If you love tacos and curry, you are going to adore these curried fried cauliflower tacos. They start with fried curry-spiced cauliflower and are topped with a curried yogurt sauce, a quick pickled red onion, and cilantro.
Jessica Halverstadt is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
So I totally dropped the ball and didn’t post a taco recipe last Tuesday. *sigh*
I cooked up the tacos and photographed them, etc., however, the day I planned to write this post I came down with nasty bug rendering me unable to do much of anything. I’ll spare you the details…..
I’ve got to confess, I’m a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to tacos. You just can’t beat a good ole carne asada taco or a fish taco.
These curried cauliflower tacos are not traditional by any sense of the word, but that doesn’t make them any less delicious or deserving of your attention. All tacos need love.
If you’re a fan of tacos (and of course you are, because who isn’t?!?!) and curry then I’m sure you’ll dig these curried cauliflower tacos.
They’ve got fried cauliflower bits that are seasoned with curry and fried to golden perfection. Then comes a yogurt sauce, also seasoned with curry, to provide some moisture and to balance the richness of the fried cauliflower. To top it all off is a super simple pickled red onion with jalapeno and a sprinkle of cilantro. Gotta have that acid and fresh herby goodness.
I hope you’re ready for this flavor explosion.
Ingredients (+ notes & substitutions)
- Apple cider vinegar: For pickling the onions.
- Kosher salt
- Red onion
- Jalapeno pepper: I only used one, but you could certainly add more to obtain your desired level of spiciness. I left the membranes and seeds, but if you prefer less spice simply remove them.
- Plain Greek yogurt: For the curry sauce.
- Garlic
- Lime juice
- Flour: I opted for coconut flour to keep this dish gluten-free. Alternatively, you could use all-purpose flour.
- Egg
- Milk
- Cauliflower: A small head of cauliflower should be perfect. Break off the florets, then cut the larger ones into pieces about one inch in size. You’ll end up with some smaller florets/pieces and this is fine.
- Oil: For frying. Canola is a great choice.
- Yellow curry powder
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Coriander
- Cumin
- Cayenne pepper
- Soft corn tortillas: Corn tortillas perfectly compliment the other elements in this dish, so I highly recommend them. Plus they are gluten-free. As always though, you are welcome to use flour.
- Cilantro: To garnish.
How to make curried fried cauliflower tacos (+ tips)
There are three elements to prepare for these tacos, all of which are pretty simple. First off is the pickled red onion. Add the diced red onion and jalapeno to a medium jar. Bring the apple cider vinegar and water to a boil. Whisk in the salt until dissolved. Remove from heat and pour into the jar over the red onion and jalapeno. Cover and set aside for at least one hour.
Next is the curry-spiced yogurt. Simply mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl and set aside. Yep, it’s that easy!
For the fried cauliflower, heat oil to 375 degrees in a deep fat fryer or in a frying pan or pot with at least one-inch deep oil. For the breading, you will need two small/medium-sized bowls. Combine the flour and seasonings in a medium bowl. In the second bowl, whisk together the milk and egg. In one cup increments, cover cauliflower in flour, then dredge it in the milk/egg mixture, and cover once more in flour. It’s just like you’re frying chicken. One batch at a time, fry the cauliflower for one and a half minutes. Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and place on a wire cooling rack if you have one. as it prevents the cauliflower from becoming soggy. Alternately, you could transfer fried cauliflower to a paper towel-lined surface.
Warm both sides of the tortillas in a skillet over medium heat. Fill tortillas with fried cauliflower and top with curry yogurt sauce, pickled red onion, and cilantro. Serve warm.
How to store
The components of this dish should be stored separately in airtight containers. Like most fried food, the fried cauliflower is best consumed fresh, however, will keep for up to five days. The yogurt sauce will keep for up to three days and the pickled onions for up to two weeks.
Recommended Products
More unique taco recipes you may enjoy:
- Philly Cheesesteak Tacos: A fresh take on the cheesesteak, these tacos are loaded with all the classic flavors you know and love: steak, green bell peppers, onions, and cheese. Make this Taco Tuesday a good one with these Philly cheesesteak tacos!
- Chipotle Chicken Caesar Tacos w/ Avocado Salsa Verde: Filled with grilled chicken and Caesar salad then topped with avocado salsa verdé; these chicken Caesar tacos with a Mexican twist are a delightfully fresh and delicious choice for lunch or dinner.
- Buffalo Fried Pickle Tacos w/ Garlic Ranch: What’s better than fried pickles, buffalo sauce, and tacos?!?! A combination of the three; BUFFALO FRIED PICKLE TACOS!! These tacos start with crispy buffalo flavored fried pickles which are tossed in a tortilla and topped off with garlic ranch, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. Great vegetarian option with quick and easy prep.
If you make these fried cauliflower tacos I’d love your feedback. Please leave a comment and/or a rating below as I greatly value your opinion. Or snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @taoofspiceblog. Love, light, and happy cooking ya’ll ♥
Curried Cauliflower Tacos
If you love tacos and curry, you are going to adore these curried cauliflower tacos. They start with fried curry-spiced cauliflower and are topped with a curried yogurt sauce, a quick pickled red onion, and cilantro. Gluten-free and vegetarian.
Ingredients
Pickled Red Onions
- 1 cup diced red onion, approximately on small onion
- 1 jalapeno, diced
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
Curry Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon lime juice
- 2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Fried Curried Cauliflower
- Canola oil, for frying
- 3/4 cup coconut flour, all-purpose is fine if not gluten-free
- 3 teaspoons curry powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into 1 inch pieces (see notes)
For the Tacos
- Soft corn tortillas, or flour
- Chopped cilantro
Instructions
- For the pickled red onions: Place red onion and jalapeno in a medium jar. Bring water and apple cider vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan. Add salt and whisk until dissolved. Pour atop the red onion and jalapeno, cover with lid, and rest for one hour.
- For the curry yogurt sauce: In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, garlic, lime juice, and spices. Set aside.
- Heat at least one-inch deep oil in deep fat fryer or frying pan/pot to 350 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together with the flour and spices for the cauliflower.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together egg and milk.
- Dredge one cup of cauliflower in flour mixture, then in egg mixture, and once more in the flour mixture.
- Transfer cauliflower to fryer and cook for one and a half minutes or until cauliflower is brown and crispy. Remove from oil using a slotted spoon and place on wire cooling rack or on a paper towel-lined surface. Repeat with remaining two cups of cauliflower.
- In skillet, warm both sides of tortillas over medium heat.
- Fill tortillas with cauliflower and top with curry yogurt sauce, pickled red onion, and cilantro.
Storage: The components of this dish should be stored separately in airtight containers. Like most fried food, the fried cauliflower is best consumed fresh, however, will keep for up to five days. The yogurt sauce will keep for up to three days and the pickled onions for up to two weeks.
Notes
- Cauliflower pieces should no larger than one inch. Break off smaller florets and cut any larger pieces to size.
Cecilia
Thursday 19th of December 2019
I was so inspired by this dish! I made a version tonight that was pretty darn tasty. I've never pickled onion so that was a pleasant surprise and added a little cumin to my yogurt. Yum! Keep up the great posts, I'm looking.forward to more
Jessica Halverstadt
Thursday 19th of December 2019
Yay, thanks so much for the love ♥ Pickled onions are SO yummy, but I like pretty much anything pickled!