I am a big fan of cauliflower. I grew up eating this vegetable in Bangladesh where it is grown locally and eaten when in season in the fall. During the cauliflower season my mother would make sautéed cauliflower with a bit of turmeric. Cauliflower was also commonly used in fish curry. Cauliflower may seem like an ordinary veggie but it has really a unique flavor. It is affordable and healthy.

I like making all sorts of things out of cauliflower including cauliflower rice, mashed cauliflower, and pakoras. One thing my family and I love is my cauliflower cake (it’s loved by even the picky eaters!). I first roast cauliflower, bell peppers, and leeks and then add aromatics to make flavorful patties. It’s pan fried until golden brown on both sides. It should be crispy on the outside and soft inside. It’s especially good if you serve it with my very simple house sauce. See the recipes below. If you think of cauliflower as too bland — make these cakes; they are a real winner.

These cauliflower cakes will give crab cake a run for their money, I am not kidding. I used to serve these cakes at the University restaurant where I worked, and the college students loved them!

Ingredients

Cauliflower Cakes

• 5 cups cauliflower floret, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup seeded green pepper, small dice
• 1/4 cup leek, small dice, white and green part
• 1 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 tsp. finely chopped ginger
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tsp. brown mustard paste
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup green onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 3/4 cup canola oil to fry

House Sauce

• 1/4 cup full fat mayo
• 1 tbsp. creamy horseradish sauce
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1/2 tbsp. spicy brown mustard
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. canola oil
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper

Instructions

House Sauce

Combine all sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Whisk until completely smooth. This sauce is great over steak and potato salad!

Cauliflower Cakes

Preheat your oven to 550 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine cauliflower, green pepper, leek, ginger, oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in medium sized bowl. Once mixed together well, as seen below on the left, transfer the mixture to a parchment lined baking sheet. Place the sheet at the very bottom of your oven.

Roast the cauliflower mixture for 20-25 minutes until lightly roasted and the vegetables are cooked. Then, let it cool while you gather the other ingredients for the patties.

In a separate bowl, add a beaten egg, mayo, mustard, green onion, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 3/4 cup of panko bread crumbs. Use a fork or your hand to mix well. Once the cauliflower mix is cool enough, take a hand full of the cauliflower mixture and mash with your hand slightly, then add it to the egg mixture until all the cauliflower is used up. Mix everything well.

Divide the cauliflower mixture into 8 mounds using a ice-cream scoop and form into thick patties. They should be about 1-inch.

Spread the remaining 3/4 cup panko in a shallow baking dish and then carefully coat patties, 1 at a time, in the panko bread crumbs. Transfer the patties to parchment lined cookie sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Heat a 3/4 cup oil in an electric or large heavy skillet over moderately high heat. Fry the cakes, turning gently once until golden brown on both sides. Transfer the cooked cakes to paper towel lined plate to drain.

Serve the cake with your favorite sauce or use the one included with this recipe!

Serves 4

Did you make this dish? I’d love to know how it turns out! Feel free to like this post and comment or use the hashtag #globaldinein on Instagram