Tempura Cauliflower with Coconut Curry Sauce
Anna Hedworth shares one of the most popular recipes from her restaurant, Cook House: golden, crispy cauliflower served on a Thai-inspired coconut curry sauce. The deep flavours and mix of textures mean this meal won't last long on the plate.
From the book
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150 recipes from the breakfast, lunch and dinner menus at popular restaurant Cook House
Vibrant seasonal cooking
Recipes perfectly suited to the home cook but with restaurant flair
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Introduction
We have served tempura vegetables in one form or another since day one, and at some point this particular version began to gain cult status. Uproar ensued when we took it off the menu at one point, table after table asking, ‘What are you playing at?’, ‘When will it be back?!’ One man left. The little nuggets of cauliflower are dipped in a light curried batter and fried until crisp, the star of the show being the sweet, spicy, savoury dipping sauce, a mix of coconut and condensed milk, soy sauce, honey and curry powder – truly addictive in its powers. I came across it as a marinade for pork steaks in a Thai book. After I had removed the meat, the marinade seemed too good to throw away so I reduced it down to a glossy sauce and here we are. I lose count of the number of people who ask for the recipe. Here you go.
Ingredients
| 1 litre (4⅓ cups) | vegetable oil, for deep-frying |
| 1 | cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets, small leaves reserved (see Tip) |
| For the coconut curry sauce: | |
|---|---|
| 400g (14oz) | canned coconut milk |
| 200g (7oz) | condensed milk (½ can) |
| 3 tbsp | honey |
| 3 tbsp | light soy sauce |
| 1½ tsp | ground turmeric |
| 1½ tsp | curry powder |
| For the batter: | |
| 225g (8oz) | plain (all-purpose) flour |
| 10g (¼oz) | curry powder |
| 10g (¼oz) | Maldon sea salt |
| 500ml (2 cups) | cold soda water |
| To serve: | |
| toasted black sesame seeds |
Essential kit
You will need: a temperature probe.
Method
First make the sauce. Thoroughly combine all the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed pan, then bring to the boil, whisking now and again while it heats up (the honey can burn if it isn’t fully dissolved). Then turn it down to a simmer, letting it cook for 10 minutes to thicken. Set aside to cool.
To make the batter, whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl.
Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pan until it reaches 180°C (350°F) – test it with a temperature probe. The pan should be no more than half-full. Drop a handful of cauliflower nuggets into the batter, allowing any excess batter to drip off before gently lowering them, one by one using tongs, into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan, or the nuggets will join into one big mass – there should be space for each piece. Turn them gently as they cook. When they are a rich golden colour, remove them to a baking tray lined with paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Sprinkle with salt.
The nuggets are best eaten straight away as the batter becomes less crisp after a while. (They will keep in a low oven for a short time if you want to cook a few batches.)
Tips:
Keep the cauliflower leaves to make Kimchi.
Be careful when frying in hot oil at home. This is easier and safer if you have a small worktop deep-fat fryer at home. If you don’t, use a heavy-bottomed, deep-sided pan, but never fill it more than half-full with oil and do not move the pan while the oil is still hot. Use tongs to carefully lower the nuggets into the oil.
Alternatives:
- Sliced courgette
- Whole spring onions
- Tenderstem broccoli
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