Fried Cauliflower

I lived on junk food as a kid.. junk did not necessarily mean pizza/burgers as those were expensive back then, anything fried was my favourite,.. packed snacks like potato chips, crisps, chakkuli, chaat’s etc was on top of my list. Chocolate’s, ice-creams, candies were a big no for me… Guess being a GSB/Konkani has had a big influence when it came to my love for fried food, reason being all Konkani homes have to have something fried on the side for a meal. If its not a vegetable then it would be Papad or something called Odi (Shandige in kannada)..

There was once a day, it was summer.. I was home as it was summer vacations.. mum had been busy, she had not been to the market.. there was no other vegetable to fry at home that day, I found some beetroots lying around & I fooled here by saying, that one of my friends used to get some batter fried beets in her lunchbox & she bought it & made them for me.. I have to admit they were horrible.. !! I then apologised to her ,for fooling her & wasting both her time & the vegetable..

Ingredients: (Serves 2) Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cauliflower- 200 gms
Rice Flour – 1.5 tbsp
Chili Powder – 1 tsp or more (based on your spice intake level)
Salt to taste
Oil – to fry

Method:
Cut the cauliflower into small florets as shown in the picture below.

Wash them and add them to boiling water and cook them for 3-4 minutes. Take the vessel off the stove and keep it aside and let it cook in the hot water. They should be half cooked, once so drain the water off.

Mix Rice flour, chili powder along with salt and mix them with the half boiled cauliflower.

Keep this coated cauliflower aside for a while. An hour should be fine. You can fridge for a day or 2.

Heat oil in a fry pan. Make sure there is enough oil because we need to shallow fry the cauliflower. You can deep dry them, if you want to. Once the oil is hot add the marinated cauliflower and fry. Be gentle on them as they are already cooked and the coating can get off easily. Make sure that your flame is set to medium heat. Do not burn them.