 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 the Middle East, South Asia, Europe, and elsewhere. It may start from raw or cooked cauliflower; 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 on tahini or strained yogurt.
Cauliflower in general, and fried cauliflower in particular, has become increasingly popular in the United States.[1]
Fried cauliflower may start from raw or cooked cauliflower. The cauliflower is separated into florets then deep-fried. It may be fried plain,;[2][3] it may be breaded;[4] it may be battered; or it may be simply floured.[5]
The plain version is the crispest, though the oiliest;[6] 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 in Germany,[7] Austria,[8] Britain,[9] and the United States.[10] It is often called by its French name, choufleur frit.
Fried battered cauliflower is served in French cuisine with a tomato sauce as fritot de chou-fleur.[11][12]
A wide variety of fried cauliflower dishes are found in India.
Cauliflower pakoras, 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 peanut chutney.[13]
One Punjabi recipe deep-fries the cauliflower first, then sautés it in spices and yogurt to nap the florets with sauce.[14]
Fried cauliflower is found both in Mizrahi and Sephardic traditions, which were brought to Israel when Jews immigrated to Israel, often as refugees.[15]
Among the Mizrahi, fried cauliflower was often eaten as a mezze before large meals or in various salads (often dressed with tahini sauce, strained yogurt, or citrus juice). Over time, fried cauliflower was adopted as a street food.[16] With the rise of fine dining in Israel, Israeli chefs have incorporated versions of the dish into their cooking, where it may be an important main dish.[17]
In Israel, fried cauliflower is commonly served at falafel, shawarma, hummus, and sabich stands, often in a sandwich or as part of a salad bar: "Fried cauliflower is a staple of falafel-shop salad bars".[16]
It is commonly served plain just with some salt. It may also be served with strained yogurt, tahini sauce, amba, zhug, or other condiments.[18]
The Sephardic version, culupidia frita, is battered and often served with lemon (culupidia frita con limón),[19] which is sometimes simmered with the cauliflower until it evaporates.[20]
An early Italian recipe for fried cauliflower (1822) first parboils it, then breads it and fries it in oil or lard.[21] Various versions of the dish are found in later cookbooks.[22]
It continues to be part of the repertoire of Italian cuisine,[23] and is sold as a street food in Sicily.[24]
In Levantine cuisine as found in Lebanon,[25] Syria, and Palestine fried cauliflower, zahra mekleyah (Arabic: الارنبيط المقلي, زهره مقليه), is served cold or hot.
It may be served in a sandwich of pita bread or sandwich bread, often toasted and sprinkled with cumin, salt, and lemon juice. It is also served as a side dish.[26]
It may be battered or not.[27]
Common accompaniments include tarator.[28]
Variations include curried and roasted cauliflower, bell peppers, or a garlic lemon vinaigrette. The Syrian menazla zahra is cooked with garlic, ground beef, cilantro, cumin, and salt.[27]
Fried cauliflower is also an ingredient in maqluba, a sort of pilaf with meat and vegetables on top.[29]
Fried cauliflower from Indian, Israeli, Italian, and Levantine[30] traditions is found in the United States.
The Israeli versions are often found at Israeli, kosher, Jewish, and falafel restaurants. The growing fashion both for cauliflower[1] and for Israeli cuisine[31] has contributed to its popularity.
Some variants include serving with a white wine vinaigrette, currants, and pine nuts,[32] frying a whole head and serving with a beet tahini sauce;[33] or with a herbed labneh sauce.[34]
