• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Flour & Spice logo

  • Complete Recipe Index
  • Pakistani Recipes
  • Meet Sarah
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Complete Recipe Index
  • Pakistani Recipes
  • Meet Sarah
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Appetizers & Snacks » Cauliflower Fritters & a note on Palestinian cooking

    5 from 10 votes

    Cauliflower Fritters & a note on Palestinian cooking

    October 20, 2020 by Sarah Mir · Updated December 27, 2020

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Jump to the Cauliflower Fritters with Mint Yogurt Recipe

    People often ask why I started blogging and it always comes down to sharing and celebrating. I love to share with my friends here how to get that comforting tomato-y daal just right or bring a few simple ingredients together for a flavorful comforting pasta. I cherish the flavours I grew up with as well as the ones that I have discovered as an adult. Blogging to me is a celebration of it all. Sometimes though - like with these Cauliflower Fritters - it means even more.

    Why?

    Because a thing I have thought about a lot this year, but from a different lens is the power and legacy of food. I thought about it in the context of the Black Lives Matter movement and the value of honoring (and acknowledging) the cultural origins of food. More pertinent to this post, I have thought about this in context to the sweeping category of Middle Eastern food. The "Middle East" as we call it comprises of 17 countries. Generalizing it's cuisine seems to be a bit of an injustice.

    Palestinian Cooking

    Palestine today is a fraction of what Palestine was in 1947. Whatever your personal political views are on the subject that's a dramatic reduction of a nation. It is also a dramatic reduction of a people. Current estimates suggest that the Palestinian population in Palestine is 5 million. DOUBLE that amount are part of the diaspora. Many of the Palestinians that still reside in Palestine are living in conditions none of us would choose.

    I have always known the information above. But until I read Zaitoun by Yasmin Khan and Falastin by Tamimi & Wigley I didn't feel it. Page after page of the exploration of food and the human stories that come with it. The variation in diet by parts of Palestine, the gift that is the ability to create out of little, all of it had a powerful impact on me.

    These Cauliflower Fritters represent that impact. They have basic ingredients that I can find in any grocery store anywhere with spices that have always been in my pantry, but when I put them together I can almost imagine a young Sami Tamimi's mother frying them for him after school. There is something almost magical about food that way. Similar ingredients combined in different ways can create worlds that are connected, but beautifully dissimilar.

    As a quick note I will say that I know Cauliflower Fritters are made all over the Middle East and are not unique to Palestine alone. I however discovered them through Falastin.

    How to Make Cauliflower Fritters

    The process for making these fritters is super simple.

    • Mash lightly boiled cauliflower
    • Stir in the remaining ingredients
    • Drop by the spoonfuls into shimmering hot oil and pan fry on either side
    • Mint Yogurt Sauce is a quick mix and entirely not optional

    Made the Cauliflower Fritters? Rate them below by clicking the number of stars on the recipe card. Happy Cooking my friends!

    ¾ view of a plate of cauliflower fritters with the mint yogurt in the center
    Print Recipe
    5 from 10 votes

    Cauliflower Fritters

    Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: fritters, cauliflower,
    Servings: 4 (as a side)
    Author: Sarah Mir

    Ingredients

    Cauliflower Fritters

    • 3 cups Cauliflower florets (1 small cauliflower)
    • 1 cup all purpose flour
    • ½ cup chopped parsley
    • ½ cup chopped cilantro
    • ½-3/4 cup finely minced onion (approx one onion)
    • 2 eggs (beaten)
    • 2 tsp ground cumin
    • ⅓ tsp ground cinnamon
    • ½ tsp cayenne / red chili powder
    • ½ tsp chili flakes
    • ½ tsp baking powder
    • salt and pepper to taste (I usually put 1 level tsp salt)

    Mint Yogurt

    • 1 tbsp chopped mint (1 tsp if using dried)
    • 1 cup yogurt (greek or plain)
    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • 2 tbsp lemon juice
    • ½ tsp salt

    For Serving

    • lemon wedges (optional)

    Instructions

    • Boil the cauliflower florets in a medium pan for 4-5 minutes or until tender enough to mash but not totally mushy. Reserve ¼ cup of the cooking water
    • Drain the florets and tip them into a bowl, mash lightly
    • Gently toss in the flour, spices, baking powder, onions and then add the eggs and mix just to coat - don't over mix.
    • Add a little of the 'cauliflower water' using just enough to get a slightly runny batter.
    • Heat oil in a saute pan or a frying pan and when it's hot carefully place large spoonfuls of the batter in the oil, making sure it leave space enough to flip between your fritters.
    • Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until a beautiful golden.
    • Use a slotted spoon to remove the fritters from oil, and drain of excess grease on a wire rack or a paper towel before serving.
    • Repeat until your batter is used up and serve with mint yogurt and lemon wedges

    Mint Yogurt

    • Combine the yogurt ingredients in a bowl, whisking well. Adjust seasoning to personal preference.
    « Good for the Soul Instant Pot Carrot Soup with Ginger + Coconut Milk
    EASY Instant Pot Pasanday Recipe »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rahul @samosastreet says

      November 01, 2020 at 9:02 pm

      I just made chicken fritters this would be so good when you have vegetarian friends coming over for lunch

      Reply
      • sarahjmir@gmail.com says

        November 02, 2020 at 11:42 am

        For sure! But I do like that when I make these even my carnivorous friends dig in!

        Reply
    2. hungrypaprikas says

      November 12, 2020 at 9:50 pm

      These look so amazing! We make something similar, but also slightly different. Look forward to trying these!

      Reply
      • sarahjmir@gmail.com says

        November 14, 2020 at 10:28 pm

        oooh how is it different???

        Reply
    3. Sanaa says

      December 10, 2020 at 7:29 am

      Any gluten free substitutes the flour? The sound delicious!

      Reply
      • Nihal says

        December 02, 2022 at 6:36 am

        Try rice flour!

        Reply
    4. Sana Farooqui says

      April 21, 2021 at 9:55 am

      I want to try making these in the air fryer with almond flour? Any other gluten free options ?

      Reply
      • sarahjmir@gmail.com says

        April 27, 2021 at 7:45 am

        I honestly have not tried it with any GF options, but I'd love to hear how it went!

        Reply
    5. Nihal says

      December 02, 2022 at 6:45 am

      These beautiful fritters (called mshat in Arabic) are actually quite regional, so they’re considered a Palestinian delight. The more popular courgette fritters (ijjeh) are better known throughout the rest of the Middle East.

      I noticed some people were asking about gluten-free options. I usually mix the flour with rice flour for extra crispiness but if you would only use rice flour (or chickpea flour) it would work too. Just experiment with a small batch first to get the right proportions. Rice flour also works for plant-based mshat, just replace the eggs with “flax eggs” (Google for recipe) and add a bit of baking soda. I also like them with a tahini-yogurt-herb dip. Sahtain!

      Reply
      • Sarah Mir says

        December 23, 2022 at 5:15 pm

        I cannot tell you just how much appreciated this! Thank you for sharing such rich information as well as tips!

        Reply

    Penny for your thoughts? Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Sarah! Welcome to Flour & Spice, the foodie world of a Pakistani origin Canadian mama of two whose busy life and love for food means practicality reigns supreme! I love baking (duh!), my readers (extra duh!), reading, coffee, singing loudly slightly off key, and aprons.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Caramel Custard - Pakistani
    • Herbed Chicken Burgers with a DELISH sauce
    • Easy & Flavorful One-Pot Chicken Pulao (Pakistani)
    • EASY Pakistani Aloo Gosht - Instant Pot & Stove Top
    • Coffee Cake a la Bombay Bakery
    • "Phitti Hui Coffee" or Whipped Coffee - a Pakistani Latte

    Copyright © 2023 Flour & Spice · Support by Foodie Digital