Air fryer cauliflower ‘wings’
Delicious right out of the air fryer, these vegan cauliflower ‘wings’ are crunchy and spicy drizzled with hot sauce. Add the water slowly and ensure you have a really thick batter that clings to the florets so it doesn’t drip through the air fryer basket holes.
Ingredients
- 1 small–medium cauliflower, cut the cauliflower into florets, approx. 4–6cm/1½–2½in, save the stalk and leaves for another recipe
- 125²µ/4½´Ç³ú plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- cooking oil spray
- 2–3 tbsp buffalo hot sauce (check that it’s vegan)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the dip
Method
Preheat the air fryer to 200C.
Put the flour, baking powder and paprika in a bowl with some salt and pepper. Whisk in 150ml/¼ pint cold water to make a thick batter. Dip the cauliflower florets in to coat them and set aside on a plate.
Spray the air fryer basket with oil, then add the florets in a single layer (they can be touching: you can break them apart after cooking). Spray the tops with more oil and air-fry for 10 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy but cooked through. (You may need to cook in two batches.)
Meanwhile, make the dip. Mix the yoghurt, garlic, lemon zest and juice together in a bowl, then stir in the chopped herbs and season to taste.
If you cooked the cauliflower in batches, put all the florets back into the air fryer and heat for 1 minute.
Put 2 tablespoons of the hot sauce into a big bowl. Tip in the hot cauliflower florets and mix to coat all of the pieces. Serve immediately, drizzled with the third tablespoon of hot sauce if you dare, and the cooling dip alongside.
Recipe Tips
This recipe was made in an air fryer without a paddle attachment. The batter needs to set on the cauliflower until it is crisp before it will come away from the air fryer basket.
No air fryer? Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Line a baking sheet with baking paper, spray with cooking oil and bake the battered cauliflower florets for 20 minutes, until crispy.