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Moroccan fried cauliflower in cumin batter
شيفلور مقلي (chiflor mqli): cauliflower florets in a cumin-spiced egg batter, fried and served with chermoula
MoroccanCasablanca home cooks fry cauliflower this way for Ramadan tables and family lunches alike: parboiled florets dipped in an egg batter heavy with cumin, paprika and parsley, then fried until puffed and golden. They're eaten hot with a squeeze of lemon or a spoon of chermoula, as a side to a tagine or on their own with bread. The common mistake is frying wet cauliflower; the batter slides off and spits, so dry the florets well after boiling. Chef's tip: keep the florets bite-sized and with a bit of stalk, so you can dip them by hand. Contains egg and wheat.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflowermedium, about 800 g, cut into florets
- 1 tsp saltfor the boiling water
- 3 eggs
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- ½ oz flat-leaf parsleyfinely chopped
- 2 garliccloves, crushed
- 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 ¼ cups sunflower oilfor frying
- 1 lemoncut into wedges
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Boil 1 cauliflower in water with 1 tsp salt until a knife goes in with a little resistance. Drain, spread on a towel and pat completely dry.
6 minStep 2: Whisk 3 eggs, 3 tbsp plain flour, ½ oz flat-leaf parsley, 2 garlic, 1 ½ tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp sweet paprika, ¾ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper into a smooth, coating batter.
3 minStep 3: Heat 1 ¼ cups sunflower oil in a deep frying pan to 350°F, or until a drop of batter sizzles at once. Dip florets in the batter, let the excess drip off, and fry in batches, turning, until puffed and deep golden, 3–4 minutes.
15 minStep 4: Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with 1 lemon.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 240 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does moroccan fried cauliflower in cumin batter take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of cauliflower?
- Broccoli, same weight.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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