 Israeli-style fried cauliflower | |
| Course | Mezze, street food, sandwich, side dish |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Cauliflower florets,cooking oil |
Fried cauliflower is a popular dish in many cuisines of theMiddle East,South Asia,Europe, and elsewhere. It may start from raw or cookedcauliflower; it may be dipped in batter or breading; it may be fried in oil, butter, or other fats. It can be served on its own, as a mezze or side dish, or in a sandwich. It is often seasoned with salt, spices, and a variety of sauces, in the Middle East often based ontahini orstrained yogurt.[1][2][3]
Cauliflower in general, and fried cauliflower in particular, has become increasingly popular in the United States.[4]
Fried cauliflower may start from raw or cooked cauliflower. The cauliflower is separated into florets, then deep-fried. It may be fried plain;[5][6] it may bebreaded;[7] it may bebattered; or it may be simply floured.[8]
The plain version is the crispest, though the oiliest;[9] the breaded and battered versions result in a moister, less crisp interior.
After draining, it may be seasoned or sauced in a variety of ways.
Deep-fried and pan-fried cauliflower is found in many cuisines, and is well documented through the 19th century inGermany,[10]Austria,[11]Britain,[12] and theUnited States.[13] It is often called by its French name,choufleur frit.
Fried battered cauliflower is served inFrench cuisine with a tomato sauce asfritot de chou-fleur.[14][15]
A wide variety of fried cauliflower dishes are found in India.
Cauliflowerpakoras, battered and spiced fried cauliflower, are popular in North India and Chennai, and may be double-fried for crispness. They can be served with a tomato or peanutchutney.[16]
One Punjabi recipe deep-fries the cauliflower first, then sautés it in spices and yogurt to nap the florets with sauce.[17]
Fried cauliflower is found both inMizrahi andSephardic traditions, which were brought to Israel when Jewsimmigrated to Israel, often asrefugees.[18]
Among the Mizrahi, fried cauliflower was often eaten as a mezze before large meals or in various salads (often dressed withtahini sauce,strained yogurt, or citrus juice). Over time, fried cauliflower was adopted as astreet food.[19] With the rise offine dining in Israel, Israeli chefs have incorporated versions of the dish into their cooking, where it may be an important main dish.[20]
In Israel, fried cauliflower is commonly served atfalafel,shawarma,hummus, andsabich stands, often in a sandwich or as part of asalad bar: "Fried cauliflower is a staple of falafel-shop salad bars".[19]
It is commonly served plain just with some salt. It may also be served with strained yogurt, tahini sauce,amba,zhug, or other condiments.[21]
The Sephardic version,culupidia frita, is battered and often served with lemon (culupidia frita con limón),[22] which is sometimes simmered with the cauliflower until it evaporates.[23]
An early Italian recipe for fried cauliflower (1822) first parboils it, then breads it and fries it in oil or lard.[24] Various versions of the dish are found in later cookbooks.[25]
It continues to be part of the repertoire ofItalian cuisine,[26] and is sold as a street food in Sicily.[27]
InLevantine cuisine as found inLebanon,[28]Syria, andPalestine fried cauliflower,zahra mekleyah (Arabic:الارنبيط المقلي, زهره مقليه), is served cold or hot.
It may be served in a sandwich ofpita bread or sandwich bread, often toasted and sprinkled withcumin,salt, andlemon juice. It is also served as a side dish.[29]
It may be battered or not.[30]
Common accompaniments includetarator.[31]
Variations includecurried and roasted cauliflower,bell peppers, or a garlic lemonvinaigrette.TheSyrianmenazla zahra is cooked withgarlic,ground beef,cilantro,cumin, andsalt.[30]
Fried cauliflower is also an ingredient in some dishes, such asmaqluba, a sort of pilaf with meat and vegetables on top,[32] andMtafaye (Arabic:مطفّية), a dish using fried cauliflower cooked in yoghurt.[1][2][33]
Fried cauliflower from Indian, Israeli, Italian, and Levantine[34] traditions is found in the United States.
The Israeli versions are often found atIsraeli,kosher,Jewish, andfalafel restaurants. The growing fashion both for cauliflower[4] and for Israeli cuisine[35] has contributed to its popularity.
Some variants include serving with a white wine vinaigrette, currants, and pine nuts;[36] frying a whole head and serving with a beet tahini sauce;[37] or serving with a herbed labneh sauce.[38]
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