Saturday, August 7, 2010

Crispy Curried Cauliflower


Having on hand some cooked white cauliflower, and  being uninspired by the idea of  making soup, which of course would be a healthy alternative to cauliflower au gratin or deep fried florets, (mom's Italian recipe); I had a much needed epiphany.  Why not improvise and attempt baking them in the oven, as I do with my fish recipe?  I went a step further and opted for East Indian inspired flavours.  Much to my surprise this much healthier option turned out better than expected and the end result proved quite crispy and addictive.  Just like that old television commercial used to state, "I bet you can't just have one".  The cauliflower morsels  had all the crunchy texture of fried batter but were packed  with sensational flavours.  Once again panko breadcrumbs, (this time mixed with ordinary breadcrumbs), were the magic ingredient for the crispy coating.  So who needs fried food anyway, when you can have it all by adapting your favorite recipe?  Well mission accomplished, one more recipe in the fry-free zone.


Ingredients:
1 cauliflower cooked and cooled (broken into florets)
1 1/2 cup panko and regular breadcrumbs (half and half)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 garlic clove finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
3 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
light olive oil

In a medium size bowl, add the breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic, coriander, cumin, turmeric and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine the dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl add the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Set aside.  In a third bowl beat slightly  the three eggs.  Dip a couple of the cauliflower pieces in the egg, and then dredge the florets in the flour before coating them with the bread crumb mixture.  Place the prepared florets on a baking tray, lined with parchment paper.  Repeat the procedure until all the florets have been coated with the seasoned bread crumbs.  Drizzle the prepared cauliflower pieces with a generous amount of light olive oil (for crispy  golden result) and bake in a pre heated 375º F  oven for about 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

9 comments:

  1. That is genius! These looked so crunchy and crispy I immediately thought they must be deep fried, how happy I am that they are baked! Panko breadcrumbs, you are the best.

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  2. Hi Susie,
    Thanks for the comment. I came up with the idea out of the blue, and the recipe just followed. Hope you give them a try and let me know how they turn out. They are truly addictive.

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  3. These sound great! I love the illusion of being fried, yet still only baked! Great job!

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  4. Wow these look so crispy and tasty. Great way to use up that cauliflower!

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  5. Ava, sure beats another soup recipe. Might be a good recipe for you, if your kids like curry,or simply alter the recipe with other flavours. They are quite addictive, super crunchy and yet so healthy without all that frying.

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  6. Peggy, they really turned out crispy and delicious. The added bonus is that they are super healthy, and you don't have to stand over a hot stove frying them.

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  7. Patrick, thanks for dropping in on my blog. The baked cauliflower turned out delicious, really crispy and as mentioned quite addictive.

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