Fried Cauliflower Bites with Tikka Masala Dip

Fried cauliflower bites in a thin, crunchy breadcrumb coat, served with a proper tikka masala dip made from shallot, garlic, ginger, spices and a tin of tomatoes. One large head makes enough for four as a starter or a snack.

It is an old recipe of mine that never made it onto Chefs Binge. I found the pictures again, so I have written it up properly.

The coat is plain flour and cornflour in equal parts, then egg, then breadcrumbs. I deep fry them at 170°C in oil about three fingers deep, until nicely browned. Fine breadcrumbs are what I used, and panko works too.

The cornflour is there for crunch, and the temperature lets a small floret cook through while the crumbs colour. Both are explained in the steps below.

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What Makes the Coating Crisp

A breadcrumb coating does not seal moisture in. What it does is sit between the cauliflower and the hot oil, and it is the coating, not the cauliflower, that dries out into the crisp layer you bite through, with small pockets of steam inside it.

That is why the order is flour, then egg, then crumbs. Wet coatings cling much better to a food that has first been dusted in dry particles, so the dry flour grips the floret, the egg grips the flour, and the crumbs grip the egg. And that is why half of the flour is cornflour: the gluten in wheat flour holds on to moisture and oil and makes a chewier crust, while pure starch fries crisper and drier.

Cauliflower itself is the other half of the story. It is soft, young tissue that turns to mush if it is overcooked, so the florets are small and the fry is short.

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Equipment You’ll Need

A deep pot, a thermometer and a slotted spoon are the three things that make the frying go well.

A Closer Look at the Ingredients

Here is what each part is doing in this recipe.

• Cauliflower One large head, cut into small, even florets so every piece cooks in the same time. Cauliflower turns soft and watery quickly once it is overcooked, which is why the florets are small and the fry is short. Broccoli florets should behave the same way, though I have not tried it.
• Plain flour and cornflour Equal parts of each, seasoned with salt and pepper. The flour gives the egg something dry to cling to. The cornflour is pure starch with no gluten in it, so it keeps the coating crisp instead of chewy. Instead: Rice flour in place of the cornflour crisps in the same way.
• Eggs Beaten, they are the glue between the flour and the breadcrumbs. Without them the crumbs slide off in the oil.
• Breadcrumbs I use fine breadcrumbs, which give a close, even, golden coat. Panko works too and gives a rougher, crunchier surface. Instead: Panko, for a coarser and crunchier coat.
• Vegetable oil Any neutral oil, about three fingers deep in the pot. Fresh oil is best, because oil that has been used before starts to smoke at a lower temperature each time it is heated. Instead: Rapeseed or sunflower oil do the same job.
• Tinned tomatoes The body of the dip. Tinned chopped tomatoes give a sweet-sharp base that tastes the same all year, and the pinch of sugar takes the sharp edge off them.
• Shallot, garlic and ginger Softened gently in butter first, so they turn sweet and lose their raw edge before the spices go in. Instead: A small onion in place of the banana shallot.
• Turmeric, coriander, garam masala and chilli Four ground spices that go into the hot butter before the tomatoes, so they cook for a minute and lose their dusty, raw taste. Mild chilli powder keeps the dip warm rather than hot.
• Yoghurt and fresh coriander The yoghurt goes in at the end, off the heat, to take the edge off the tomato and spice. Fresh coriander on top adds a green note.

How to Make Fried Cauliflower Bites, Step by Step

Full quantities are in the recipe card below. The walkthrough here gives the reasoning behind each step, so you know what you are looking for rather than just following instructions.

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1. Cut the Florets. Cut the head into small florets, about the size of a large walnut, and keep them as even as you can. Even pieces cook in the same time, and cauliflower goes soft and watery quickly if it is overcooked, so small florets and a short fry suit it. Pat them dry with a clean tea towel. Wet florets turn the flour pasty and the coating slides off in the oil.
2. Set Up the Coating. Mix the plain flour, cornflour, salt and pepper in a wide bowl. Beat the eggs in a second bowl and put the breadcrumbs in a third, side by side so you can work from one end to the other. Half flour and half cornflour is the part that matters here: the flour grips the egg, and the cornflour is pure starch with no gluten, so it keeps the finished coating crisp rather than chewy.
3. Coat the Florets. Roll each floret in the flour mix and shake off the excess, drop it in the egg and let the extra drip off, then press it into the breadcrumbs until it is covered. The order is dry, wet, dry for a reason: the egg clings much better to a dry, floury surface than to a bare floret, and the crumbs cling to the egg. Keep one hand for the dry bowls and one for the egg or you end up with clumps on your fingers. Lay the coated florets on a tray in a single layer, so the crumbs do not get squashed.
4. Start the Dip. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium-low heat and add the chopped shallot, garlic and ginger. Let them soften for 3 to 4 minutes without browning, until they smell sweet rather than sharp. Then add the turmeric, ground coriander, garam masala and chilli and stir for a minute. The spices cook in the butter, which wakes them up and takes away the dusty, raw taste they have when they are stirred straight into a liquid.
5. Simmer and Blend. Add the tinned tomatoes, sugar and salt, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce has thickened and darkened. The sugar is not there to make it sweet, it takes the sharp edge off the tinned tomato. Blend it smooth with a stick blender, then take the pan off the heat and stir in the yoghurt. Adding it off the heat keeps it smooth. Finish with chopped fresh coriander and taste for salt.
6. Heat the Oil. Pour the oil into a deep pot until it is about three fingers deep, and heat it to 170°C. Use a thermometer and keep it in the oil. A floret this size needs the temperature right more than anything else: the coating has to colour in the same time the cauliflower takes to cook through. Much hotter and the crumbs darken before the middle is done, much cooler and the bites soak up oil and stay pale.
7. Fry in Batches. Fry a few florets at a time, for about 2 to 3 minutes, until they are nicely browned all over. The browning is the same Maillard reaction that gives a seared steak its crust, and it is a better guide than the clock, so go by colour. Do not crowd the pot, because every cold floret drops the oil temperature. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain them on a wire rack instead of paper, so the underside does not steam. Let the oil come back up to 170°C before the next batch.
8. Serve. Serve straight away, with the dip in a bowl in the middle of the plate. The coating is at its crispest in the first few minutes, so these are best eaten as they come out of the oil, with the dip warm or cold, whichever you prefer.

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Recipe Card for Fried Cauliflower Bites

Recipe Card

Fried Cauliflower Bites with Tikka Masala Dip

Cauliflower florets in a flour, egg and breadcrumb coat, deep fried at 170°C until nicely browned, served with a tikka masala dip of tomato, shallot, garlic, ginger and spices.

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Prep

25 min

Cook

30 min

Total

55 min

Serves

4

Per serving

547 kcal

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4 servings

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Equipment I Use

Large PotKitchen ThermometerSlotted SpoonWire RackSmall SaucepanStick Blender

Ingredients

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For the Bites

1 Large Cauliflower, cut into small florets 50 g Plain Flour 50 g Cornflour, half and half with the flour 1/2 tsp Salt, for the flour mix 1/4 tsp Black Pepper, for the flour mix 2 Large Eggs, beaten 120 g Fine Breadcrumbs, panko works too 500 ml Vegetable Oil, for frying, about three fingers deep

For the Tikka Masala Dip

1 tbsp Butter 1 Banana Shallot, finely chopped 2 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped 1 tsp Fresh Ginger, grated 1/2 tsp Ground Turmeric 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander 1/2 tsp Garam Masala 1/2 tsp Mild Chilli Powder 400 g Tinned Chopped Tomatoes, 1 tin 2 tsp Caster Sugar 1/2 tsp Salt, for the dip 2 1/2 tbsp Natural Yoghurt, stirred in at the end Fresh Coriander, chopped, to finish

Instructions

Tap a step to tick it off as you cook.

1

Cut the Florets

Cut the cauliflower into small, even florets and pat them dry with a clean tea towel.

2

Set Up the Coating

Mix the flour, cornflour, salt and pepper in a wide bowl. Beat the eggs in a second bowl and put the breadcrumbs in a third.

3

Coat the Florets

Roll each floret in the flour mix and shake off the excess, dip it in the egg, then press it into the breadcrumbs until covered. Lay them on a tray in one layer.

4

Start the Dip

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and soften the shallot, garlic and ginger for a few minutes without browning. Add the turmeric, coriander, garam masala and chilli and stir for a minute.

5

Simmer and Blend

Add the tomatoes, sugar and salt and simmer gently for about 15 minutes until thick. Blend smooth, take off the heat, stir in the yoghurt and finish with chopped coriander.

6

Heat the Oil

Pour the oil into a deep pot, about three fingers deep, and heat it to 170°C. Keep a thermometer in it and hold it there.

7

Fry in Batches

Fry a few florets at a time until nicely browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack. Let the oil come back to 170°C before the next batch.

8

Serve

Serve straight away, while the coating is at its crispest, with the dip alongside.

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Chef’s notes＋

• Pat the florets dry before coating. Wet florets turn the flour pasty and the coating slides off in the oil.
• Fine breadcrumbs are what I used. Panko works the same way and gives a rougher, crunchier coat.
• Keep the oil at 170°C. Let it come back up between batches, because a crowded pan drops the temperature.
• The dip can be made ahead and gently warmed, or served cold.
• The nutrition counts the whole coating and an estimate of the frying oil that the bites soak up, so it runs high.

Nutrition per serving＋

547 kcalProtein 14.1 gCarbs 62.6 gFat 28.3 gSat fat 5 gFibre 8.8 gSugar 12.1 gSodium 1052 mgServing 392 g

Fried Cauliflower Bites with Tikka Masala Dip · https://chefsbinge.com/fried-cauliflower-bites-tikka-masala-dip/

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Serving and Storing

Serve these straight away. They are best in the first few minutes, while the coating is at its crispest, with the dip alongside. If you like fried snacks with a dip, my crispy onion bhaji and onion rings are in the same spirit.

Leftover bites soften as they sit, so they are never as good as fresh. Reheat them in a hot oven on a wire rack. The dip keeps in the fridge for a few days and is good cold or gently warmed.

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FAQ for Fried Cauliflower Bites

A Few Words from the Chef

Fine breadcrumbs are what I used for these, and panko works too. If you try either, or have a different way with the dip, tell me in the comments. Smacznego!

Let me know in the comments how yours turned out.