Healthy Cauliflower 65 in the Air Fryer

Healthy Cauliflower 65 In The Air Fryer

Cauliflower 65, Chicken 65, Mushroom 65 and potato 65 are favorite crowd pleasers. Both adults and kids enjoy these dishes. They are always deep fried and you cannot stop eating them. That is why I have started to air fry them recently. They turn out as delicious as deep fried ones and you can eat an entire tray of these nuggets without guilt.

There are various stories to the origin of these "number 65" dishes. Some say it was created in 1965 and hence the name. Others say the original version had 65 different ingredients.

In India, there is no such thing called appetizers or starters. What we have are snacks, spicy finger foods served alongside tea or coffee. Dishes with a number 65 beside them can be termed as a snack or a side dish with rice and roti. In these modern times the western words, appetizer and starter has sneaked into the Indian cuisine and people have started to serve appetizers before a meal. Cauliflower 65 and Chicken 65 have now been categorized as appetizers. So feel free to serve these spicy and delicious Cauliflower 65 before a meal to invigorate your guest's palates.

Some things to note in this recipe:

Do not mix in the flours right at the beginning of the marinating process. Add them at the last minute before air frying. You only need a light coating on the florets so do not keep adding too much flour. I air fry the cauliflower florets at 360° F for ten minutes on one side and five minutes on the other side. This works on my Air fryer but yours might need a different temperature and time setting. Experiment with a few florets first because these little nuggets can burn quickly.

Lastly, you can change the measurements in this recipe to suit your taste.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower florets 1.5 cups
Yogurt 1.5 tbsps
Garlic paste 1tsp
Ginger paste 1/2tsp
Coriander powder 1tsp
Cumin powder 1/4 tsp
Chili powder to taste
Lemon juice 1 to 2tsps
Rice flour 1tbsp
Corn flour 2 to 4tbsps
Oil 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

First, let us make the marinade. Mix together the ginger and garlic paste with the powdered spices.
Add the above spice blend to the yogurt.
Add in the salt and lemon juice to the yogurt. Mix everything well.
Pour the marinade over the cauliflower florets and mix well. Make sure all the florets are coated with the marinade.
Let sit for ten minutes.
Preheat the air fryer at 360° F for five minutes.
Add both the flours and oil to the marinated cauliflower and mix well. Adjust the quantity of corn flour according to the wetness in the vegetable.
Spray the bottom of the air fryer basket. Place the cauliflower florets in the basket in a single layer.
Place the basket in the air fryer and cook for ten minutes. Flip the florets and cook for another five to ten minutes. Do not let the florets burn.
You can serve Cauliflower 65 garnished with chopped onions, green chili and cilantro leaves.
Enjoy!