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Not all days are sunshine and rainbows, as they say! Everyone every once in a while definitely experiences such a funk in their time, don’t they? So, what did I do when I felt some type of way and how did I deal with it?

I double fried my feelings and ate it away. It was so crunchy, so scrumptious, I just cannot stop thinking about it.

Prep Time : 20 minutes | Fry time: 15 minutes| Serves : 2-3 people

Ingredients:

For blanching the florets:

  • Small cauliflower – cut into medium-small florets (2 cups approx)
  • 5 cups water
  • 1/4th tsp salt

For coating and frying:

  • 1/4th cup maida (All purpose flour)
  • 1/4th cup corn flour
  • 1/4th tsp salt
  • 1/4th tsp crushed pepper
  • Cooking oil to fry (7-8 cups)

For the dry gravy:

  • 1 small red onion( finely chopped)
  • 1/2 bell pepper (finely chopped red or green pepper)
  • 4-5 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
  • Handful of grated ginger
  • 1 tbsp green sauce
  • 1 tbsp red sauce
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp maggi ketchup
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp water + 1 tbsp corn flour = corn flour slurry
  • 1 tbsp water
  • Pinch of Ajinomoto (chinese salt)

Garnishes:

  • 2 leaves of green onions (chopped)
  • Sesame seeds (optional)

Method:

Blanching the cauliflower florets:

  1. Wash and clean the cauliflower and cut it in small florets (about two cups).
  2. Add 5 cups of water in a cauldron, 1/4th tsp salt in that water and let that water come to a rolling boil.
  3. Add florets in the boiling water and cover the cauldron with lid for 2 minutes on high heat.
  4. The goal is to just blanch the florets,not boil it.

Preparing the batter and coating the florets and frying:

  1. In a mixing bowl, mix 1/4th cup maida (All purpose flour), 1/4th cup corn flour, 1/4th tsp salt,1/4th tsp crushed pepper and add just a pinch of water to make the better just a little bit wet and consistent.
  2. Add the florets in the batter and coat all of them evenly.
  3. Meanwhile when the florets are soaking in the batter, take 7-8 cups of oil in a cauldron on a medium to high flame for frying.
  4. Once the oil is hot enough, slide 5-6 battered florets into the hot oil at the same time and let them fry until the oil bubbles around the florets are formed. Remove the florets out of the oil carefully when they turn slightly brown.
  5. Finish frying the whole batch using this exact same process.
  6. Turn the medium flame to a slightly higher flame and repeat the same process of frying, the second time. Remove the florets out of the oil when they turn golden and darker brown.
  7. Load all the double fried florets on a bath towel to drain excess oil from the top coating.

Making the dry gravy:

  1. Add 2 tbsp fresh oil in a wide surface pan or a wok and add 4-5 finely minced garlic to the oil.
  2. Add handful of grated ginger and 2 finely minced green chillies to the oil.
  3. Add 1 finely chopped onion and 1/2 finely chopped red or green bell pepper to the oil.
  4. Mix all these ingredients and saute it in oil for about a minute or two on high flame but do not over cook it.
  5. Add 1 tbsp green sauce, 1 tbsp red sauce, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp maggi ketchup, 1 tbsp sugar, corn flour slurry, 1 tbsp water and a pinch of Ajinomoto (chinese salt) to the mixture. Cook these sauces on a medium flame until the gravy thickens.
  6. Add the double fried florets in the gravy right after it starts thickening and coat them uniformly.
  7. Turn the flame off once the florets are coated.
  8. Garnish with green onions and serve hot with fried rice or hakka noodles or as a stand alone appetizer.

Tips and recommendations:

  • Add pinch of water into increments if you feel that the batter is too thick (optional).
  • The goal is to keep the batter more thick and not very runny. If the batter is too runny then the cauliflower florets will not turn out as crunchy after frying.
  • Adding florets to the gravy should be the last step. If added earlier while the gravy is still cooking, the florets will get soggy and loose all the crunchiness.