Air fryer cauliflower ‘wings’

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
• 125g/4½oz 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

• 175g/6oz unsweetened oat-based yoghurt
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed or finely grated
• 1 lemon, zest only, plus juice of ½ lemon
• 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh herbs, such as coriander, chives, dill, mint – or a mix

Method

1. Preheat the air fryer to 200C.

2. 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.

3. 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.)

4. 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.

5. If you cooked the cauliflower in batches, put all the florets back into the air fryer and heat for 1 minute.

6. 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.

Air fryer cauliflower ‘wings’