Cauliflower is considered one of the healthiest cruciferous vegetables that helps lose weight and keep you fit. With this easy, nutritious, and flavorful Air fryer cauliflower Indian recipe, it is much easier to stay healthy. It is perfect of you follow a low-fat, keto, or whole-30 diet. Make this easy peasy appetizer recipe under 40 minutes today.

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Health benefits of air fryer cauliflower Indian recipe
If you love flavorful and delicious food but do not want to add more oil than normally seen in fried Indian food, there are more reasons you’ll love this recipe. Besides the delightful Indian spices, Cauliflower has a lot more benefits to offer you.
- It is low fat recipe. You do not need a lot of oil to make this recipe.
- Cauliflower has high fiber content. Even if you eat just one cup of cooked cauliflower, you will get about 10 percent of the recommended daily amount of fiber. The fiber-rich rich food helps prevent constipation and abdominal cramping.
- Cauliflower has sulforaphane and indole which may reduce the risk of developing some types of cancer. Source
- Cauliflower is a great source of Vitamin C, folate, and vitamin K. Along with these immunity boosting vitamins, it also has phytochemicals and antioxidant compounds that help prevent chronic diseases. Source
- Indian spices always add a healthy mix of flavor and anti-inflammatory nutrients in your meals.
What kind of cauliflower is good for air fryer recipe?
You can use any kind of cauliflower in this recipe. We are living in a beautiful colorful world where nature has given us three more colors of cauliflower- orange, purple, and green.

- Green cauliflower: It reminds me of broccoli. It has a sweeter taste than white cauliflower. So its perfect to use if you are making this recipe for kids.
- Purple cauliflower: Love this color of caulifower. But it doesn’t stay that way when cooked. After cooking, it turns green. This cauliflower gets its color from anthocyanins which is an antioxident-rich plant pigment. If you love red cabbage, you will also like this type of cauliflower.
- Orange cauliflower: This cauliflower has 25 times more Vitamin A than white cauliflower.
So, you can use any type or add a mix of cauliflower types in this recipe. Bring all the beautiful colors to your recipe.
How to select cauliflower for this recipe?
Buy cauliflower in the peak season which is from the late summer to late fall. Stock up more cauliflowers at a low price when they are on sale, cut them, and freeze them immediately.
When you are in the market, pick a few fresh cauliflowers that look firm and closed. It is ok to have green leaves around them as long as they look bright green. Look for any signs of yellow or brown spots on cauliflower. Also, if you see soft spots on cauliflower, leave that and move on to the next one.
When you bring the cauliflower at home wrapped in plastic packaging, keep it in a crisper drawer until you are ready to cook it.
Don’t wash the packaged cauliflower until you are ready to cook it up. I do not like to keep my veggies in the plastic wrapping for long, hence I prep and cut them on the day I get them from the market.
Now, let’s move on to the recipe ingredients. Shall we?
Air fryer Indian Cauliflower Recipe Ingredients:
- One fresh cauliflower head, cut into equal medium size florets
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon of red chilly powder**
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper**
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder,
- 1 tablespoon oil- Avocado oil (extra-virgin is ok to use as well but Avocado oil retains its nutrients in high heat)
- Pinch of Salt and pepper ( to taste)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seed powder ( optional, but good if you do not have Indian Curry powder)
- 2 tablespoons of lime juice- to be used in the end
- Few sprigs of cilantro to garnish
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** Adjust the heat level by reducing or increasing the chilly powder, curry powder, and black pepper. If you have kids at home eating this recipe, remove chilly powder and black pepper. Curry powder also has these spices in small proportion in it.
Turmeric has an active compound- Curcumin. It improves heart health and prevents Alzheimer’s and cancer as it is a potent anti-inflammatory antioxidant.
Garlic and Ginger boost the immune system protect brain health and stabilize blood sugar levels. Both these ingredients promote a healthy metabolism.
Add these three ingredients to your regular diet to protect yourself against the common cold and flu during the cold season.
Air Fryer Cauliflower Instructions:
Clean the cauliflower well. Cut the florets in even sizes and look for any brown spots or bruises. Remove them. Then immerse the cut florets in warm water for 5 minutes. Add white vinegar into it to wash off any residue on the florets. If you do not have vinegar handy, add a tablespoon of lemon juice into the water and salt. After 5 minutes, rinse the florets and pat them dry.

Marinate the florets– In a large bowl, mix avocado oil, all the ground/powdered spices, and salt. Add the blanched cauliflower florets and mix well. Use your hands because that way you can rub the oil mixture on the florets nicely. At this time, if you like, you can add carrots, and capsicum to your recipe ( but they are optional). Once the oil is coated well, marinate the florets for 20 minutes and set them aside.

Preheat the air fryer for a couple of minutes. Then spread the florets evenly on the platform inside the air fryer basket. If you want, you can also place them over the aluminum foil. I skipped it this time. If I am not using the air fryer, I usually add the cut florets in aluminum foil and place it inside the Instant Pot over a trivet. They steam up well but are not as crunchy as air-fried ones.
Another Quick Recipe: One-Pot Turmeric Coconut Rice Recipe
Under 30 minutes Recipe: Instant Pot Vegan Vegetable Soup

Air fry the florets at 390°F for up to 7 minutes. Then shake the basket once. And continue cooking for 5-6 minutes.
Sprinkle some lemon juice, and cut cilantro on top of the cauliflower.
Add carrots, and beets if you like the flavor of the raw veggies (optional). Serve with your favorite sauce.
Notes **
Adjust the heat level by reducing or increasing the chilly powder, curry powder, and black pepper. If you have kids at home eating this recipe, remove chilly powder and black pepper. Curry powder also has these spices in small proportion in it. Please note the cooking time of this recipe will depend on the air fryer you use.
How to store leftover air-fried Cauliflower?
If you have leftover crispy cauliflower florets, store them in an airtight container like this and refrigerate them for up to 2 days. But you need to reheat them again in the air fryer at least 350°F for about 3-4 minutes. This will bring out their crispiness. Avoid doing it multiple times though. Use up your leftover cauliflower quickly.
Substitutions
- For marinating you can use just the 1 tablespoon oil and this amazingly delicious taco seasoning. Add little red chilly pepper flakes if you want to increase the heat. This will taste great with any Mexican sauce or even salsa.
- If you like a little Mediterranean flavor, add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon powder and 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika into the marinate.
- Some people love to make this a cheesy recipe, you can add a couple of tablespoons of parmesan cheese and oil. Adjust the amount of cheese for the size of the florets.
- Turmeric is optional but I suggest you add it for extra nutrition and anti-inflammatory properties. If frying with turmeric is not for you, then add 1 tsp of turmeric in the water when you are blanching the cauliflower.
- Replace red chili powder with either smoked paprika or cayenne pepper but adjust the amount based on how much spicy you want the recipe to be.

Frequently Asked Questions
Fresh Cauliflower is good because it has lesser moisture than frozen cauliflower.
Sure. The oven works too. It may take a little longer to make this recipe but you can make this recipe in bulk for more people in the oven easily. Use your oven with a convection setting to air fry cauliflowers.
Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the seasoned cauliflower evenly in a single layer as shown in the picture below.
Bake at 425˚F for 15-20 minutes. Toss the cauliflower florets in between once. You will see them getting brownish or crispy. Then it’s a good time to stop the oven.
Yes. There is a handy Air fryer lid available on Amazon. It fits your existing Instant Pot. Just check the dimension before buying.
If you do a lot of recipes requiring air frying, this lid is worth the investment.
Want to cook another recipe in under 30 minutes? Check our Salmon in a Hurry Recipe.

Air fryer Cauliflower - {Easy Indian Recipe}
Airf-fryer cauliflower is the best way to get the best of both worlds- taste and keto-friendly diet. Make this easy Indian Recipe flavored with a perfect blend of spices and minimal oil. Perfect as healthy finger food or even as a side for your full meal.
Ingredients
- One fresh cauliflower head, cut into equal medium size florets
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ginger powder,
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- ½ tsp ground black pepper**
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder,
- 1 tsp Indian curry powder
- 1 tablespoon oil- Avocado oil (extra-virgin is ok to use as well but Avocado oil retains its nutrients in high heat)
- salt and pepper ( to taste)
- 1 tsp cumin seed powder ( optional, but good if you do not have Indian Curry powder)
- 2 tablespoon of lime juice- to be used in the end
- Few springs of cilantro to garnish
Instructions
- Clean the cauliflower before air frying it. Cut the florets in even sizes and look for any brown spots or bruises. Remove them. Then immerse the cut florets in warm water for 5minutes. Add white vinegar into it to wash off any residue on the florets. If you do not have vinegar handy, add a tsp of lemon water and salt. After 5 minutes, rinse the florets and pat them dry.
- Marinate the florets- In a large bowl, mix oil, whole spices, powder spices, salt, ginger, garlic, and serrano pepper. Add the blanched cauliflower florets and mix well ensuring all the florets are well coated. Marinate for 20-30 minutes.
- Preheat the air fryer for a couple of minutes. Then spread the florets evenly on the platform inside the air fryer basket.
- Air fry the florets at 390°F for up to 7 minutes. Then shake the basket once. And continue cooking for 5-6 minutes.
- Serve them hot with lemon juice, cut cilantro, or a sauce of your choice
Add carrots, beets if you like the flavor of the raw veggies (optional). Serve with your favorite sauce.
Notes
** Adjust the heat level by reducing or increasing the chilly powder, curry powder, and black pepper. If you have kids at home eating this recipe, remove chilly powder and black pepper. Curry powder also has these spices in small proportion in it.
Please note the cooking time of this recipe will depend on the air fryer use you.
If you have leftover crispy cauliflower florets, store them in an airtight container like this and refrigerate them for up to 2 days.
But you need to reheat them again in the air fryer at least 350°F for about 3-4 minutes. This will bring their crispiness.
Substitutions
1) For marinating you can use just the 1 tablespoon oil and this amazingly delicious taco seasoning. Add little red chilly pepper flakes if you want to increase the heat. This will taste great with any Mexican sauce or even salsa
2) If you like a little Mediterranean flavor, add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder and 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika into the marinate.
3) Some people love to make this a cheesy recipe, you can add a couple of tablespoons of parmesan cheese and oil. Adjust the amount of cheese for the size of the florets.
4) Turmeric is optional but I suggest you add it for extra nutrition and anti-inflammatory properties. If frying with turmeric is not for you, then add a tsp of turmeric in the water when you are blanching the cauliflower.
5) Replace red chili powder with either smoked paprika or cayenne pepper but adjust the amount based on how much spicy you want the forest to be.
Finally,
Share with us how you like this air-dryer cauliflower Indian recipe.
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