Cauliflower Pepper fry. This South Indian side has pepper in the batter and black pepper, chilies and green pepper in the sauce! This onion curry leaf black pepper sauce is addictive! Serve with a curry or with fried rice! Gluten-free Soyfree nutfree

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 25 minutes
  • Total time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Appetizer, Side, Side Dish
  • Cuisine: Indian, South Indian

Ingredients

For the Cauliflower

  • 3 cups cauliflower florets (about an inch or smaller in size)

Dry Batter Ingredients

  • 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (or use paprika)
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons rice flour (or use all-purpose flour)
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch (or tapioca starch)

Wet Batter Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste (or use 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons water

For the Pepper Fry Sauce

  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • 1 cup sliced red onion
  • 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped, not minced but chopped)
  • 1 hot green chili (such as Serrano, thinly sliced)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped or thinly sliced green bell pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (or use paprika)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 6 curry leaves, (fresh, frozen, or dried is fine)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

To Add Just Before Serving

  • 1/4 cup chopped tomato
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • lime juice

Method

Make the cauliflower.

  1. Preheat the oven for 410° F (210° C)
  2. Chop the cauliflower, if you haven't already, and set it aside.
  3. In a bowl, add all the dry batter ingredients and mix it well. Then, add the wet batter ingredients, starting with the 2 tablespoons of water. Mix well, adding in more water, as needed, to make a thick batter. We want a thick batter to lightly coat, so don’t thin it too much.
  4. Add in the cauliflower florets, and toss well to a coat.

To make the cauliflower and sauce together in the baking pan

  1. Spread the cauliflower onto one half of a greased baking pan that's big enough to fit the cauliflower on one side and onions on the other.
  2. On the other side of the baking pan, mix the onion, garlic, peppers, and curry leaves with the oil.
  3. Mix all spices together in a small bowl, and sprinkle that all over the onions, then mix well and spread on the other side of the baking dish.
  4. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring the onions at 20 minute mark. If the onions are starting to scorch, bring them together, cover that part of the dish with parchment, and continue baking.
  5. After baking, check if the cauliflower is cooked to preference. Then toss the cauliflower in the onion mixture. Just before serving, add the chopped tomatoes, cilantro and a good squeeze of lime juice, and serve as an appetizer or as a side. You can also use this cauliflower as a filling for wraps or tacos.

To make the pepper fry sauce on the stove instead

  1. Instead of spreading the cauliflower into half of a baking pan, spread it onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, make the sauce.
  2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and a good pinch of salt, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
  3. Mix in the garlic and add splashes of water, as needed, to help the onion continue to cook evenly. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the onion is starting to turn golden.
  4. Add in the green chili and bell pepper, and mix and cook for half a minute, then stir in all of the ground spices, the curry leaves, and the salt. Reduce heat to medium.
  5. Take the cauliflower out of the oven, and transfer to this sauce mixture and toss well to coat the cauliflower evenly.
  6. Switch off the heat, add the chopped tomatoes, cilantro and a good squeeze of lime juice, and serve as an appetizer or as a side with curries or fried rice.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.