Name: Malabar cauliflower
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 200g of cauliflower, cut into small florets; 2 sprigs of curry leaves, finely chopped; 2 tsp mild chilli powder; 1 lime, juiced; 2 tbsp of rice flour; 3 tbsp of cornflour; 2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped; 1/2 tsp garam masala; 1 1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste; 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, ideally Malabar black pepper; 250ml of rapeseed oil, for deep-frying; 1 tbsp of chopped coriander; 1 tbsp of shredded coconut, or grated; sea salt; 2 dried red chillies, (optional)

Snack
Easy
2
30 minutes

PT30M

The perfect little snack to rustle up for yourself, your family or when entertaining, these crispy cauliflower florets are intensely spiced and seriously moreish. The Malabar pepper is well worth seeking out – it adds a warmth that regular black pepper can’t (although it’s fine to use regular black pepper too). You can find this recipe and many others in Rohit's cookbook Tarkari.

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200g of cauliflower , cut into small florets
2 sprigs of curry leaves , finely chopped
2 tsp mild chilli powder
1 lime , juiced
2 tbsp of rice flour
3 tbsp of cornflour
2 green chillies , deseeded and finely chopped
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper , ideally Malabar black pepper
250ml of rapeseed oil, for deep-frying
1 tbsp of chopped coriander
1 tbsp of shredded coconut , or grated
sea salt
2 dried red chillies , (optional)

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Place the cauliflower florets in a bowl and toss with the curry leaves, half of the chilli powder, lime juice and a pinch of salt

200g of cauliflower , cut into small florets
2 sprigs of curry leaves , finely chopped
1 tsp mild chilli powder
1 lime , juiced
sea salt

Add the rice flour, cornflour, green chillies, garam masala, ginger-garlic paste, the remaining teaspoon of red chilli powder, black pepper and a pinch of salt

2 tbsp of rice flour
3 tbsp of cornflour
1 tsp mild chilli powder
2 green chillies , deseeded and finely chopped
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper , ideally Malabar black pepper
sea salt

Start trickling in water bit by bit, stirring the cauliflower constantly to create a batter – the batter shouldn’t be too thick or too thin; just thick enough to stick to and coat the cauliflower in a thin layer

Heat the rapeseed oil in a saucepan until it reaches 180°C. Drop the cauliflower florets in the oil and deep-fry until cooked through, crisp and golden brown (work in batches if you need to). This should take around 7-8 minutes. Drain on kitchen paper. If you’re including the red chillies, quickly fry them in the hot oil for a few seconds after all the cauliflower is done

250ml of rapeseed oil, for deep-frying
2 dried red chillies , (optional)

Serve hot with the chopped coriander, fried chillies and coconut sprinkled on top, plus a final pinch of the Malabar pepper

1 tbsp of chopped coriander
1 tbsp of shredded coconut , or grated

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Rohit Ghai

After making his name and winning Michelin stars at some of London's most high-profile Indian restaurants, Rohit Ghai's solo venture Kutir cements his reputation for cooking some of the best Indian food in the UK.