Fried Cauliflower with Whipped Hummus Dip

This Fried Cauliflower with Whipped Hummus Dip is adapted from a recipe I spotted on Pinterest a week ago and even though I am not a huge fan of deep frying I just could not resist making it.

I tweaked the recipe a bit and did not cook the cauliflower before frying. I was worried that it could become a mush and would not have minded at all if the vegetable had a bit of crunch when eating. I also added one my favourite spice mixes to the batter, Ras El Hanout, a spicy blend from Morocco. Woolies has brought out a great range of spice blends and you can get a bottle there.

These really are moreish snacks and a great play on salty and sweet. The cauliflower goes sweet when cooked, the batter has a warmth coming from the paprika and  Ras El Hanout, and the dip packs a salty punch from the feta. Serve with loads of lemon wedges for acidity.

The humble cauliflower has undergone quite the revival due to the paleos and banters. It has always been a favourite veggie of mine and I love all the interesting recipes these days. I have made a fair amount of interesting recipes with cauliflower and these are worth checking out as well: Aloo Gobi, Roasted Cauliflower Salad, Garlic Buttered Cauliflower Mash, Cauliflower Couscous and these lovely Vegetable Pies.

Fried Cauliflower with Whipped Hummus Dip

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Ingredients

  

• 1 large head of cauliflower cut or broken into florets
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 ½ cups flour
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 ½ tsp Ras el Hanout spice blend
• oil for frying
• Whipped Hummus Dip:
• 100 g feta cheese crumbled
• 100 g cream cheese
• ? cup full fat yoghurt
• ? cup hummus
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

 

• Place all the dip ingredients in a food processor until smooth, spoon into a serving bowl and keep chilled
• Pour enough oil in a medium sized pot for deep frying and heat the oil to 180 degrees C
• Beat the eggs with the milk until smooth in a shallow dish
• In a separate shallow dish mix the flour with the Parmesan cheese, salt, paprika and Ras el Hanout spice blend
• Scoop about third of the flour mix in a large freezer bag and gently place the cauliflower inside
• Shake the bag to coat the cauliflower
• Dip each floret into the egg mixture and then in the rest of the flour mixture
• Place on a wire rack while dredging the rest of the cauliflower
• Fry the cauliflower in batches until golden brown and crispy
• Drain on a plate lined with paper towels and keep warm until all the cauliflower has been fried
• Drizzle the dip with some olive oil, dust with some paprika and serve the cauliflower immediately with extra lemon wedges

27 September is our next Food Photography Workshops as part of my collaboration with Francois Pistorius and Isabella Niehaus. Join us for an inspired and creative day in the most beautiful location up on the West Coast.

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