Ingredients

1. Gobi / cauliflower – 250 to 300 gms or 1 medium sized
2. Maida (all-purpose flour) – 1/3 cup
3. Rice flour – 1/3 cup
4. Saunf (aniseed) powder – 1/2 to 3/4 tsp
5. Red food colour (biryani colour) - a pinch
6. Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
7. Chilli powder – 1 tsp
8. Salt - as per taste
9. Ginger and garlic paste – 1 tsp
10. Water – 2 tbsp or more
11. Curry leaves – 12 to 15

Quick sauce

12. Onion (small) – 1 (3 tbsp)
13. Curry leaves – 12
14. Garlic cloves (big) – 1
15. Chilli garlic sauce (Maggi brand) – 2 tbsp
16. Tomato ketchup – 2 tbsp
17. Green chilli (chopped) – 1

Garnishing

18. Oil – 2 tsp
19. Onion (small) – 1
20. Green chilli (sliced) – 2
21. Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp

Method

1. Cut the cauliflower into florets.
2. Soak in hot water for about 10 mins, drain and keep aside.
3. Take a wide bowl and add all the flour, curry leaves, chilli powder, other ingredients and salt. Mix well.
4. Add the cauliflower florets and mix well. Do not add any water, so that it gets mixed well in its moisture first.
5. Now add water little by little (and evenly). Mix well. The mixture should be such that the gobi / cauliflower is coated well with the marinade. Keep it aside for 10 to 15min or you can fry immediately.
6. Heat the oil, but not very hot. Put one gobi/cauliflower floret in the hot oil to check the temperature.
7. Fry the gobi 65 / cauliflower 65 in batches. Cook until it is crispy
8. While frying the gobi 65 / cauliflower 65, keep turning them in between so that it is evenly cooked.
9. Serve cauliflower 65 with onion rings, lemon wedges and a sauce of your choice (mint-yoghurt sauce/chilli sauce/ketchup).
10. In restaurants or in street food stalls they serve by sauteing onion, green chillies (slit lengthwise), coriander leaves, salt and garnish on gobi 65 / cauliflower 65 with lemon wedges. I sometimes serve gobi 65 as a side dish with plain rice and dal or lemon rice.

Quick sauce

11. Heat oil in a vessel. When hot, add onion, curry leaves and green chillies. Saute for 1 to 2 mins until transparent.
12. Add chilli and tomato ketchup. Mix and cook for about 1 to 2 mins on a medium flame.
13. Add the cooked gobi 65, mix and serve hot as a starter.

Notes

1. In the flour mixture you can add crushed ginger, crushed saunf seeds (aniseed) and garam masala as an additional flavour.
2. Coat each cauliflower floret well with the thick flour mixture and spices.
3. If the flour mixture is too dry, you can add little water and mix. The mixture should be like sticky .thick mixture. you will get the crispy gobi65 as per the consistency of the mixture.
4. If you don’t want much crispness, I do sometimes, add little water and make the coating or marinade mixture little thin or light.
5. Corn flour can be used instead of rice flour.