Imagine this: a latke and a pakora come together, tossed with jalapeño and cheddar. Yes, it IS as great as it sounds! These shallow-fried little fritters are crispy on the outside, while somehow magically fluffy on the inside. It’s peak veggie season at the market right now, and I scored myself a giant floret for 2 bucks this week! (That’s basically like, 25 cents American.) Now, I love roasted cauli as much as the next person, but a kilo of a single vegetable seemed like a bit much. Plus, I had a ton of spring onions that I wanted to use up, as well as some beautiful fresh local garlic. A few flips through my trusty Ottolenghi cookbook, and I was instantly inspired.
Jalapeno Cauliflower Fritters with Chili Lime Sauce
Ingredients
for the fritters
- 1 kg cauliflower cut into large florets
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 6 large eggs OR flax eggs*
- 3 small onions chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapenos
- 3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar optional
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp crushed corriander seed
- 2 tsp Mexican mild chili powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cups approx. canola or vegetable oil, for frying
for the sauce
- 1/2 cup sour cream OR vegan alternative
- 3 tbsp. plain full fat yogurt OR vegan alternative
- 1 1/2 tsp mexican chili powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- zest from 3 limes
- Juice from 1 lime
- Pinch sugar
- Pinch salt
- 1 tbsp. chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Mix together sauce ingredients.
- Cover and refrigerate until serving.
- Place a piece of parchment on a large baking sheet.
- Place wire rack on top. Set aside. This will be used to cool your hot fritters.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the cauliflower florets.
- Cook 12 to 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
- In a large bowl, combine all fritter ingredients except for oil, egg & cauliflower.
- In a separate bowl, beat eggs.
- Combine eggs with flour mixture and stir until a thick paste begins to form.
- Add cauliflower and mash with a fork. Mixture will be lumpy and very wet.
- Heat oil on medium in a large heavy bottomed saucepan or dutch oven.
- Scoop about 3tbsp worth of batter into hot oil.
- Allow fritter to cook about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden. Do not crowd pan.
- Use a spider strainer to remove from hot oil and place on wire rack to cool.
- Continue until all batter is used up.
- If not serving immediately, these can be made in advance and re-heated in oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
- Serve with sauce & additional cilantro for garnish.
Notes
*FLAX OR CHIA EGG: Prepare flax egg or chia seed egg by mixing 1 TBSP ground flax or chia with 3 TBSP hot water. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before using.
