Fried Broccoli & Cauliflower bites

M...eat...less

Fresh out of the fryer and slightly cooled, crispy, flavorful, aromatic and delicious. That is how these fried broccoli and cauliflower bites can be described. The idea to dip broccoli in a batter and fry it just never occurred to me. Yes I know what a tempura is and I’ve had shrimp and asparagus tempura several times, I’ve even deep fried okra. However the thought to batter fry broccoli had never etched a place in my brain until now.  This all occurred a few weeks ago while I was being thoroughly entertained by watching Auntie Fee. When she did her fried broccoli recipe, a light bulb definitely went off.

One thing was for certain I wanted my fried bites to be exceptionally flavorful, since broccoli has a natural strong earthy taste I didn’t see the harm in really pushing the flavor department of the batter. If I ever made this recipe again, I would use only broccoli, why? Because for me even though the batter is so flavorful the broccoli’s natural flavor is also present, so one knows they are still eating broccoli. However the cauliflower on the other hand is totally dominated and over powered by the seasoned batter. In future I would separate the, and do a lighter and less intensely flavored batter for the cauliflower to shine through.

Speaking of the batter, the game changers in this batter are the smoked sea salt, smoked paprika onion powder and cumin. These spices for me make the flavor of the batter so delicious. For this recipe I want you to forget that these veggies nutritional value have plummeted to the depth of deep fried hell and focus on how incredibly delicious they are. It’s not like you’re going to fry your broccoli every day, but when you do there will be a party in your mouth. 

Ingredients (printable recipe)

1 head of broccoli

1 head of cauliflower

Seasoned batter

1 egg

1 ½ cup self-rising flour

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon smoked sea salt

1 teaspoon ground sage

1 teaspoon ground all spice

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon ground mustard

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oil to 350 degrees
• Wash, dry and cut up the broccoli and cauliflower into bite sized pieces
• In a blender combine all the seasoned batter ingredients and blend into a thick paste
• In a bowl of zip lock bag combine the broccoli cauliflower and batter to coat each piece
• One the oil is hot remove excess batter from each broccoli and fry until golden brown and crispy, making sure to fry evenly on both sides
•  Drain on a paper towel and serve immediately

 

Greedy tips

• Fry in the hot oil for about 2 to 4 minutes
• If you want the broccoli to be extra crispy dip in the wet batter and then toss in some seasoned flour before frying
• You can use any combination of seasonings you choose for your seasoned batter
• If you don’t have smoked sea salt or smoked paprika use what you have.
• This method of batter frying does not sit well. So only fry right before serving. You can make the batter and store in the refrigerator for a day or two and dip and fry as needed. 

Xoxo Greedygirl