Cauliflower Fritters with Cucumber Salad and fresh Pomegranate
Serves: 4
Time: 40 mins
There is a touch more work involved in these fritters compared to a simple corn fritter but it’s worth it; the large chunks give them a delicious fried texture.
Leftovers
The leftovers will vary depending on the yield that you get from your cauliflower. You may need to do a pantry style lunch like tuna sammie.
What you'll need
1 Extra large cauliflower
2 eggs
1/2 bunch coriander
3/4 cucumber
3/4 bunch of mint
1 cup greek yoghurt
1/2 lemon
1 pomegranate
From the pantry
Baking powder or not
If you don't have any baking powder don't stress they will still work but will just be a little heavier. You could add an extra egg, this will make them lighter but also more sloppy to work with.
1 1/2 cups besan flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin or cumin seeds
1/4 cup light olive oil
salt and pepper
Prep and Cook
Prep cauli
Put a large pot of water on to boil with a pinch of salt.
Cut cauliflower into florets roughly the size of a 20 cent piece.
Drop cauliflower into boiling water and cook until it just turns translucent in colour.
Strain and run cold water over to take off the heat.
Shake off excess water and turn out onto a clean dry tea towel.
De seed pomegranate
Slice pomegranate in half then using a solid item such as a rolling pin or a heavy wooden spoon, hold the fruit over a bowl and whack the shell till all the seeds fall out.
Make salad
Wash mint, and rip large pieces of leaf off the stalks into a bowl.
Slice your cucumber (skin on) into quarters, then each quarter into chunky squares. Add to bowl.
Add yoghurt and the juice from lemon.
Season and mix well.
Make fritters
Combine flour, baking powder, cumin, lightly whisked eggs and fresh chopped coriander, salt and pepper. Mix really well.
Add cauliflower and mix till evenly coated.
Perfect temperature
It takes some patience but the end result is so much better. Start by making sure you use a really good solid base fry pan, add your 1/4 cup of oil and turn the element on to medium to high. You want it hot enough so they cook up golden but not so intense that they cook too hard and fast, You need patience to wait for that oil to get hot enough that it sizzles before you add any mix. Do a tester.
I like to use my hands for this stage as I find I have more control but if it’s too messy, you can use a spoon. Add your mix into the pan and cook each side till lightly golden.
Once cooked through, transfer to paper towel.
Repeat batches till mix is complete.
Serve
Mix salad ingredients together and serve lovely big spoonfuls on top of your fritters and sprinkle with pomegranate.
Enjoy!
Lunch tomorrow
Portion control can be hard on nights when it’s a vegetarian option as it can sometimes be not substantial enough for my husband who has a very physical job, plus these are super tasty and very moreish. So that’s when a pantry lunch like a tuna sammie gets made. Check out sammie here