21 September 2013

Cauliflower & Cumin Fritters with Lime Yogurt from Ottolenghi the Cookbook



I can’t believe that we are almost at the end of 6 months of cooking Ottolenghi at I Heart Cook Clubs.  It seems only a moment ago we were at the midway point & all of a sudden after this week of Pot Luck there is only 1 week to go.  These 6 Ottolenghi months have flown by & it have been filled with many delicious concoctions from one of my favourite chefs.  Each month I have discovered wonderful new flavour combinations  & quite a few fritters & pancakes; Swiss chard fritters, sweet potato cakes & green pancakes.  So as we come the end it felt right to include just one more.

Now I am not a huge cauliflower fan.  Like most people I like it covered in cheese sauce, but that is more about the cheese rather than the cauliflower.  Just boiled or steamed I find it a little bland, a little uninspiring.  Enter Ottolenghi, like with greens he can elevate cauliflower to alluring heights that will tempt & tantalise.  That is where these cauliflower & cumin fritters come in, possibly the best way to eat some cauliflower.



Cauliflower & Cumin Fritters with Lime Yogurt from Ottolenghi the Cookbook

*The only tweak a little less oil.  Ottolenghi suggests 1.5cm deep oil, I just used a couple of tablespoons & they fried up just perfectly.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Fritters...
1 small cauliflower, about 320g
120 grams (1 cup) plain flour
3 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus a few extra leaves to garnish
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 shallots, finely chopped
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
A little sunflower oil or rice bran oil to fry

Lime Sauce...
300 grams Greek yogurt
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
Grated zest of one lime
2 tbsp of lime juice
2 tbsp of olive oil
Salt and pepper



Directions

Place all the sauce ingredients in a medium sized bowl & whisk until all combined in to a smooth sauce.  Taste & adjust the seasoning if need be. Chill or leave out for up to one hour to allow the flavours to meld.*

*I found this sauce was even better if left longer in the fridge, it becomes all the more tangy & limey.

To prepare the cauliflower, trim off any leaves & use a small knife to divide the cauliflower into little florets.  Add the florets to a large pan of boiling salted water & simmer for 15 minutes or until very soft. Drain into a colander.

While the cauliflower is cooking, place the flour, parsley, garlic, shallots, eggs, spices, salt & pepper in a medium sized bowl & whisk together. When the batters is smooth & well combined add the warm cauliflower.  Mix with a fork to break down the cauliflower into the batter.



Pour the oil into a large frying pan over a medium high heat.  Once heated spoon in generous portions of the cauliflower mixture, 2-3 tablespoons per fritter. Take care with the hot oil & space the fritters apart; don't overcrowd the pan. Fry the fritters in small batches & just watch temperature so that the fritters don't burn. They should take about 3 minutes on each side.
Remove from the pan & drain on a few layers of kitchen paper.  Keep the fritter warm in a low oven while you fry the rest.

Serve with the sauce on the side.




These little fritters are quite the tasty treat.  The cauliflower is the star, made all the better spiked with cinnamon, cumin & turmeric.  The lime & yoghurt sauce adds a welcome zesty tang.  So, if like me, you are not a huge fan of cauliflower I really recommend you give this little fritters a try.  For more Ottolenghi inspiration over at I Heart Cooking Clubs head over here.




If you like these you might like this Zuchinni Mint & Feta Fritters

Enjoy!

7 comments:

  1. Love cauliflower and am sure I'll love these too! Admire your stamina to keep going with such blog challenges. I always feel I must work harder on the blog and it never seems to come to the top of the list often enough. Thanks for sharing this. Definitely trying these.

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    1. Thanks Julie :) This one was easy to keep up with as I am so Ottolenghi obsessed & he never fails to surprise & delight. I think with blogging you go through phases....it was actually this cooking club that got me all re-inspired.

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    2. Thank you for sharing such a helpful article! Siding Replacement

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  2. Oh I adore cauliflower but we have only 2 or 3 ways to prepare it and certainly not as exciting as this! These flavorful fritters take it to a whole new height... and amazing the yogurt dip. Perfect. I must make this. I love the photos, too.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Jamie, yes I was quite excited to come across this way with cauliflower as it is most definitely not a favourite veg for me.

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  3. This sounds fab and I will be trying it soon. Another interesting variation on cauli is to cook it until tender, drain then wizz up with a stick blender adding in a little cream or even plain yoghurt, season and use instead of mashed potato, believe me, you will never use mashed potato again :-)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Braxter, & that sounds like a sublime alternative to mashed potato...thanks for the tip I will definitely give it a go :)

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