Crispy Hot & Sweet Cauliflower Bites

Anyone who grew up in India knows about ‘Maggi Hot & Sweet Sauce‘. I know it was one thing I could not enjoy anything without. So I went on to experiment with ingredients in my pantry to create something close from scratch. I hope you enjoy the same as I and my family did.

ingredients

Coating

  • 1 Medium-size Cauliflower head; Cut florets;
  • 1/2 Cup Rolled Oats Flour
  • 1/4 Cup Quinoa Flour
  • 1/2 tsp Sriracha Powder
  • 1/2 to 1 Cup Plant-Based Milk (Quantity depends on type of milk)
  • 1/2 tsp Sea Salt (Adjust to taste)

Sauce

  • 4 tbsp Sriracha Sauce
  • 2 tbsp Maple Syrup
  • 2 tbsp Liquid Aminos

preparation

  1. Pre-Heat Oven at 400F
  2. Prepare a flat baking tray with parchment paper
  3. Mix all ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and set aside
  4. Mix all dry ingredients for the cauliflower coating in a large mixing bowl.
  5. Add part of plant-based milk in the dry mix and mix well. Keep adding and mixing the coating batter until like pancake mixture or thicker consistency is reached. We want to make sure the florets can be evenly coated without it being drippy.
  6. Add the cauliflower florets into the batter and mix well.
  7. Place the coated florets on the baking tray and place it in the oven for about 30mins. You are looking for even golden brown over the florets.
  8. Once golden brown, take out the cooked florets and mix in the sauce to evenly coat the sauce.
  9. Using the same baking tray, place the florets back for another 10mins in the oven.
  10. Enjoy with your favorite dip or bed of salad!!

Cauliflower Pakoras/Fritters

It is cold, cloudy and it is almost the weekend (at least in the Chicago area). Too lazy to cook an elaborate meal for the family so I decided to whip some pakoras to enjoy with dairy-free Indian Tea.

I remember when I was in India and even for a long time in the US, we would prepare and eat pakoras regularly. It is one of the most favorite snacks prepared in the Indian kitchen whether it is cold, rainy, gameday or something else. It is equally popular on a lot of restaurant menus too We would not only prepare the pakoras using cauliflower but also use a variety of other vegetables like spinach, green chili, potatoes, paneer, etc. and we would deep fry them in OIL.

Frying in OIL adds a lot of unwanted calories and saturated fat to the pakoras that our bodies really don’t need. Using an air-fryer or oven, helps me prepare the pakoras without having to add the extra calories and fat to it. Why not enjoy it guilt-free.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium-size cauliflower head; washed and cut florets
  • 1 small white onion; finely chopped
  • 2 serrano peppers; finely chopped (optional)
  • 1 tbsp ginger; finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup cilantro; washed and finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 cup chickpea flour (besan)
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp red chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • 1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida)
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
  • 1 1/4 cup water

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 380 F.
2. In a mixing bowl, add onions, serrano pepper, ginger, cilantro, chickpea flour, turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala, hing, lemon juice, salt, and water. Mix well to make a batter.
3. Add cauliflower to the batter and coat cauliflower florets evenly with the batter
4. Set up a baking tray with parchment paper, place floret 1 inch apart on the baking tray.
5. Place the tray in the oven for 30 min and then flip the pakoras and put them back in for another 30 mins. You can increase or decrease the baking time depending on the crispiness of pakoras you prefer.
6. Enjoy this healthy oil-free snack/appetizer with green chutney.

Cauliflower Rice Poha/Pulav

Eat to live and not live to eat. The Indian kitchen has some comfort recipes and one of them is Poha aka. flattened rice with vegetables. A lot of diabetic friends would be scared of eating traditional Poha due to flattened white rice as the main ingredient. The other day, I came across Cauliflower Rice at my local grocery store and immediately I went into my adventure. I wanted to cook the most common rice recipes and serve to my family.

So, my first adventure was conquerring the traditional Poha and replace the rice with Cauliflower Rice. To my surprise, my family could not figure out difference. I want to share this reciepe to all my friends who maybe missing on this dish due to rice and now we have an option.

Ingredients
2 cups of cauliflower rice (follow the instructions on the packet)
1 potato; peeled and chopped
1 medium size onion; thinly sliced
1 cup peas; thawed
1 carrot; peeled and chopped
2-3 dried whole red pepper
5-6 Curry leaves
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam Masala
1/2 tsp sea salt (adjust according to taste)
1 tsp lemon juice

Garnish
2-3 tbsp cilantro leaves; washed and chopped
1 Serrano pepper;finely chopped

Preparation
1. Prepare the cauliflower rice according to the instructions on the packet. If steaming let the rice cool down.
2. Take a medium-size saucepan and place it on medium heat.
3. Once the pan is heated add mustard seeds, Curry leaves and dried whole pepper. Stir for 2-3 mins.
4. Add onions to the saucepan and stir onions until they turn light brown in color. Add 2-3 tbsp of water if onions are sticking to the saucepan.
5. Add potatoes, carrots, peas, and salt to the onions with 1/3 cup of water to cook vegetables. Cover the saucepan with the lid to cook vegetables.
6. Transfer the cauliflower rice in a mixing bowl and add turmeric powder, garam Masala,red chili powder.
7. Once the vegetables are cooked add the cauliflower rice in the saucepan. Mix vegetables and cauliflower rice together.
8. Add lemon juice and mix together.
9. Cover the saucepan with the lid for 5-7 minutes.Stir occasionally so the cauliflower rice doesn’t stick.
10. Garnish with cilantro and Serrano pepper.

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