This Crispy Fried Cauliflower Is Your (Easy) Ticket to Plant-Based Decadence

James Beard Award-winning author and chef Hawa Hassan is on a mission to transform your kitchen. Her wildly ambitious cookbook, Setting a Place for Us: Recipes and Stories of Displacement, Resilience, and Community From Eight Countries Impacted by War, is a heartfelt read that celebrates a handful of vibrant cultures across the globe — and Hassan’s recipes cut through the noise to connect readers directly to these communities through texture and flavor. You’ve seen places like Afghanistan and El Salvador on the news, but it might be time to try understanding these countries on a culinary level.

Hassan’s section on Lebanon includes a humble yet versatile, deceptively easy recipe for fried cauliflower paired with a tangy tahini sauce. This crispy cruciferous vegetable can be used as an appetizer, a vegan pita filling, or even a midnight snack. It’s great served hot or at room temp. You can prepare it in a very hot oven or even in your trusty air fryer. And the recipe itself calls for eight simple ingredients that you might even have on hand right now. If you’ve never delved into the unthinkably rich world of Lebanese cuisine, this will be the perfect entry point.

Arnabeet Mekleh Recipe (Fried Cauliflower with Tahini)

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil for frying
• ½ cup tahini, at room temperature
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
• ⅓ cup water
• ½ large head cauliflower, cut into florets
• Kosher salt
• Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

1. Pour oil to a depth of about 2 inches into a large Dutch oven and heat to 365°F. Line a sheet pan with paper towels and set it near the stove.
2. While the oil heats, in a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. Whisk in the water until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Set aside until serving.
3. When the oil is ready, add the cauliflower and cook, turning the florets as needed to color evenly and adjusting the heat if necessary to maintain the oil at 365°F, until the cauliflower is tender and deep golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a wire skimmer, transfer to the towel-lined sheet pan to drain and immediately season with salt.
4. Serve the warm cauliflower with the tahini sauce for dipping and lemon wedges on the side.

Excerpted from Setting a Place for Us: Recipes and Stories of Displacement, Resilience, and Community from Eight Countries Impacted by War, by Hawa Hassan.