Fried cauliflower is a popular dish in many cuisines of the Middle East, South Asia, Europe, and elsewhere.

It may start from raw or cooked cauliflower; it may be dipped in batter or breading; it may be fried in oil, butter, or other fats.

It is often seasoned with salt, spices, and a variety of sauces, in the Middle East often based on tahini or strained yogurt.

Deep-fried and pan-fried cauliflower is found in many cuisines, and is well documented through the 19th century in Germany,[7] Austria,[8] Britain,[9] and the United States.

Fried battered cauliflower is served in French cuisine with a tomato sauce as fritot de chou-fleur.

[13] One Punjabi recipe deep-fries the cauliflower first, then sautés it in spices and yogurt to nap the florets with sauce.

[15] Among the Mizrahi, fried cauliflower was often eaten as a mezze before large meals or in various salads (often dressed with tahini sauce, strained yogurt, or citrus juice).

[24] In Levantine cuisine as found in Lebanon,[25] Syria, and Palestine fried cauliflower, zahra mekleyah (Arabic: الارنبيط المقلي, زهره مقليه), is served cold or hot.