Crispy Whole Cauliflower in Air Fryer
Browned & basted whole cauliflower with slices of fresh garlic and sprinkled with garlic, salt, sumac, and then sprinkled with chopped mint & toasted sunflower seeds.
Servings: 2
Equipment
- air fryer
Ingredients
- large head of cauliflower 700g
- 2 ½ Tablespoons coconut oil alt. butter-flavored oil or ghee
- 1 ½ Tablespoons sunflower seeds alt. pine nuts
- 2-3 15g cloves garlic, sliced thin
- ½ teaspoon sumac
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 Tablespoon chopped mint leaves
Instructions
- Clean the head of cauliflower and mint leaves well, and then cut off the bottom of the cauliflower so that it's flat, pulling off any leaves on the outside.
- Then put the head of cauliflower in the air fryer basket and set it to preheat to 325°F (160ºC) for 5 minutes; this gives it time to get completely dry.
- While it dries off, melt the oil, slice the garlic, measure out the spices, and chop the mint leaves, then set them aside.
- Once the air fryer is preheated & prompts you to add food, open it and baste or pour half the oil onto the top of the cauliflower head, then sprinkle on the garlic powder, sumac, and salt and bake it for 30 minutes. Set a timer so that you catch the air fryer before it goes off and you have to reset it.
- Once the timer goes off, flip over the cauliflower and baste the bottom with the rest of the oil. Then place the slices of garlic into any openings in the cauliflower, and bake it for 10-15 more minutes, until golden brown and fork-tender.
- While the cauliflower finishes cooking, dry toast your sunflower seeds in a nonstick pan until they start to brown and smell roasted.
- Once the whole cauliflower is done, sprinkle on the chopped mint and toasted sunflower seed, and serve immediately. If tolerated, this would be delicious topped with pomegranate seeds, yogurt, and/or a drizzle of honey.
Notes
For Larger or Smaller Heads: For a head of cauliflower larger than 700g, add 5-10 more minutes to the cook time (up to 1000g), or take away 5 minutes for smaller cauliflowers (as small as 450g).
Reheating: to reheat a whole head of cauliflower, you can either pull it into chunks and stir-fry it with a bit of oil until warm again, or stick it in the preheated oven or air fryer for 5-7 minutes at 300°F (150ºC), tweaking cook time depending on how much is left.