Skip to main content

Crispy cauliflower katsu recipe


Light and delicate curry sauce, fluffy rice, lime-pickled chillies

Tip: for that 1980s retro feel, mould the rice in small bowls like I’ve done here – it’s pointless, but fun!

Prep 30 min
Cook 1 hr 15 min
Serves 6

Energy 637kcal; fat 9.2g; sat fat 2g; protein 23.6g; carbs 120g; sugars 16g; salt 1.5g; fibre 10.4g

2 heads cauliflower (800g each)
3 fresh mixed-colour chillies
Salt and black pepper
3 limes
150g plain flour
3 large free-range eggs
200g fine breadcrumbs
1 onion
4 garlic cloves
5cm piece ginger
1 carrot
1 bunch fresh coriander (30g), leaves and stalks separated
Olive oil
1 heaped tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground turmeric
3 tsp mango chutney
450g basmati rice

Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Cut six chunky cauliflower slices, straight through the stalks, around 2.5cm thick (use up the leftover stalks by making my simple pickle). Season the cauliflower slices all over with sea salt and leave aside (this will draw out the natural moisture). Meanwhile, finely slice the chillies and place them in a bowl with a pinch of salt. Finely grate over the zest of two limes, then squeeze over the juice and leave to lightly pickle.

Put 100g of the flour into one bowl, beat the eggs in another, and tip the breadcrumbs into a third. Coat the cauliflower slices in the flour, dunk in the beaten egg, then dip, press and coat in the breadcrumbs. Place on an oiled baking tray and push down to compact. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden and crisp.

Meanwhile, peel the onion, garlic, ginger and carrot, then finely chop with the coriander stalks, reserving the leaves. Fry in a large pan on a medium heat with a tablespoon of oil and the spices for 15 minutes, stirring regularly. Stir in 50g of flour and the mango chutney, followed by a litre of boiling water. Whisk together, then simmer for 15 minutes, or to your preferred consistency, stirring occasionally. Taste and season to perfection with salt and black pepper. Cook the rice according to the packet instructions, then drain. Serve the rice and sauce with the crispy cauliflower, chilli pickle, lime wedges and reserved coriander leaves.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Annabel Crabb's passionfruit curd meringue cake recipe

This is a cake that looks handsome on the plate. There are effectively six layers, but because the meringue-topped sponges are baked together, the assembly is simpler than it sounds. The passionfruit curd recipe makes about 320g (1 cup), which is plenty to fill the cake. But do consider doubling it; passionfruit curd is a good thing to have in the fridge. Passionfruit curd meringue cake serves 8 125g unsalted butter, softened 330g caster sugar 4 large eggs, separated 70g Greek-style yoghurt 1 tsp vanilla paste 150g plain flour 25g cornflour 1½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp cream of tartar 125ml thickened (whipping) cream Icing sugar, to decorate – optional Passionfruit curd 55g caster sugar 2 eggs, plus 1 yolk extra 60g unsalted butter, cubed Pulp and juice from 4 passionfruit, strained 1 tbsp lemon juice Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line two 20cm springform or loose-bottomed cake tins. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and 110g of the caster su...

Anna Jones’s late summer sweetcorn and tomato curry recipe

My summer was far too short and I’m not ready to let go just yet. I’m wishing with everything I have for another few weeks of sunshine, dinners outside, feet on grass, iced coffees. I don’t yet feel the lure of crisp autumn leaves, knitwear and bowls of soup ... it will come, I know, but for now I’m hell‑bent on keeping summer going as long as I can. So, this week I am doing all I can to encourage an Indian summer, throwing the final spoils of warm weather into a quick curry with some soft chapatis. My kitchen is still cheerful with bowls of tomatoes, citrus, squash and ears of corn. Late corn, less sweet than its earlier renditions, still in paper husks, is all the better for a gentle braise with some spice and a few tomatoes, easy chapati breads as a sidekick, which are even quite meditative to make. Late summer sweetcorn and tomato curry (main picture) Serves 4 4 eggs Coconut or olive oil 2 tsp cumin seeds 1 tbsp black mustard seeds 2 tsp fennel seeds 1 onion, peeled a...

Rachel Roddy’s farro, pumpkin and chestnut soup recipe

Today’s recipe was made from gifts: a packet of vacuum-sealed chestnuts I was given to taste, a bundle of sage from an friend’s garden in Camden brought back to Rome in my rucksack, and a bag of farro from the best wine merchant in Rome, Antonio, who got it from Pacina in Castelnuovo Beradenga in Tuscany, where it grows abundantly. An early form of wheat, and sometimes called emmer wheat (not to be confused with spelt, which is also wheat, but a different genetic variation), farro was a staple grain in early Roman times thanks to its transportability, high protein content, vitamins and slow release of energy. Roman soldiers marched, built and fought on farro, I tell my legionnaire- and gladiator-fixated son, who doesn’t look keen, pushing away the “funny rice”. Looking like a cross between a caraway seed and grape pip when dry, farro does look rather like plump and sturdy brown rice when cooked. It has a mild, nutty taste, and it is this inherent nuttiness that some people dislike ...