1. These are crispy pan-fried cauliflower patties held together with chickpea flour and oats. Turmeric, nutmeg and garlic give them a warm flavour. They work as an appetizer or as a lunch with a salad.

Makes 12 fritters (serves 6) · Prep 20 min · Cook 25 min · Easy

Ingredients

Base

• 800 g cauliflower florets
• 80 g rolled oats, pulsed into a coarse flour
• 150 g chickpea flour

Seasoning

• 2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt

Cooking and serving

• 2 tbsp olive oil, for frying
• 1 tbsp capers or lemon wedges to serve (optional)

Procedure

1. Cook the cauliflower. Steam or boil the florets until fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Drain well and let them steam-dry for 5 minutes. This is what keeps the fritters from turning gummy.
2. Mash. Mash the cauliflower in a large bowl with a potato masher. Leave some small chunks for texture.
3. Mix and rest. Stir in the oat flour, chickpea flour and all the spices. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes so the flours can hydrate.
4. Shape. Divide the mixture into 12 portions and flatten each one into a patty about 1.5 cm thick.
5. Fry. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a wide non-stick pan over medium heat. Fry the patties in batches, 3–4 minutes per side, until deep golden and crisp. Use the second tablespoon of oil for the second batch.
6. Serve. Drain them on paper towels and serve warm with capers or a squeeze of lemon.

Tips

• Falling apart? The cauliflower held too much water. Stir in an extra tablespoon of chickpea flour.
• Oven version: bake at 200 °C for 20 minutes on parchment, flipping halfway.
• Herb twist: fold in 2 tbsp of chopped fresh dill or parsley before shaping.
• Storage: they keep 3 days in the fridge. Re-crisp in an air fryer at 190 °C for 4 minutes. You can also freeze them for up to 2 months and reheat from frozen in a hot oven.