VEGAN FRIED CAULIFLOWER

Learn how to make the perfect Vegan Fried Cauliflower with the crispiest, most flavorful crunchy outside with moist and juicy well seasoned inside. Tender bits of cauliflower are marinated in soy milk and seasoning, later tossed in flour and deep-fried until super crispy and golden. They are so delicious and fun to make.

The super crunchy crumbly crust, the tender well-seasoned marinated pieces of cauliflower, and fried to perfection that’s what a dream appetizer sounds to me.  

I am super excited to share this fried cauliflower recipe with you all. This might not be one of the healthy vegan recipes you are looking for, but I can assure you it will surprise your taste buds in the best way possible.   

Ingredients

• Cauliflower: Small head of cauliflower, cut into 2 inch size florets.
• Oil: I am using canola oil for deep frying these cauliflower, you can use any plant based oil.

Marinade Ingredients

For making the marinade you need. 

• Soy Milk: You can also use oat or almond milk. Avoid coconut milk as its taste might over power the fried cauliflower.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: This will slightly curdle the soy milk and thicken it and also add zesty flavor to it.
• Seasoning:  Salt, Paprika and Garlic Powder are used for seasoning the marinade.
• Sriracha sauce: This will add a spicy kick to your fried cauliflower, If you do not like spice or making these for kids you can simply skip it. You can also substitute it will any chili sauce.
• Soy Sauce: Can be substituted with tamari sauce.

Dry Coating Ingredients 

After marination we will coat these cauliflower bites in these dry ingredients. Simply mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.

• All-purpose flour
• Corn Starch
• Corn Flakes
• Salt

How to Make Vegan Fried Cauliflower

• Prepare the Cauliflower: Wash and cut cauliflower in 2-inch size florets. If the floret size is too big slash it into two pieces.  
• Make the Marinade: In a large mixing bowl mix soy milk and apple cider vinegar and wait a minute. It will curdle slightly. Next add Salt, Paprika, Garlic Powder, Sriracha sauce, and Soy Sauce in the marinade batter.  
• Mix the Dry coating Ingredients:  In another bowl add all-purpose flour, corn starch, corn flakes (slightly crush them with hands), and salt. Set aside. 
• Marinate the Cauliflowers: Once all prep is done dip all cauliflower florets in the prepared marinade. Let them sit for about 30 minutes.
• Heat the Oil: Heat the canola oil in a large deep pan until it reaches 350°F.
• Coat Cauliflower florets: Now dip each cauliflower floret in the marinade and then toss in dry ingredients until well coated. Dip them back in the marinade liquid and again toss in the flour mixture. Do this with all florets and carefully place them on a plate. Use tongs for easy and mess-free handling.
• Deep Fry Cauliflower: Place cauliflower florets carefully in oil one by one. Do not stir until the coating around the cauliflower gets stiffen. Softly turn their side with a tong. Deep fry them in the hot oil until golden and crispy. It will take around 3 to 4 minutes. Make sure you fry them in batches. If overfill the pan you might lose the crispy crust.  

The Healthier Version of Fried Cauliflower

 If you want a healthier version you can bake or air fry them. Just add 1 Tbs of oil in soy milk marinade so these don’t taste so dry. Make sure you dust off extra flour otherwise they will be super dry. You can also spray some oil after placing them in the baking tray before baking.  

Cook at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until crispy.

What Do You Eat With Fried Cauliflower?

• You can serve these deep-fried cauliflowers as an appetizer or snack with chili garlic, sriracha vegan ranch, or ketchup.
• Serve it with creamy coleslaw, and dinner roll and enjoy something far batter than a KFC fried chicken Meal. (and yes its cruelty-free)
• You can stuff them in your tortilla wraps, hot dog buns, or even burger buns with coleslaw and some creamy burger sauce.
• Fill your tacos with these crispy fried cauliflowers or top them over your salad.
• You can also serve them with cornbread, mashed potatoes, and biscuits to enjoy a full Southern meal.

Tips and Tricks

To make the prefect fool proof vegan deep fried cauliflower follow these tips.

1. Try to keep cauliflower pieces sizes the same for better and similar frying. Do not cut cauliflower in very small florets as it will be difficult to handle.
2. Marinade the Cauliflower florets for 30 minutes for better results.
3. Use tongs for the marination and coating process for easy handling.
4. If you are not frying in the fryer and do not have a thermometer, test, and fry one piece first.
5. Do not over-fill the pan and fry florets in batches for a crispy coating.
6. Serve Hot.

Make Ahead of Time and Storage

You can do all the prep ahead of time even you can marinate and coat them 2 to 3 hours in advance but unfortunately you have to fry them at the time of serving.

These fried cauliflower taste best when served hot and freshly cooked and unfortunately you can not store them as they will loose their crispiness. But you can store leftover in fridge for a day and warmup in microwave. They will not be crispy but still taste good.

Gluten free Fried Cauliflower

If you want to make gluten free fried cauliflower you can simply

1. Flour: Substitute all-purpose flour with any gluten-free flour. Rice flour gives the best results in frying.
2. Soy Milk: Use Almond milk instead of soy milk.
3. Soy Sauce: Use Tamari sauce instead of soy sauce.

Other Cauliflower Recipes

If you like this recipe you may also like

• VEGAN SWEET AND SOUR CAULIFLOWER
• BUTTER CAULIFLOWER VEGAN CRUNCHWRAP