip if you want to just buy ready-made – simply use raw cauliflower rice). You can also grate it using a standard box grater. Use a large bowl so the cauliflower bits don’t go everywhere. Otherwise use a food processor!
   Potato: Grated using a box grater; and
   Onion: Grated using a box grater. Yes, the onion juice squirting out will be torture and will make you cry (unless, like me, you’re protected with contact lenses). But it’s worth it, I promise!

Part 2: Pakora batter and frying

Pakoras are deep fried so you get the signature scraggly sticking out bits that become extra crunchy. However you can cook them like pan-fried fritters (like Zucchini Fritters, Corn Fritters etc) if you prefer not to deep fry. Of course, they won’t be quite the same but they’re still delicious!

2. Batter: Make the batter by mixing together the chickpea flour and dried spices with water. At this stage, the batter will seem very thick and paste-like but don’t worry. It actually thins out once the vegetables are added because the salt in the batter draws out water from the vegetables which thins the batter slightly;

3. Add vegetables: Stir through the fresh vegetables;

4. Finished batter: The batter should be quite thick, thick enough to drop balls of it into oil. If It seems too thin, add more chickpea flour;

5. Form rough patties: Drop 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of batter roughly formed into a patty shape (~ 1.5cm / 0.6″ thick) into the oil. I use my hands (as is typical in India!) but you can also use 2 dessertspoons. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but I feel it’s safer to use my hands because I have more control and there is less risk of the batter accidentally dropping into the oil from a height, causing splashage.

   Remember, don’t crowd the pot! It will lower the oil temperature too much. I generally cook 4 at a time at the beginning to get into the groove of the timing, then up to 6 at a time;

6. Fry 2 – 3 minutes until golden: Fry the pakoras for 2 to 3 minutes until they are a deep golden and crispy on the outside. They will easily cook through inside in this time;

7. Drain pakora on paper towels and continue cooking the remainder. Keep cooked pakoras warm in a low oven (80°C / 175°F) on a rack set over a tray.

Sauces for Pakora

Pakoras are typically served with a sauce which is fresh and cooling for a delicious contrast to the hot, spiced, fried Pakora.

I’ve got 2 to choose from today:

1. Green Coriander, Mint and Lime Sauce: Fresh and zesty; or

2. Minted Yogurt Sauce: Cooling and tangy.

You can’t go wrong with either of these, they both work brilliantly with Pakoras! I really just comes down to personal preference.

When and what to serve with Pakoras

Pakoras are a standard starter you’ll find on the menu of every Indian restaurant here in Australia. So make these as the appetiser for a homemade Indian feast. Browse all Indian recipes here!

In India, Pakora are a common street snack sold by street vendors. In this vein, Pakoras would make a great option to pass around as a canapé. They are the perfect finger food size, and something a little different! Cook up a big batch then just pop them in the oven to crisp up just before serving. Fabulous! – Nagi x

PS. This recipe makes a lot – around 40 pakoras. I figure if we’re going to make them, let’s make it worth our while. Plus, they reheat terrifically in the oven and also freeze well. Once you have made a stash, you’ll be glad you did!

Watch how to make it

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Pakora (Indian Vegetable Fritters)

Recipe video above. Vegetable fritters can be so bland and uninspiring … but not in the hands of Indian cooks! Pakoras are a traditional Indian street food made with all sorts of vegetables. I've used onion, potato and caulifloiwer, but see Note 5 for other options.

Serve as starter for an Indian menu, light meal or pass around as canapes. They're gluten free and vegan so everybody can enjoy them!

Spiciness: Mild. Large chillies are not that spicy, and we are using 2 across lots of pakoras! Feel free to omit/reduce the fresh chilli and chilli powder.

No deep fry method – See Note 7 for shallow pan-fried version.

Course Appetiser, Light Meal, Starter

Cuisine Indian

Keyword gluten free recipes, indian fritter, pakora, pakora recipe, vegetable fritter

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 40

Calories 64cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups chickpea flour (Note 1)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp fenugreek powder (Note 2)
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder (pure chilli powder, Note 3)
• 2 tsp salt (cooking/kosher salt)
• 3/4 cups + 2 1/2 tbsp water
• 1 1/2 cups onions , grated using standard box grater (~1 1/2 onions)
• 2 cups potato (~1 large), peeled and grated using standard box grater (Note 4)
• 2 1/2 cups cauliflower (~1/4 large head), finely chopped into rice size pieces (or grate)
• 2 large red chillies (cayenne peppers), finely chopped (adjust spiciness to taste, or leave them out)
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger , finely grated
• 2 tbsp coriander/cilantro leaves , finely chopped

For cooking:

• 3 – 4 cups vegetable or canola oil (4cm / 1.5″ depth in pot)

Coriander Mint Sauce for Pakoras (Option 1):

• 2 cups mint leaves
• 1 cup coriander/cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup eschalot , sliced
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 2 ice cubes (loosens + keeps sauce green)

Minted Yogurt Sauce (Option 2):

• 1 cup plain yoghurt
• 1/2 cup mint leaves , packed
• 1/4 tsp salt

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Make batter: Place chickpea flour in a bowl with the spices (turmeric, cumin, coriander, fenugreek, chilli). Slow whisk in the water.
• Mix in Vegetables: Add potato, cauliflower, onion, ginger, chilli and coriander. Mix well with a wooden spoon. It should be a thick batter, almost paste-like.
• Preheat oven to 80°C/175°F – to keep cooked pakoras warm. Set a rack over a tray.
• Heat oil: Heat 4cm / 1.5" oil in a large heavy based pot to 180°C/350°F (Note 6).
• Form patties: Drop 2 tbsp of batter roughly formed into a patty shape into the oil. I use my hands (as is typical in India!) but you can also use 2 tablespoons (be careful of splash-age). Don't crowd the pot, it will lower the temperature too much.
• Fry pakoras: Fry 2 – 3 minutes until golden. Drain on paper towels. Keep cooked pakoras hot in the oven on a rack set over a tray.
• Serve: Serve pakoras with Coriander Mint Sauce or Minted Yogurt Sauce!

Coriander Mint Sauce OR Mint Yogurt Sauce:

• Place ingredients in a small food processor or Nutribullet, or use a stick blender. Blitz until smooth.

Notes

Batch size – This makes quite a large batch. Around 40 pakoras! Figure we may as well make it worth our while. Leftovers resurrect well – see Storage note below.

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1. Chickpea flour – Also known as gram flour, and besan, made from dried chickpeas. Staple in Indian cooking. Nowadays sold at large grocery stores in Australia. Using this instead of flour makes this a naturally gluten free recipe.

2. Fenugreek powder – Staple Indian spice, kind of smells like maple syrup. Available at stores that carry a decent range of spices. I found it at Harris Farms (Australia). Also, of course, at Indian grocery stores!

Best sub: Garam Masala or a generic curry powder. (No it’s not the same but the extra flavour will compensate).

3. Chilli Powder – This is pure ground chillies, not to be confused with US Chili Powder which is a spice mix. Sub cayenne pepper. Fee free to reduce chilli powder if you’re concerned about spiciness. You can cook a test one, taste, then add more chilli into the batter.

4. Potatoes – Any all rounder or starchy potatoes work best. Aus: Sebago, US: russet, UK: King Edward/Maris Piper. Waxy potatoes will work ok too.

5. Other Veg: Use 6 cups in total.

• Carrots – finely julienned or grated
• Broccoli, broccolini – chop finely into rice size
• Green beans, asparagus – finely spice or julienne
• Zucchini – grate and squeeze out excess liquid)
• Spinach, cabbage and similar – julienne then grab handfuls and squeeze out excess liquid
• Capsicum/bell peppers (finely slice into 2.5cm/1″ pieces)
• Parsnip, celeriac and other root veg – grate like potato
• Peas and corn – use whole
• Not recommended (or requires extra prep steps) – eggplant, pumpkin, celery, fennel, cucumber, tomatoes

6. Oil hotness test if you don’t have a thermometer – drop bit of batter in, should start sizzling straight away.

7. No deep fry option – shallow fried: Just dollop batter into a skillet with about 1cm/ 0.2″ of preheated oil and cook on medium high until golden on each side (about 4 minutes). Won’t be the same as traditional pakoras because you don’t get the crunchy scraggly bits, but all the flavour is there! Don’t try to just pan fry in a little oil – we tried it and it doesn’t work (inside doesn’t cook through).

8. Storage – Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for 3 months in an airtight container. Reheat in a 180°C/350°F oven on a rack set over a tray for 12 to 15 minutes until hot and crispy.

9. Nutrition per Pakora, assuming 1/2 tsp oil is absorbed per Pakora. (Deep frying absorbs less oil than you think, as long as you properly drain on paper towels as it wicks excess oil away).

Nutrition

Calories: 64cal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 155mg | Potassium: 157mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 136IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg

Life of Dozer

Ah Dozer. When you eye off cheesy bread like that, there’s just no doubt that you’re my boy. (Especially when “that cheesy bread” is Croque Monsieur!)

The post Pakora (Indian Vegetable Fritters) appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Cauliflower Cheese is a British dish that is served as a side or even as a main (vegetarian!) It’s a cauliflower bake, smothered in a creamy cheese sauce that’s popped in the oven until bubbly and golden. While perhaps not the lightest dish in my repertoire, it is however hands down the most delicious cauliflower recipe I know!

Cauliflower Cheese

A really great Cauliflower Cheese recipe has been on my radar ever since I experienced a great example at a well-known steakhouse in Sydney some years ago!

There’s plenty of recipes out there that tell you to just boil up some cauliflower, cover it in a béchamel sauce, throw in some cheese, and bake it. While that’s totally fine, you do end up with that distinctly sulphurous, boiled cauliflower flavour (not my favourite taste in the world) and run the risk of patches of watery sauce.

The better way to make Cauliflower Cheese? Roast the cauliflower. It’s got better flavour and avoids the pitfalls of a watery sauce. Second tip: Umm … don’t hold back on the cheese! Be bold and true to the name – Cauliflower CHEESE!!

What goes in Cauliflower Cheese

Here’s what you need to make Cauliflower Cheese:

1. Roasted cauliflower

As mentioned above, I really believe it’s better to roast rather than boil or steam the cauliflower like most recipes do. Roasting coaxes out more flavour instead of boiling it all away!

To roast cauliflower, we just need salt, pepper and a little olive oil. And a cauliflower. 😂 A big one! We need 1kg / 2lb of florets after removing from the main stem. This equates to around a 1.25kg / 2.5lb whole cauliflower head (or 2 small, or 1 1/2 medium).

2. Cheese sauce for Cauliflower Cheese

Here’s what you need for the cheese sauce. This is called a Mornay sauce, and is nothing more than béchamel sauce (white sauce) with cheese added!

• Flour and butter – Melted butter cooked with flour is called a roux and this is what thickens the Mornay sauce;

• Milk and cream – The liquids for this cheese sauce. Cream is optional. It enriches the sauce for an extra-luxurious finish and I highly recommend it if you’re making this for company. But for everyday purposes, just using milk is fine!

• Cheeses – I like to use two different cheeses in the recipe. Specifically:

  • Red Leicester – A sharp English cheddar-like cheese which packs a good flavour wallop, and adds a distinct orange-y tinge to the sauce. Easy sub for US: Your orange cheddar. It has the same colour and similar flavour. Other subs: Any cheddar cheese;

  • Gruyère – A semi-hard Swiss cheese with the most gorgeously nutty flavour and superior melting qualities. It is not the cheapest cheese here in Australia, so reserve this for when you want the best of the best. For other times, use Swiss cheese (which is a mass-produced cheese in the style of gruyère and similar Alpine cheeses), Jarlsberg, more cheddar, Colby or other melting cheese of choice;

• Nutmeg – A classic inclusion for béchamel-based sauces, which lifts the creamy flavour. But it’s not the end of the world if you don’t have it! Use freshly grated nutmeg if you can. Whole nutmeg for grating are inexpensive and last “forever”, and the flavour really is so much better!

🇦🇺 PRO CHEESE TIP for fellow Australians: Give Tasty cheese a miss for cream sauces like that for Cauliflower Cheese. It has a tendency to split and the melting qualities are not always the best.

How to make Cauliflower Cheese

Here’s how to make Cauliflower Cheese:

1. Prepare to roast – Break/cut cauliflower into bite-size florets. Toss in oil, salt and pepper then spread on a large tray. Don’t make them too small otherwise they will cook too quickly and become overly soft which can lead to a watery sauce (overcooked cauliflower leaches water);

2. Roast for just 20 minutes at 220°C / 430°F (200°C). The cauliflower will be mostly cooked but still be a bit firm inside and will have a bit of colour on it. It will finish cooking in the sauce;

3. Heat milk and cream using your method of choice, either in a saucepan or a jug in the microwave. Heating the milk helps to ensure the sauce is silky smooth with less whisking effort;

4. Make sauce – Using a large saucepan or small pot (big enough to hold the cauliflower added later), cook melted butter and flour for 3 minutes over medium-low heat. This step is to cook out the rawness from the flour.

   Make sure it’s on a low heat so the mixture doesn’t brown. We want a white sauce! Now slowly pour the hot milk in while whisking continuously to ensure your sauce will be lump-free. Keep stirring the sauce over the heat for about 1 minute and you’ll notice it thickens quite quickly;

5. Add cheese – Stir in the cheese. This thickens the sauce considerably, which is why we don’t need to cook the sauce to thicken it as long as we do in other recipes made with béchamel sauce;

6. Coat cauliflower – Add cauliflower and mix to coat in the cheesy sauce;

7. Transfer to baking dish – Pour the mixture in a baking dish and top with shredded cheese; and

8. Bake 30 minutes until it’s bubbly, golden and fabulous. That moment when you pull it out of the oven … *faints*!!!

.

Isn’t the golden colour of the sauce amazing?? That’s the Red Leicester at work. It’s worth hunting down for this dish! As I mentioned above, those of you in the States can just use your everyday cheddar for the same colour effect and very similar flavour.

What to serve with Cauliflower Cheese

This is a cauliflower side dish that’s unapologetically indulgent, intended to replicate the luxury you’d expect from sides offered at high end steakhouses or a particularly lavish Sunday roast.

So with that in mind, some mains that come to mind that will go exceptionally well with this include:

• Steaks – Cooked using a cheffy technique of basting the steak with garlic and thyme-infused butter;

• Prime Rib – the creme de la creme of all beef roasts! Got an economical or lean roast beef joint instead? Marinate it!

• Roast Chicken – Slathered in herb and garlic butter. Else try a brined one, use your slow cooker, or make Crispy Herb Roasted Chicken pieces instead;

• Roast Pork – With a crispy crackling to die for!

• Roast Lamb – Either a leg, Slow-roasted Lamb Shoulder, or Lamb Rack (crumbed or rosemary and garlic-marinated).

Standing Rib Roast (Prime Rib)

How to Cook Steak – like a chef!

Roast Chicken

A Great Pork Chop Marinade

Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder

Pork Roast with Crispy Crackling

CRISPY Herb Baked Chicken with Gravy (easy roast chicken!)

Roasts

Or for something a little speedier, try:

• Juicy pan-seared marinated Pork Chops;

• Quick, crispy Garlic Chicken Thighs;

• Crispy Pan-fried Fish Fillets;

• Garlic Prawns/Shrimp <–- YES!!

• Lamb Chops with Rosemary Gravy;

And as I mentioned in the introduction, while most people think of this as a side dish, it’s certainly also main-worthy. Vegetarians in particular have good reason to go bonkers. But no one at all in their right mind would ever turn down a big bowl of this!! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Cauliflower Cheese

Recipe video above. Most people think of this British classic as a side dish, but as far as I'm concerned, it's equally worthy as a main!

Most recipes will have you just boil the cauliflower, but it's honestly so much tastier roasted. As for the cheese? I've gone with my favourite combination of Red Leicester and gruyere! Excellent melting qualities for a silky smooth sauce with a gorgeous golden colour and wonderful flavour. But any melting cheese will work a treat here. See the post for details!

Course Side

Cuisine British, Western

Keyword cauliflower bake, cauliflower cheese, cauliflower gratin

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 5 – 6 as a side

Calories 604cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Roasted cauliflower:

• 1kg / 2 lb cauliflower florets (1 very large, 1 1/2 medium or 2 small cauliflower heads, Note 1)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper

Cheese sauce (Mornay sauce):

• 60g / 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3½ tbsp flour , plain / all-purpose
• 1 cup milk (full fat best)
• 1 cup cream (or more milk)
• 1/2 tsp cooking salt (kosher salt)
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder (freshly grated is best)
• 1 cup Red Leicester cheese (or cheddar), grated (Note 2)
• 1/2 cup gruyère cheese , grated (or other melting cheese of choice, Note 2)

Topping:

• 1/2 cup Red Leicester cheese (or cheddar), grated (Note 2)
• 1/2 cup gruyère cheese , grated (or other melting cheese of choice, Note 2)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Roasted cauliflower:

• Preheat oven to 220°C / 430°F (200°C fan).
• Toss cauliflower in oil, salt and pepper. Spread on a large tray.
• Roast 20 minutes (don't turn). Cauliflower should still be a bit firm, but with some colour on them. Remove from oven.
• Turn oven down to 180°C/350°F.

Cheese sauce (Mornay sauce):

• Heat milk: Heat milk and cream until hot – either on the stove or in microwave.
• Make roux: Melt butter in a large saucepan or small pot over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring regularly, for 3 minutes.
• Add milk: While stirring, pour in half the milk. Once the roux is dissolved into the milk (mixture will thicken), stir in remaining milk. Stir on the heat for 1 minute – mixture should be thick enough to coat a wooden spoon.
• Add cheese: Turn the stove off, but leave the pot on the turned off stove. Stir in salt, nutmeg and both cheeses. The cheese will thicken the mixture so it's like a thick sauce.
• Mix in cauliflower: Add cauliflower and toss to coat in the sauce.

Bake:

• Fill baking dish: Transfer mixture to a 2L / 2qt baking dish (30 x 20 x 5cm / 12 x 8 x 2").
• Top with cheese: Sprinkle over gruyère followed Red Leicester cheese.
• Bake at 180°C/350°F for 30 minutes until the cheese is melted, and cauliflower is bubbly and golden.
• Serve: Sprinkle with parsley if desired. Stand 5 minutes then serve!

Notes

1. Cauliflower – You’ll need a large one ~ 1.25kg / 1.5lb to get 1 kg / 2lb florets. Pro tip: See here for how I cut cauliflower into florets with minimal mess.

2. Cheese – It’s always best to grate your own rather than buying pre-shredded stuff, which contains anti-caking agents that can make sauces powdery. If using cups instead of weight measures, grate then pack the cheese tightly into the cup to measure.

• Red Leicester – An orange coloured, sharp English cheddar-like cheese. Used for its excellent flavour and colour. US: Sub with your cheddar, it’s virtually the same. Others: Sub Swiss cheese (which is mass-produced gruyère-like cheese), Jarslberg, Colby, cheddar, or any other cheese. (For Australia, I do not recommend Tasty cheese, it doesn’t melt so well in this type of sauce);
• Gruyère –  A type of Swiss cheese with a gorgeous nutty flavour and superior melting qualities. Sub with any of the above listed, or other type of Alpine cheese (emmental, comte).

3. Storage – Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Freezer not recommended.

Make ahead: Cool cauliflower fully then toss in sauce. Store in a container. When ready to cook, heat mixture slightly so you can toss the cauliflower in the sauce. Transfer to baking dish, top with cheese, bake per recipe.

4. Nutrition per serving. This recipe as written is unapologetically indulgent, replicating the luxury you’d get at high end steakhouses with the cream and best cheeses for this dish. If you switch the cream for more milk, it decreases to 460 calories per serving. And you’ll cut 40 calories per serving for every ½ cup / 50g of cheese you cut out of the recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 604cal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 30g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 148mg | Sodium: 876mg | Potassium: 758mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1580IU | Vitamin C: 97mg | Calcium: 495mg | Iron: 2mg

More baked and roasted vegetable goodness!

Roasted Pumpkin with Yogurt Sauce and Pine Nuts

Quick & Easy Baked Zucchini

Magic Broccoli

Garlic Butter Roasted Mushrooms

Great Roasted Carrots

Baked Mushroom Rice

Chipotle Lime Roasted Cauliflower

Oven Roasted Eggplant (aubergine)

Browned Butter Savoury Sweet Potato Casserole

All Vegetable & Salad Sides

Life of Dozer

Action shot of Dozer captured by Kevin from Unleashed Northern Beaches Dog Photography at Bayview beach on the weekend!

The post Cauliflower Cheese appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

This is a Roasted Cauliflower Salad from Yotam Ottolenghi’s popular cookbook, Jerusalem. A unique combination of ingredients comes together in a salad that’s just 100% yum: celery, hazelnuts, lots of parsley with a subtly spiced dressing. It’s seriously delicious!

Welcome to Day 16 of the inaugural Holiday Salad Marathon, where I’m sharing 30 salads in a row through to Christmas Eve. Something different to the usual sugar-loaded baking countdowns!!

Today, we’re cauliflowering:

Roasted Cauliflower Salad

I first shared this Cauliflower Salad way back when I started this website in 2014. It’s a recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi, from his wildly popular cookbook Jerusalem which I recently admitted I was embarrassed to rate as my #1 cookbook because it’s soooooo obvious. I really hoped to share something more groundbreaking as my most-used cookbook, but alas no. 😂

But, it is worthy in its place as #1, and this cauliflower salad recipe is a good example why. Unique combination but simple, and very, very delicious.

Cauliflower is a sensational vegetable to roast, transforming from bland and dry to sweet and juicy. When hot, it’s also a sponge for flavour which makes it a terrific ingredient for salads as it absorbs the flavour of dressings.

Ottolenghi’s Cauliflower Salad ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this salad:

A couple of useful “Good To Know” tutorials might help out here:

• How I cut cauliflower florets quickly & efficiently with minimal mess!

• How to remove pomegranate seeds – contained in this Pomegranate Salad recipe (there’s fun factor involved!)

And though I do provide directions for how to roast the cauliflower, if you’d like to see a (short!) tutorial video it’s contained in a separate Roasted Cauliflower recipe (along with an extra flavouring option – Parmesan Crunch!!)

While this has Middle Eastern roots, the spicing in this is quite subtle so don’t just restrict yourself to serving this alongside Arabic and Persian foods. It would be just as at home at a backyard BBQ as it would a blow out Arabian Nights Feast.

Light enough to be a side dish alongside grand roasts, yet substantial and certainly interesting enough to have as a meal in itself.

Try it. It will surprise you! – Nagi x

What is the Holiday Salad Marathon?

This is my inaugural Christmas recipe countdown where I am sharing 30 salad recipes in a row until Christmas Eve – something completely different to people’s usual baking countdowns!

These salads are in addition to my regular 3 new recipes a week. Because aren’t you bored of the usual tomato-cucumber-lettuce garden salad routine??

Click here to see all the Holiday Salad Marathon recipes to date, or sign up for instant updates and you’ll receive a free email alert whenever I publish a new salad! 🙂

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Yotam Ottolenghi’s Cauliflower Salad

From his famous cookbook "Jerusalem", this salad is classic Ottolenghi: simple but a unique combination, and 100% yum. If you only try one cauliflower salad in your life, make it this one!

Handy related recipes: How to cut cauliflower florets quickly & neatly, and Roasted Cauliflower.

Course Salad

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Keyword cauliflower salad, roasted cauliflower salad

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 5 as side

Calories 178cal

Author Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

Ingredients

Roasted Cauliflower

• 1 large cauliflower or 2 small , cut/broken into florets (~650g / 1.3 lb florets)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

Salad:

• 1 celery stalk , cut into 0.5cm / 0.3" slices on the diagonal
• 1/3 cup hazelnuts , raw, skin on
• 1/2 pomegranate , seeds only (~1/3 cup)
• 1 cup parsley leaves , lightly packed

Dressing

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 tsp cinnamon powder (Note 2)
• 1/3 tsp allspice (Note 2)
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp maple syrup (or honey or golden syrup)
• 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

Instructions

Roast Cauliflower:

• Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F (200°C fan).
• Toss cauliflower with oil, salt and pepper. Spread on tray, roast 20 minutes, turn, then roast for a further 5 to 10 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the cauliflower is cooked through. Don't let it get overcooked, sad and soggy!
• Transfer to bowl and let cool for 20 minutes.

Toast Hazelnuts:

• Turn oven down to 160°C/320°F (140°C fan). Spread hazelnuts on tray then roast for 5 minutes until they smell amazing.
• Cool slightly, then roughly chop (most skin will naturally fall off).

Salad:

• Place hazelnuts, parsley and celery into the bowl. Sprinkle over cinnamon, allspice, salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil, maply syrup and vinegar. Toss gently with hands or rubber spatula.
• Plate up: Taste, add more salt or pepper if needed. Transfer to serving bowl. Scatter over pomegranates. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

1. This is the “Roasted Cauliflower & Hazelnut Salad” from Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook Jerusalem. The only amendment I made was to reduce the total amount of oil used from 5 tablespoons down to 4 tablespoons.

2. 1/3 teaspoon is not a standard spoon measure. Just use a slightly heaped 1/4 teaspoon, or 2/3 of a 1/2 teaspoon.

3. Did you buy celery especially to make this and now you’re left with most of the bunch? Make this Leftover Celery Salad!

4. Best served on the day of making, but still very, very good the next day. Always serve at room temp, never fridge cold!

5. Nutrition per serving.

 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 178cal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 393mg | Potassium: 466mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1011IU | Vitamin C: 74mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2mg

Originally published June 2014. Updated with much needed new photos and tidied up the recipe writing in December 2020!

More cauliflower recipes

• How to cut cauliflower florets – quickly with less mess!

• Cauliflower Cheese

• Roasted Cauliflower

• Roasted Parmesan Crusted Cauliflower

• Garlic Butter Cauliflower Pasta with Pangrattato

• Roasted Cauliflower with Almond Sauce (Ester Restaurant)

• Creamy, Dreamy Cauliflower Soup

• Chipotle Lime Roasted Cauliflower

Life of Dozer

You cannot even begin to imagine how much sand this coat of fur holds – until you’re sprayed with it yourself.

The post Yotam Ottolenghi’s Cauliflower Salad appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Roasted Cauliflower isn’t the sort of recipe that makes people jump up and down with excitement. Not in the same way as, say, um, Cauliflower Cheese. But once you know how to roast it well (and cut florets easily, for that matter), you’ve got a handy quick vegetable side up your sleeve at all times!

Delicious eaten plain. Magical used in this Ottolenghi Cauliflower Salad!

Welcome to Day 15 of the inaugural Holiday Salad Marathon, where I’m sharing 30 salads in a row through to Christmas Eve. Something different to the usual sugar-loaded baking countdowns!!

Though not technically a salad as such, this is a good life skill to have and a precursor to a wonderful cauliflower recipe I’m sharing tomorrow:

Roasted Cauliflower

I’ve always said that cauliflower is one of the greatest vegetables to roast, transforming from dry and tasteless to soft, sweet and juicy with terrific caramelised edges.

It also requires minimal work to prepare to pop into the oven and is a lot less messy to cut than broccoli if you know the quick and easy way to cut cauliflower florets!

What you need for roasted cauliflower

Here’s all you need – cauliflower, olive oil, salt and pepper. Garlic is optional – but it really does make it even more tasty!

Parmesan flavoured option

In today’s recipe, I’m also providing a Parmesan flavoured option which also has a bit of breadcrumbs. The savoury boost from a sprinkle of parmesan along with the little bits of crunch from the Panko breadcrumbs really takes this to a level of serious tastiness!

This is what it looks like – see those little golden clumps of parmesan crunchiness?? SO GOOD!

How to make roasted cauliflower

The biggest mistake most people make with roasted cauliflower is roasting at too low a temperature. We need a hot oven of 220°C/425°F so the cauliflower gets nice browning on it before the inside turns into soggy mush!

I’m sharing today’s recipe ahead of a great Cauliflower Salad recipe I’m publishing tomorrow. But hand on heart, even cauliflower roasted with just salt and pepper really is delicious.

And if you wanted to tart it up a bit, serve it with a Tahini Drizzle from this Broccolini recipe, or a simple Lemon Yogurt Sauce from this Roasted Pumpkin recipe. Plate them up the same – pile the cauliflower up then drizzle with the sauce, finish with a sprinkle of parsley or coriander/cilantro. It’s wonderful! – Nagi x

What is the Holiday Salad Marathon?

This is my inaugural Christmas recipe countdown where I am sharing 30 salad recipes in a row until Christmas Eve – something completely different to people’s usual baking countdowns!

These salads are in addition to my regular 3 new recipes a week. Because aren’t you bored of the usual tomato-cucumber-lettuce garden salad routine??

Click here to see all the Holiday Salad Marathon recipes to date, or sign up for instant updates and you’ll receive a free email alert whenever I publish a new salad! 🙂

Watch how to make it

Print

Roasted Cauliflower

Recipe video above. The key to really good roasted cauliflower is a hot oven so you get tasty golden edges before the inside turns into overcooked mush!

Parmesan and breadcrumbs is a sensational extra flavour variation that elevates it – the extra savoury boost plus little bits of crunchy bits is seriously good!

Sauce options: Pile roasted cauliflower on plate and drizzle with Tahini Sauce from this recipe, or Lemon Yogurt Sauce from this recipe.

Course Side Dish, Vegetable

Cuisine Western

Keyword cooking cauliflower in the oven, roasted cauliflower

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 5

Calories 80cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 1 large head cauliflower , cut into florets (see my easy method)
• 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
• 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 1 tbsp parsley , roughly chopped, for sprinkling (optional)

Parmesan Flavour Option:

• 2 tbsp parmesan , finely grated (store bought, sandy type)
• 3 tbsp panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F (200°C fan).
• Toss cauliflower in a large bowl with oil, salt, pepper and garlic if using. (You can do this on the tray, but you’ll need more oil). Add parmesan and Panko breadcrumbs at this point, if using.
• Spread on tray. Roast 20 minutes. Flip cauliflower, roast a further 5 minutes until you have golden edges and it’s soft all the way through.
• Serve immediately, sprinkled with parsley if using.

Notes

Nutrition per serving for plain Roasted Cauliflower ie not the parmesan flavour variation.

Nutrition

Calories: 80cal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 268mg | Potassium: 344mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 64IU | Vitamin C: 57mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg

Life of Dozer

When Dozer sings… (that’s a nice way of saying “irritating constant barking, nagging me to play with him” 😖)

The post Roasted Cauliflower appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.