Crispy cauliflower nuggets in 30 minutes. This crispy cauliflower snack is perfect appetizer for gatherings, always a hot with kids and tastes best with any dip. Vegan & gluten free.
If you want more snack ideas do check vegan corn fritters, oven fries, zucchini fritters, gobi manchurian, veg spring rolls, cauliflower bites.
These vegan cauliflower nuggets are our favorite snack these days at home. With just some fresh cauliflower and handful of basic ingredients these nuggets get ready in minutes.
Super crispy exterior with a melt in mouth texture, very flavorful and tastes absolutely delicious. Though it tastes great with creamy dip, I serve it with salad for a wonderful meal.
You can make this snack recipe in flat 20 minutes if you use a food processor. You basically throw in blanched cauliflower florets, carrots, onions, green chilies in the foo processor, process for few minutes. Add some flour to bind the mixture and season to taste. Pinch of small nuggets and fry until golden brown. So simple right!
This is also a very versatile recipe, you can whatever vegetable you have handy and make this snack more interesting. In the same way you can also season these nuggets as per your taste.
These crispy nuggets make for a wonderful after school snack, I would not recommend packing this in snack or lunch box though. These nuggets taste best when served hot.
These Cauliflower Nuggets Are
Vegan & gluten free
Super simple to make
very crispy with melt in mouth texture
Delicious & flavorful.
Made with very few simple ingredients.
Ingredients
The ingredients you need for making cauliflower nuggets are as follows.
Cauliflower- I have used fresh cauliflower florets here , which I blanched and then minced finely. You can easily use frozen florets or to make this snack more quick, you can use cauliflower rice or packaged minced cauliflower.
Carrots- Carrots are optional but do lend a slight sweetish taste and flavor to these nuggets.
Onions– Use white onions for mild flavor or red onions for a sharp flavor. I have used red onions here.
Ginger green chili & garlic– for flavor and spice
Rice flour– I have used rice flour for binding the vegetable mixture. Checkout the notes for more options.
Pulsed rice flakes or powdered poha– Powdered poha or rice flakes or beaten rice is an excellent gluten free alternate for bread or panko crumbs. Just add some rice flakes or poha to a dry grinder jar and grind for few seconds. if you are keen, you can easily use bread crumbs too.
Oil– I have shallow fried these cauliflower nuggets with less oil. You can also deep fry, bake or air fry.
Recipe Notes, Tips and Variations
Vegetables that go well in this recipe are broccoli, green peas, corn, cabbage etc. You can add these vegetables in any proportion to suit your taste. Just make sure to add as much rice flour you need to bind the mixture properly. But do note that if you add too much of rice flour, the nuggets will become hard and dry instead of being crispy.
Make sure to mince the cauliflower really well to make nuggets that have melt in mouth texture. If the cauliflower florets are not minced properly, the nuggets balls may break while frying.
Easiest way to mince cauliflower is to use a food processor. Just place the blanched cauliflower florets in the food processor and processor with chopping blade for few seconds.
If doing manually, you can try grating the cauliflower head using a box grater with big holes.
For flavoring here I have used minced ginger- green chili. You can also add few garlic cloves for more flavor.
I have kept the seasoning really simple here with just some red chili powder and garam masala powder. You can add any seasoning you like here. Few options for you are
- Italian seasoning along with dried or fresh herbs like basil, parsley
- Everything bagel (it tastes really good in this recipe)
- Smoked paprika
- Plain old salt and pepper (may be while making for kids)
I have shallow fried these cauliflower nuggets. You can also deep fry them or to avoid oil you can bake these too. Find instructions in the recipe.
How To Make Cauliflower Nuggets
Separate the florets from a medium sized cauliflower head.
Bring 3 cups of water to a boil along with a pinch of salt. Add the florets and par boil for 3-4 minutes.
Drain excess water and rinse the cauliflower florets well in cold water.
Now into a food processor jar, add 1 onion, halved, 1 peeled carrot, cut into big pieces 2 green chilies and 1 inch peeled ginger.
Also add the boiled cauliflower florets.
Process for few seconds.
Remove the veg mixture to a wide bowl and add the spice powders namely garam masala powder, red chili powder and salt to taste. Also add 4 tablespoons rice flour.
Mix very well and add 2 tablespoons powdered rice flakes. Set aside the rest of rice flakes for coating the nuggets. You can also use breadcrumbs.
Mix the ingredients very well.
Now pinch small balls and roll tightly to shape as nugget. Roll each nugget over the powdered rice flakes or bread crumbs.
Heat oil for frying. Place 3-4 nuggets in hot oil and fry in medium flame until they turn golden brown.
Drain excess oil. Fry all the nuggets in the same way.
Serve cauliflower nuggets warm with any dip or salad.
Oven Instructions.
Preheat oven at 180 C or 325 F.
Prepare the nuggets as explained and coat each nugget in powdered rice flakes or breadcrumbs.
Grease a baking sheet with few drops of olive oil.
Arrange them in a single layer in a well greased baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until they turn crispy and golden.
Flip them in between after 12 minutes of baking.
I hope you will try this recipe and enjoy as much as we did. P
Cauliflower nuggets
1 CUP = 250 ml
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups minced cauliflower from 1 medium caulifower head
- 1 medium sized carrot peeled
- 1 large onion halved
- 2 green chilies
- 1 inch ginger peeled
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 4 tablespoons rice flour
- 1 cup powdered rice flakes or bread crumbs
Instructions
- Separate the florets from a medium sized cauliflower head.
- Bring 3 cups of water to a boil along with a pinch of salt. Add the florets and par boil for 3-4 minutes.
- Drain excess water and rinse the cauliflower florets well in cold water.
- Now into a food processor jar, add 1 onion, halved, 1 peeled carrot, cut into big pieces 2 green chilies and 1 inch peeled ginger.
- Also add the boiled cauliflower florets.
- Process for few seconds.
- Remove the veg mixture to a wide bowl and add the spice powders namely garam masala powder, red chili powder and salt to taste. Also add 4 tablespoons rice flour.
- Mix very well and add 2 tablespoons powdered rice flakes. Set aside the rest of rice flakes for coating the nuggets. You can also use bread crumb
- Mix the ingredients very well.
- Now pinch small balls and roll tightly to shape as nugget. Roll each nugget over the powdered rice flakes or bread crumbs.
- Heat oil for frying. Place 3-4 nuggets in hot oil and fry in medium flame until they turn golden brown.
- Drain excess oil. Fry all the nuggets in the same way.
- Serve cauliflower nuggets warm with any dip or salad.
Oven Instructions.
- Preheat oven at 180 C or 325 F.
- Prepare the nuggets as explained and coat each nugget in powdered rice flakes or breadcrumbs.
- Grease a baking sheet with few drops of olive oil.
- Arrange them in a single layer in a well greased baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until they turn crispy and golden.
- Flip them in between after 12 minutes of baking.
Denise says
Can I add cheese to this recipe?
Denise
Kathleen says
Can I do this in an shoot fryer?
Kathleen says
Can I make this in an air fryer?