Savoury Cauliflower Popcorn

This savoury popcorn cauliflower with a drizzle of chilli caramel is here to knock your socks off!  They are quite easy to make and even more, you won’t be able to stop stuffing your face one after one. So, do not tell me that I did not warn you!  Popcorn cauliflower is a great vegan version to popular popcorn chicken. Some does not like cauliflower and thinks it is a bland vegetable. In my opinion, it is such a versatile vegetable and its bland flavour is the real deal here because you can infuse any flavour you want into it.

The cauliflower florets are battered in spiced chickpea flour and then deep-fried to golden brown until they come out so crispy. If you are not a fan of cauliflower or cannot find it you could try with oyster mushrooms.  Whether you’re watching a movie, hosting a game night, or just feel like munching, these little cauliflower bites will hit the spot. You can also serve it as a vegetable side and perfectly goes along with biriyani rice.

Ingredients;

Chilli Caramel;
200g palm sugar (substitutes- coconut sugar: trickle syrup)
1 – 2 red chillies thinly sliced (deseeded if you like)
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
80ml cup water

Popcorn Cauliflower;
1/2 a cauliflower separated into bite-sized florets
2 cup chickpea flour
A handful of coarsely chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp cumin powder
1 – 2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 baking powder
salt to taste
oil to deep fry

Method;

Let’s make the chilli caramel first.
Place the sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat.
Cook stirring for about a couple of mins until the sugar has dissolved. Then increase the heat to high and bring it to boil, do not stirring when it is boiling.
Remove from the heat and set aside until bubble subside.
Stir in chilli and lime juice. Set aside until used.

Now we are going to make the cauliflower.
Place chickpea flour, baking powder, coriander, cumin powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder in a large bowl. Add about 150 -160ml water and make a thick batter. Season with salt.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a deep pan. Once the oil is ready, drop the cauliflower florets separately using a tong. Do not overcrowd the pan and cook until crisp.
Transfer the cauliflower bits onto a kitchen paper to blot excess oil.
Place cauliflower in a serving bowl and drizzle with the chilli caramel.