Ok, some real talk. Who actually likes the traditional Thanksgiving sides? I’m not talking about some creamy roasted garlic mashed potatoes. I’m talking about bland candied yams, cranberry sauce out of a can, and some dry a** corn bread. So back to that real talk – that ish is BLAND. And honestly, I’m not sure why people don’t want to spruce up their holiday tables. There are SO many yummy things one can make!

Before I get into the dish I created for your holiday table, let’s talk about Thanksgiving. I’ve never liked Thanksgiving. I don’t like what it stands for historically, currently and from an animal and environmental stand point. If you live in the U.S. then the true meaning of Thanksgiving should be no surprise to you – glorifying the massacre of millions of Native Americans, and twisting history taught in schools for generations upon generations that it was the coming together of two civilizations. Grossly inaccurate. From an animal and environmental stand point, millions of turkeys are slaughtered just for American families to make some sub-par, bland, and rather unimpressive turkey dinners. Why? You all know, I like to maintain a positive attitude and atmosphere, so I’ll end this opinion (slash rant) with – I use Thanksgiving to spend time with my family, relax, and develop new recipes, where I challenge myself from a culinary stand point.

Anyways, back to delicious and juicy stuff like these Maple Sage Cauliflower Pakoras. Pakoras, or bhujies as we call them in Kannada, are crispy chickpea flour based fritters that are deep fried loaded with flavor, spice and everything nice. My pakoras are absolutely the same, but baked and not deep fried! So I hope this dish makes your holiday table this year. It’s flavors are mind blowing – I promise you this!

Cauliflower Batter:

• 1 small-medium cauliflower cut into florets – save the leaves!
• 1 cup chickpea/gram flour – sifted
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 hefty pinches kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 5-6 fresh sage leaves – chiffonade

Maple Sage Glaze:

• 2 tbsp vegan butter
• 1/2 cup good quality maple syrup
• 1-2 dried red chilies
• 1 full sprig of fresh sage
• 1 hefty pinch of salt

Garnishes:

• 1-2 sprigs of fresh sage – leaves picked off
• olive oil
• 1/4 cup pomegranate kernels

1. Cauliflower: Wash and completely dry your cauliflower. Break the cauliflower into florets- they should be mostly even in size. Cut the large ones in half so they have a flat side. Save the leaves too! They’re delicious and 100% edible. Set aside the florets and leaves.

2. Batter: In a mortar and pestle, add in coriander seeds, black peppercorns, and 2 hefty pinches of kosher salt. Grind down until roughly ground. Set aside until ready to use. In a large bowl, sift the chickpea flour until there are no large lumps. Slowly pour in the water and whisk. It will be very clumpy, so keep whisking. Add in the remaining water and continue whisking vigorously until super smooth with no clumps. Add in the baking soda, ground spices, red chili powder, ground nutmeg and chiffonade sage. Mix thoroughly.

3. Batter up & bake: Preheat the oven at 375 degrees. Pop the cauliflower and leaves into the batter and coat thoroughly. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, making sure to leave some room in between each cauliflower. Bake for about 40-45 minutes until fork tender, golden in color and crisp.

4. Maple Sage Glaze: In a small pot, add in the butter, maple syrup, break up the dried red chilies, stem of sage and set over medium-low heat. Bring to a boil and reduce to low and allow to simmer. Once it has thickened and slightly reduced, remove from the heat and allow to cool.

5. Crispy Sage: In a small pan, add in the olive oil to make for a shallow fry and set over medium-high flame. Once you see ripples, it’s hot! Add in the sage leaves – don’t crowd the pan. Cook on each side for about 30-60 seconds until crisped up and darker in color. Remove and immediately place on a plate lined with paper towel to drain the access the oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt while hot.

6. Once the the cauliflower pakoras have cooled slightly, add to a bowl and pour over the maple sage glaze. Toss until fully coated. Serve on a platter/shallow bowl. Garnish with crispy sage and pomegranate kernels. Stuff your face!