Cauliflower 65 | Dry Gobi 65

Cauliflower 65 is a crunchy, delicious cauliflower snack that lights up any tea-time or party table. Each bite has a crisp shell and soft cauliflower inside. The spice mix gives a warm heat and tang that makes it hard to stop eating. Everyone loves it because Gobi fry makes a meal feel extra special but is easy to make at home. Gobi 65 is just perfect for evening snacks, parties, or even as a simple side dish for Palak Khichdi or Coriander Rice.

South Indian Gobi 65 has a special flavour. We add a tempering of fried and a squeeze of lemon at the end. The curry leaves add fresh aroma and make the snack taste like home. Street vendors and small hotels often serve gobi 65 this way with hot chutney.

If you are looking for yet another interesting South Indian starter / snack, try my Vazhaikkai / Raw Banana Kola Urundai recipe. You will love it.

Ready in about 30 minutes, this is perfect for sudden guests or tea-time cravings.

Works great as a starter, party snack, or side dish. You can also tweak the spice level to suit kids or guests.

A mix of flours and proper frying technique gives you a light, crispy coating that stays crunchy.

You can deep fry for the classic result, or air-fry/oven-bake for less oil.

Add cauliflower florets to a bowl. Soak them in hot water, salt and turmeric powder. Set aside for 15 minutes.

To another bowl, add cornflour, besan flour (gram flour), rice flour, salt, Kashmiri red chilli powder, ginger garlic paste, thick yogurt, lemon juice. Mix well.

Remove the cauliflower florets from the bowl of hot water and add the florets to the bowl of masala mixture.

Gently mix the cauliflower florets with the masala paste and make sure the florets are well coated.

Let the marinated cauliflower rest for 20 minutes.

Heat the oil on a medium flame. Once the oil gets hot enough to fry, add the cauliflower florets in small batches and fry them until they turn golden brown.

Once all cauliflower florets are fried, fry some curry leaves and add them hot to the cauliflower 65. This gives a nice texture, crunch and flavour.

Serve the cauliflower 65 as a starter, snack or as a side dish for rice variteties.

Tips to make the best Gobi 65

Keep the batter thick. Do not add water. Thin batter causes coating to slide off during frying.

Adding rice flour or cornflour makes the crust crispier and less greasy. Do not skip it.

Keep oil at medium heat. If too hot, outer layer of the gobi burns before inside cooks. If too cool, the batter soaks oil and cauliflower 65 becomes greasy.

Let coated florets rest for at least 15 minutes before frying. This helps the batter stick better.

Fry in small batches. Overcrowding drops oil temperature and yields soggy results.

You can coat cauliflower and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. Fry just before serving for best crunch.

Serving Suggestions

Serve hot with green chutney (mint-coriander chutney) and tomato ketchup.

Add lemon wedges, sliced onions, and a small bowl of raita or yogurt dip. Arrange on a platter with fresh herbs.

Toss fried gobi 65 with a sauce made from soy sauce, chili sauce, ketchup, and a splash of vinegar for a spicy Indo-Chinese appetizer.

Serve alongside biryani or pulao for a crunchy accompaniment. You can also serve it with other rice varieties like Rasam Rice, Keerai Sadam, or Arisi Paruppu Sadam.

Use as a filling with lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and a tangy mayo for vegetarian wraps or burgers.