Keralan fried cauliflower with coconut chutney

Puffy popcorn pieces of cauliflower, warmed and wonderful with the spices of South India, complete with a quick and easy coconut chutney. These are already glutenfree and can easily be turned vegan by using coconut yoghurt for dipping. Serve as a stunning shareplate, or turn into a killer breakfast by popping a runny fried or scrambled egg or two alongside. If this book isn’t smattered with curryleafoily fingerprints within the next hour, I’ll be quietly disappointed.

Serves 46

as a starter

1⁄2 head of cauliflower

1 cup (150g) chickpea flour

1⁄2 cup (75g) rice flour

1⁄4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt flakes

2 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

2 tsp mild curry powder

1 cup (250ml) very cold soda water

1 garlic clove, finely grated

1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger rice bran oil, for shallowfrying

3 curry leaf branches, washed and patted dry

To serve

1–2 limes, cut into wedges

Greekstyle yoghurt

To garnish coriander (cilantro) leaves,

Coconut chutney

Makes 1⁄2 cups

100g coconut flesh (or shredded coconut)

11⁄2 Tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1 tsp chilli flakes

20 curry leaves, washed and patted dry

1 green chilli, chopped

11⁄2 tsp tamarind puree

1 tsp brown sugar, or to taste

1 bunch of coriander (cilantro), chopped

Method

Remove and thinly slice the core from the cauliflower and set aside. Cut or tear the rest of the cauliflower into small florets about 34cm in size. Pick the leaves and keep these for frying also.

In a large bowl, combine the chickpea flour, rice flour, baking powder, salt flakes and 1 teaspoon each of the turmeric, chilli powder and curry powder. Create a well in the middle, add the soda water, garlic and ginger, whisking out any lumps. Add the cauliflower florets and mix to coat. Chill for at least 15 minutes, or up to 1 hour.

To make the coconut chutney

Place the coconut in a bowl and cover with just boiled water. Stand for 5 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, place the coconut oil, cumin and mustard seeds, chilli flakes, curry leaves and reserved cauliflower core slices in a frying pan over mediumhigh heat and cook for 34 minutes, or until the mustard seeds begin to pop and the cauliflower is softened. Transfer to a blender, along with the remaining chutney ingredients and drained coconut. Whiz until smooth and combined, adding a tablespoon of water at a time to loosen. Season to taste.

Heat 3cm of rice bran oil in a wok or saucepan over high heat to 180degC — a little batter added to the oil shouldn’t take longer than 30 seconds to turn golden brown. Carefully add the welldried curry leaf branches (they’ll make a loud noise!) and cook for 30 seconds, or until crisp. Drain on paper towel.

Working in batches, add the cauliflower florets and leaves to the hot oil after shaking away the excess batter and cook for 34 minutes, or until golden. Drain on a paper towel.

Strain onequarter of the cooking oil into a cold saucepan, leaving a 5mm shimmer of oil in the pan. Return the pan to the heat with the remaining spices and cook for 1 minute, or until foaming. Add all the fried cauliflower and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, or until coated and golden. Transfer to a serving platter and scatter with the crispy curry leaves and coriander. Serve with the coconut chutney, lime wedges and yoghurt.